CNG tank fill or exchange... PNW... Anacortes, Port Townsend???

Dec 28, 2015
1,837
Laser, Hunter H30 Cherubini Tacoma
Totally. As I said earlier in this thread....I am going to go to alcohol when my chandlery quits the CNG biz....
I am just sad that those stoves are disappearing
I have a Wallas diesel cooktop/furnace. Its the bees knees!
 
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Dec 25, 2000
5,702
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
Talked to Sure Marine awhile ago telling me they shut the system down last January. He had his own compressor for filling tanks to 2500 PSI, unlike the local fuel stations that fill to 3600 PSI. Process was becoming too expensive, plus the compressor needed a rebuild. He still has it if someone wants to pick it up.

So it seems that upgrading our boat to propane is becoming more likely. Seaward sold their business to Whale and Sure Marine bought all the remaining conversion parts except for the oven. I can convert our Seaward Hillerange top burners to propane, but not the oven. If I can find a used Seaward propane stove that still works, I can use the oven burner from it in to replace the CNG burner in our stove. It may just make more sense to go all new. Trident makes a two eleven pound bottle locker that will fit in our starboard lazarette locker. Expensive, but more convenient than trying to fill our CNG tank.

If someone has a better idea, please let me know. I'm all ears. Maybe time to start a, "Go Fund Me", page. :yeah:
 
Nov 10, 2018
35
S2 9.2a Marblehead, Massachusetts
Why not go alcohol? As stated, that is what I am going to do.
I think the tradeoffs in terms of slower cooking and the like are not relevant to me. I don't want pressurized gas of any kind in my boat. I am keeping CNG for now, but will not go to LPG. Would be very expensive to try to put in a proper propane locker. YMMV.
 
Jan 25, 2011
2,391
S2 11.0A Anacortes, WA
Trident makes a two eleven pound bottle locker that will fit in our starboard lazarette locker.
Trident makes a two eleven pound bottle locker that will fit in our starboard lazarette locker. Expensive, but more convenient than trying to fill our CNG tank.
Terry, make sure you can locate a vent such that it does not fill the locker with saltwater while underway.
 
Dec 31, 2020
1
Ross 930 Seattle
Late to the game I know but I too am a PNW boat owner with a CNG system that I cannot get refilled. I have a 2 burner stove with broiler that is really nice which I'd like to stick with but can't find a replacement in that configuration. So my choices are to go propane or try to refill my bottle. I've spoken with Sure Marine about convert my system to propane but it's pretty expensive even with an external stern hung all-in-one system. The other option it to try to refill my bottle (I could probably go 5 years without doing this again with my cruising needs). Any recent suggestions for refilling a CNG bottle in my area? My bottle is probably pretty old. Thanks!
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,992
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
I looked at the @DinghySailor's link. Only one site showed up in my search identifying Compressed NaturaL Gas. It was in Marysville at the Waste Management station. They had a last confirmation of Nov 2020. Anybody know if they fill tanks for boat owners.
 
Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
Late to the game I know but I too am a PNW boat owner with a CNG system that I cannot get refilled. I have a 2 burner stove with broiler that is really nice which I'd like to stick with but can't find a replacement in that configuration. So my choices are to go propane or try to refill my bottle. I've spoken with Sure Marine about convert my system to propane but it's pretty expensive even with an external stern hung all-in-one system. The other option it to try to refill my bottle (I could probably go 5 years without doing this again with my cruising needs). Any recent suggestions for refilling a CNG bottle in my area? My bottle is probably pretty old. Thanks!
A guy in my zip code refills CNG. I thought he was also listed in the boat stuff for sale on SBO? Annapolis, though. This is a public service announcement. YMMV.
 
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Oct 22, 2014
20,992
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Ron... Only 3000 miles apart from the Pacific NW.

Any one have a Tardis or one of those StarTrek Transporters. We could get the CNG tanks filled in 30 minutes.
 

PaulK

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Dec 1, 2009
1,222
Sabre 402 Southport, CT
Is it possible to run a CNG stove off a tank from a forklift? It might not be as cute as the one people currently have, but the forklift tanks have to be available somewhere, no?
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,992
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
It is not about the tanks but about the sources to load the tanks.
 
Dec 28, 2015
1,837
Laser, Hunter H30 Cherubini Tacoma
Is it possible to run a CNG stove off a tank from a forklift? It might not be as cute as the one people currently have, but the forklift tanks have to be available somewhere, no?
I haven’t heard of forklifts running off of CNG.
 
Dec 25, 2000
5,702
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
They had a last confirmation of Nov 2020. Anybodies goes if they fill tanks for boat owners.
Anyone have experience with filling their tanks at the Marysville Waste Management facility? Do they have the adapter for boat style tanks?
 

PaulK

.
Dec 1, 2009
1,222
Sabre 402 Southport, CT
It is not about the tanks but about the sources to load the tanks.
If UPS can find sources to fill the tanks for its forklifts all over the U.S you should be able to locate them too. Those outfits may not like your "looks iffy-to-them" tank. If you use the same tank as UPS does, they shouldn't have a reason not to fill it. There must be lots of CNG distributors who handle forklift tanks but who don't want to bother with "custom" boat-sized tanks. So it can be about the tank as well as the source. I've had propane dealers give me looks about our "mini" aluminum propane tank and have to be convinced too.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,992
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
There must be lots of CNG distributors who handle forklift tanks but who don't want to bother with "custom" boat-sized tanks.
You would think that was the case. What the CNG boat owners are finding, at least here in the Pacific NW "No one wants to fill tanks with CNG".
Exploring teh "Alternative Fuel site for the major marina's and near by, there are no distributors of CNG, let alone willing to fill a tank of any size.

Perhaps in CT they still exist.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,992
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Here is what came up in a web search.
CNG search.JPG


Not good for a cruising boat.