Ever since we bought Mintaka, and converted the cooking fuel to propane, we have had two ten-pound, horizontal aluminum tanks. These tanks were kept in a weather-tight locker on deck, and are in perfect condition. They were pressure tested here in New Zealand soon after we arrived almost ten years ago. Ten years is the retest period, so these tanks need to be retested before they can be refilled. Unfortunately, New Zealand changed the rules recently so that only tanks made in New Zealand can be retested. A bit of a waste, as our two tanks are in perfect condition. Horizontal aluminum tanks are also not available here, so we have two options. We can either decant propane from a borrowed or rented tank into our horizontal ones, or we can buy new vertical ones.
Quite often, a problem is really an opportunity. Our two tanks lasted about six weeks each, necessitating refilling while on a six-month cruise in the tropics. Refilling there has never been difficult, but it has often been a chore involving a long walk carrying the tanks, or a taxi ride. We decided to buy two new twenty-pound vertical aluminum tanks, and keep one of our horizontal ones (even though we can only refill it by decanting). This would give us enough cooking fuel to last roundtrip from New Zealand for a six-month cruise. This meant altering our propane locker, though, as the new tanks wouldn’t fit. I carved a bit on the old locker, and added a few bits of plywood. The new locker is a bit larger, of course, but the dinghy sits down closely over it, giving it good protection at sea.
The new locker has since been painted, and we'll have a waterproof canvas cover made soon (not as good as the old locker with a solid cover, but adequate protection).
Nice
ReplyDelete