Replacing original alcohol stove with propane

jfstogis · **Joined:** 02 Oct 2007 16:10 **Posts:** 4

My boat is Pilgrim, #288, built 1980. It came with the 3 burner and oven alcohol stove which we converted to kerosene (a kit was then offered by Force 10) and have used for many years. Now it is time to go to propane. I would appreciate hearing from others who have made this modification.

The biggest issue for me has always been where to locate the locker for the tank. Has anyone found a good spot? Where did you get the locker? (Those in the West Marine catalog are too large.) Or did you install it above deck? Where?

Any and all other tips and guidance appreciated. Any make of propane stove you have found particularly good? Or not so?

Thanks.

conch · **Joined:** 21 Jan 2010 12:57 **Posts:** 168

So bizarre (to me) that this topic appears at this time: I've just decided to do the same, after my second almost serious incident with the original alchohol stove. For simplicities sake (there are so many "important" projects on the to do list that the propane tank locker installation seems "too much") I'm leaning towards a Seaward cooktop that uses disposable butane bottles (like one uses with a torch). I seem to only use the stove for making coffee and warming a can of beans, so this should work for me. Any thoughts from others will be welcome.

alpinista · **Posted:** 03 Jun 2013 13:04

The propane locker on Betty Lou is under the port side of the helmsmans seat, sized to hold a 10 lb. bottle.

DAEDALUSCAN · **Joined:** 09 Dec 2007 21:03 **Posts:** 114

I built a locker to hold two 17lb fiberglass bottles under the port side of the rear bench. A tight fit and a lot of work but never ran out of propane across the pacific. It also gave me a small paint locker outboard of the propane tanks against the slope of the hull for any odds and ends like my little propane torch.

Velera · **Joined:** 29 Dec 2006 09:38 **Posts:** 656

tech section of this website has propane locker building instructions.

JPANEAVITT · **Joined:** 03 Nov 2010 12:23 **Posts:** 21

We replaced our CNG tank with propane and installed two (2) six (6) lbs. tanks in the lazarette on either side on the outside bulkheads as much as possible. One of the tanks is connected to the propane feed lines to the oven with two electrical solenoid switches both of which have to be turned on before the propane flows. Both tanks as accessed by locking deck plates set on either side of the lazarette hatch. At the bottom of each tube is a vent which is connected to an overflow vent above the waterline on the starboard side. The tank in the starboard tube is carried as a spare and the port tank is connected to the interior by the usual knob to turn on and off the tank. We have found that the six (6) pond tanks are easy to remove and refill and we had one tank last us all the way down the ICW this past Fall before we switched to the other tank and got the empty one filled for about $3.00.

Peirce Anderson
TRYST - Hull 486

DAEDALUSCAN · **Joined:** 09 Dec 2007 21:03 **Posts:** 114

I found a phot of my locker

WayneH · **Posted:** 12 Jun 2013 21:15

Another idea is not to use a locker. Connie and I built a shelf to hang a fiberglass tank off the stern rail. We don't sail offshore so for us this was a viable solution. The shelf is u-bolted to the vertical stanchion and the horizontal cross member for stability. Then Connie made a cover from the old bimini to completely cover the tank. I thought we took pictures of the shelf but they are not on this computer. Sorry. I do have one showing the tank covered up on the stern rail.

Tartan37.com

Replacing original alcohol stove with propane

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