Tag: propane

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Re-done propane tank locker

While working in the stern, took the opportunity to fix all the mistakes I made with the propane locker:

  • Box to deck join only had basic adhesive foam liner. The assumption was that rubber seal above it will keep moisture out. That turned out to be false and the locker had quite a bit of moisture inside and leaked water into the interior. Ripped out the liner and put in proper sealant.
  • Drain hole was drilled about 2 inches from back wall to be more accessible; however, the condensation just accumulated in those last 2 inches and there was constant standing water in there. Moved the drain hole & hose to the very edge of the box, epoxied it in, and closed off the old hold with epoxy.
  • The hole through which solenoid cable was entering the box was small so I figured it’s not really necessary to seal it. Wrong. Moisture/condensation dripped through it. Sealed it properly this time.

After all of that was done, the lid was remounted and the box was cleaned, sanded, and painted on the inside. Should keep all the moisture out from the inside of the boat now.

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Propane locker DONE

With paint dry, the propane locker lid was put together and installed. Connected all the hoses, and tested for leaks. Put in the propane tank. The only remaining TODO is a strap to secure the tank in place.

And this is what this looked liked when I started over a month ago (just for reference)

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Time for paint

With primer dry, it was time to paint the bow repair and the new propane locker. Got better weather than yesterday. Still a bit windy but manageable for spraying. Ended up with a few runs anyway, impossible to avoid in conditions like these.

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Mounted propane locker

My original idea to glass in the locker wasn’t good: realized I may need access in the stern area behind it so ideally it would be removable. Adjusted the plan and mounted it with fasteners. Hid 2 of them under the hinges. Also added the drain hose (and new thru hull). Did a dry fit of the lid and added spring to hold it in place. Also did a small cut to make the lock work. Turning out exactly as I envisioned it. Can’t wait to see it painted and finished.

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Propane locker cutout

The weather is finally dry and it’s time to undertake the big project of building out propane tank locker to power the galley stove and the fireplace. I couldn’t find any pre-fab hatches that were the right size so this would be 100% custom.

I want to use the part I cutout as the hatch so the cut needs to be super clean and precise. I think I succeeded in that.

Getting the pre-assembled locker in position was a bitch too. Had to take off the rear panel in the quarter birth to have enough room to slip it in. Rough dry fit give an idea of what things will look like.

Whew, this will be a lot of work to get it all done right!