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Old 19-03-2015, 07:52   #16
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Re: Can a propane camp stove be safe on a boat?

Friends used a coleman camp stove for a few years while they cruised the Bahamas. Kept the 20lb tank in the cockpit and the stove usually in the cabin, but they kept the hose disconnected when not cooking.

They said the stove lasted about two years before it got too rusty to trust. Nowadays you can refill the one pound bottles from a 20lb tank with a little device you can buy in a hardware store for $20.
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Old 19-03-2015, 08:06   #17
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Re: Can a propane camp stove be safe on a boat?

NO NO NO This is a very timely question. While we were cruising my solenoid burned out and we could not use our propane stove nor find a replacement solenoid. We took a cab to Walmart and bought a camp stove and some propane bottles. It worked fine until last weekend when it made a strange sucking sound and fire shot out of the connection between the bottle and the stove. I was able to blow it out but it was really a heart stopper for a few seconds.

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Old 19-03-2015, 08:18   #18
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Re: Can a propane camp stove be safe on a boat?

Used in the cockpit the camp stoves are no different safetywise than the BBQ grills. As to their use belowdecks - I guess people have their own tolerances for risk and do corresponding cost-benefit analysis.

To some landlubbers most offshore sailors are crazy risk takers. Which does not mean they are. Or are not. Same for camp stove users.
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Old 19-03-2015, 08:19   #19
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Re: Can a propane camp stove be safe on a boat?

No intention in hijacking this thread, but does anyone have any idea how long those green Coleman canisters will stand up for in a marine environment? I've got an adaptor and a couple of these cylinders stored as temporary supplies so I can run the main cylinders to empty (it's a PITA to swap between the BBQ and stove cylinders so these little Coleman jobbies seemed like a good idea). I have wondered what the shelf life of them would be in a reasonably protected gas locker with regard to corrosion of the tank and valves.
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Old 19-03-2015, 08:20   #20
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Re: Can a propane camp stove be safe on a boat?

Dangers of Carbon Monoxide and Incomplete Combustion in Propane Appliances

We had another blizzard 2 days ago.Lost power at our home for 9hrs.
As usual,went to basement , grabbed Coleman stove & green propane camping bottle.Set up on kitchen counter & enjoyed hot food & drink.
Lit propane camping light at dark.
My neighbors & I have been doing this for ever.
No supply of Natural gas in our area.We use propane (or electric) ranges in our homes,cottages,RV's & boats & think nothing of it.
What scares the hell out of us is the idea of living in a community that is fed by natural gas,run in pipes under streets,& all thru homes,offices,schools,etc.-like living on top of a bomb,in our minds-very scary.
Yes-we are very aware that propane is heavier than air-we take precautions & use our noses.Propane stinks-long before explosive concentration.
Nat gas is light & floats in air-explosive also.
My point is-we all tend to be afraid of the un-familiar,sometimes to the point of paranoia.
Use common sense & normal precautions-propane is no problem.
Also,as stated in above link,no CO is produced from a proper blue flame propane burner.Lots of H2O is produced & will make lots of sweat,if operated too long without ventilation.Normal cooking times should not cause any problem.
Using propane for heating requires venting,because of the sweating,more than CO danger-assuming burner is operating properly.
The above is from many years of personal experience. Cheers/Len
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Old 19-03-2015, 09:24   #21
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Re: Can a propane camp stove be safe on a boat?

With a little common sense this is not a safety hazard. We have used this heater for years. However, when it's not on I remove the propane canister & store it in a locker vented overboard in the cockpit. I attach & remove the canisters in the cockpit. If you don't get a good seal when you attach the canister you will smell it immediately. The canisters are self sealing when removed. However, I would never use a white gas stove below decks. A small spill could be very dangerous.


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Old 19-03-2015, 09:28   #22
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Re: Can a propane camp stove be safe on a boat?

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Originally Posted by Don C L View Post
Actually I found that Smart and Final sells large plastic bottles with screw tops that a propane canister fits perfectly into and can be sealed in.
Unless these bottles are pressure rated they are NOT safe for storage below decks.

If the gas canister starts leaking the pressure inside the plastic bottle will quickly reach the pressure of the gas canister and the seals will not work, again unless they are rated for full pressure which I doubt from your description.
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Old 19-03-2015, 09:30   #23
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Re: Can a propane camp stove be safe on a boat?

Why shouldn't it be safe? Is it really any less safe than a standard propane stove? What makes keeping mini-gas cylinders any more dangerous than keeping them at home - or the camping shops that keep them by the hundreds? What does make them potentially dangerous is the condition that they are kept and used in.
It is not so hard to make up a wider stable base and to provide secure storage. Obviously, you'll not be using them in adverse conditions.
We keep two petrol powered camp stoves on board as well as a small Magma braai (barbeque) that runs off mini cylinders for when we go ashore. I suppose someone is going to tell me that it is also dangerous to keep a can of petrol on board - of course it can be if you do not take care. Its also dangerous to go boating and perhaps, even more dangerous to get out of bed.
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Old 19-03-2015, 09:46   #24
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pirate Re: Can a propane camp stove be safe on a boat?

Quote:
Originally Posted by deblen View Post
Dangers of Carbon Monoxide and Incomplete Combustion in Propane Appliances

We had another blizzard 2 days ago.Lost power at our home for 9hrs.
As usual,went to basement , grabbed Coleman stove & green propane camping bottle.Set up on kitchen counter & enjoyed hot food & drink.
Lit propane camping light at dark.
My neighbors & I have been doing this for ever.
No supply of Natural gas in our area.We use propane (or electric) ranges in our homes,cottages,RV's & boats & think nothing of it.
What scares the hell out of us is the idea of living in a community that is fed by natural gas,run in pipes under streets,& all thru homes,offices,schools,etc.-like living on top of a bomb,in our minds-very scary.
Yes-we are very aware that propane is heavier than air-we take precautions & use our noses.Propane stinks-long before explosive concentration.
Nat gas is light & floats in air-explosive also.
My point is-we all tend to be afraid of the un-familiar,sometimes to the point of paranoia.
Use common sense & normal precautions-propane is no problem.
Also,as stated in above link,no CO is produced from a proper blue flame propane burner.Lots of H2O is produced & will make lots of sweat,if operated too long without ventilation.Normal cooking times should not cause any problem.
Using propane for heating requires venting,because of the sweating,more than CO danger-assuming burner is operating properly.
The above is from many years of personal experience. Cheers/Len
You won't want to holiday in the UK then..
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Old 19-03-2015, 10:00   #25
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Re: Can a propane camp stove be safe on a boat?

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Originally Posted by Boatyarddog View Post
Something else I remembered not to forget��
These green propane canisters can get errantly shuffled away some where within the deep dark recesses of a boat, and rot away the very thin steel they are made of, and a quick leak could develop.
So, be certain you get them ALL off the boat when not using them, maybe even log their arrival and departure.
Enough things to remember already!


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Yep, I found one empty (fortunately not in the boat!) after it was stored for a few years in my kitchen camping box. No idea when it emptied. have also found them in boats I've bought somewhere in the recesses... and really rusty.
I would use a stove in the cockpit but usually wouldnt down below.... although I used to in my 21 footer years ago.
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Old 19-03-2015, 10:25   #26
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Re: Can a propane camp stove be safe on a boat?

I recently chartered a boat with a functioning propane system for the stove/oven as well as a propane powered BBQ grill that used canisters. The canisters were stored in a cockpit locker (they were there when I rented the boat). After cooking steaks and taking the propane canister off I noticed a slight hiss; sure enough the canister was leaking after it was removed from the regulator. The propane locker had two tanks so there was no more room there to store the canisters. They spent the rest of the trip out of doors in the dinghy on the davits. I didn't know what else to do with them and didn't want it in a cockpit locker.
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Old 19-03-2015, 10:56   #27
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Red face Re: Can a propane camp stove be safe on a boat?

Quote:
Originally Posted by sailm8 View Post
NO NO NO This is a very timely question. While we were cruising my solenoid burned out and we could not use our propane stove nor find a replacement solenoid. We took a cab to Walmart and bought a camp stove and some propane bottles. It worked fine until last weekend when it made a strange sucking sound and fire shot out of the connection between the bottle and the stove. I was able to blow it out but it was really a heart stopper for a few seconds.

Your boat your choice.
Sounds like the O-ring blew out. This could probably happen with any set-up.

And Skipmac, you are right, I had not thought of the tank emptying to the point of stressing the plastic container! So, something stronger would be needed. Still the plastic bottle could be used for un-opened bottles to prevent corrosion? Maybe a threaded PVC pipe would be strong enough to hold the pressure? I'd like to test it.
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Old 19-03-2015, 11:31   #28
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Re: Can a propane camp stove be safe on a boat?

As with many boating issues...as long as you are smarter than the equipment you are using , understand the hazards, mitigate them to the best of your ability....apply a little risk management and enjoy life.

Some people are dangerous with a light bulb, others build homemade airplanes and outlive us all....which are you?
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Old 19-03-2015, 11:32   #29
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Re: Can a propane camp stove be safe on a boat?

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Originally Posted by onestepcsy37 View Post
Friends used a coleman camp stove for a few years while they cruised the Bahamas. Kept the 20lb tank in the cockpit and the stove usually in the cabin, but they kept the hose disconnected when not cooking.

They said the stove lasted about two years before it got too rusty to trust. Nowadays you can refill the one pound bottles from a 20lb tank with a little device you can buy in a hardware store for $20.
Actually, you can't refill from the new style 20# tanks, (Acme thread) since they have a tip-over valve and you can't get liquid out. They also have an excess flow valve, so when you first hit the solenoid valve, they might lock up. You then have to turn off the tank, wait till the valve resets, and SLOWLY turn it back on. All the while, the wife is yelling from the galley, she needs her coffee NOW.

Worthington now makes a tank with a real float gauge. Fifty bucks + shipping on Amazon, $35 from U_Haul
U-Haul: Moving supplies: 20lb. Propane Tank With Gas Gauge
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Old 19-03-2015, 12:09   #30
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Re: Can a propane camp stove be safe on a boat?

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Originally Posted by Bulawayo View Post
Why shouldn't it be safe? Is it really any less safe than a standard propane stove? What makes keeping mini-gas cylinders any more dangerous than keeping them at home - or the camping shops that keep them by the hundreds? What does make them potentially dangerous is the condition that they are kept and used in.
It is not so hard to make up a wider stable base and to provide secure storage. Obviously, you'll not be using them in adverse conditions.
We keep two petrol powered camp stoves on board as well as a small Magma braai (barbeque) that runs off mini cylinders for when we go ashore. I suppose someone is going to tell me that it is also dangerous to keep a can of petrol on board - of course it can be if you do not take care. Its also dangerous to go boating and perhaps, even more dangerous to get out of bed.
That's true. I am not a big fan of Atomic 4s for that reason, but there are millions of them out there running for many years. Now that you mention it though, staying in bed might just be the best option...
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