Explosive and heavier than air, propane is not the sort of thing you want beneath your bunk. The grills we tested this month (See “The Great Grill-a-thon”) can be fitted with adapters to take 10-pound propane tanks meant for galley service, but smaller 16-ounce canisters used for camping are convenient for short cruises. So where do you store these rust-prone bombs?
A safe propane locker should be latched and sealed except for a direct overboard drain, with no loops in the drain hose, which should not be joined with any other hose on the boat. Effectively, there should be no way for gas to spill into the boat.
Though open at the bottom, the $59 propane holder from Sailor’s Solutions can keep two 16-ounce canisters outboard on a stern pulpit where any chance of propane creeping below is minimal. Made of milled StarBoard, heavy-walled PVC tubing, two stainless-steel hose clamps, and some stainless steel fasteners, the holder is far from elegant, and the tight-fitting cap requires a bit of elbow grease to pry off, but it’s a simple solution for short-term propane storage.
Contact – Sailor’s Solutions, 631/754-1945, www.sailorssolutions.com.
