Galley and propane help in an old catalina

[lizardwizard]

Hey there everyone! I recently purchased a 1988 Catalina 30 mkII as a bit of a restoration project/liveaboard situation. The previous owner put in a brand new stove and oven but never bothered with installing the propane for it. I've been looking at various locker kits but have no idea where a good space to mount it would be. I was thinking in the aft storage locker but that's where the fuel fill and a bunch of other lines are and I know the box itself needs to vent outside...

Separate issue is that I found out very recently that the built in fridge no longer works as well, it seems to need an entirely new compressor set up to Maybe work. Did y'all replace that machinery and continue using it or just put in something else somewhere else, because right now its just dead space for me.

If anyone has any tips or tricks or would be willing to show their setups it would be very much appreciated as I'm already up to my eyeballs in troubleshooting everything else!

-Lillian

 

[Tally Ho]

Sounds like a fun project!

First, for the propane locker, it needs to vent/drain out the bottom of the locker and out of the boat. Propane is heavier than air, so the drain needs to allow the propane to drain down (like water). On my O’Day 322, the propane tanks are in lockers under the helm seating, and are sealed, with only a drain in the bottom that vent out thru hulls just above the water line. The drain hoses are straight down from the lockers to the thru hulls.

You will also need a solenoid in the locker…and a control near the appliance you are going to use. The purpose for the solenoid is to cut off the fuel flow from the tank, through the propane hose, to the appliance when it is not in use. You could do the same thing by closing the valve on the propane tank every time you were done using the stove, but the regulations require the solenoid (and it is way more convenient).

If you don’t have a locker that is suitable for the propane tank (I am really surprised that at Catalina 30 doesn’t have a propane locker…), I would consider an external mounted tank locker. Much easier than building one in the boat. It can be mounted on the stern rail and drain out to the water.

But they are not cheap… this one includes most of the things you need except the hose to run to the appliance.

1601-1720-Kit Lpg 17#-20# Lpg Locker Kit

www.suremarineservice.com

You need to have a healthy respect for the dangers of using propane on a boat and make sure you have the system properly set up and maintained….


Greg

 

[jssailem]

Lillian, welcome to the SBO forums. A search on the site will likely provide a lot of ideas.

Here is a good primer on LP Gas for boats. Knowing the issues will help guide your actions to remodel your boat to your liking.

https://stevedmarineconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/LPGas169-02.pdf

While many opt for an internal storage solution, there is always the option to hang the tanks in a way that any leaks just go overboard.

This is the twin tank solution on my boat.

 

[Benny17441]

A propane installation kit including a vented locker and switches is needed if you want a safe and hassle free use of the stove. I was once willing to sacrifice convenience and this is what I did; installed a regulator with an adapter for a 1lb green propane cannister with a 3 ft hose directly to a quality two burner stove with thermocouple switches. I would only screw in the propane bottle when I was ready to use the stove. Would sniff for any leaks (like in the old days). I would remain by the stove while cooking and at the end would turn the burners off and immediately unscrew the bottle. The propane bottle was inspected to make sure the valve had set well and stored in a cabin shelf where presence of the warning smell of a leak could be easily detected. On that same boat I installed a 120V small dorm refrigerator. I also installed a 1500 Watt inverter to run it and other appliances when underway. When at the dock the refrigerator would run on shore power and when underway on the inverter backed up by the battery charging capacity of the engine alternator. I failed to mention I also carried a 2000 watt Honda portable gas generator mainly used to run a 5K BTU window air conditioner the was set in the companionway, and to recharge batteries at anchor. That boat is long gone but I still turn the propane tank on and off for every use even though the pressure gauge tells me there is not a leak.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Did y'all replace that machinery and continue using it or just put in something else somewhere else,

Depends on what your present setup is. Most boats have a completely separate compressor and then a cooler compartment where the compressed refrigerant expands and does its cooling.

Cooler compartment
​

And as luck would have it, I don't have a pic of my compressor to offer you. The compressor is a black coloured tank with several wires going to it and a fan blowing through something that looks like a car's radiator.

Unfortunately, refrigeration is not something you want to play with unless you've had some experience. There is also the chance that the compressor may just be low on refrigerant and a refrigeration mechanic will be able to fix the problem at a reasonable cost.

Either way, I think a refrigeration mechanic is your best choice.

 

[Steve_Catalina]

A few good suggestions here, don't forget to check out the Catalina30.com international site. Good luck

 

[east coaster]

Also the hose from solenoid in the locker must be continuous, no breaks to attach other propane devices. On another note rather than switching your fridge from ac to DC get the module that detects ac or DC and switches from one to the other automatically. I believe coastal Climate in Florida has this as well as the watt wizard for economical running. Its also a good website for information and trouble shooting and no I don't have any connection to them.

 

[captcoho]

Hey there everyone! I recently purchased a 1988 Catalina 30 mkII as a bit of a restoration project/liveaboard situation. The previous owner put in a brand new stove and oven but never bothered with installing the propane for it. I've been looking at various locker kits but have no idea where a good space to mount it would be. I was thinking in the aft storage locker but that's where the fuel fill and a bunch of other lines are and I know the box itself needs to vent outside...

In my C30 both the propane locker and Alder-Barber compressor are in the rear lazarette.
The locker holds the 5 LB tank and is installed as Tally Ho suggested.
The top to the original propane locker needed to be replaced for an updated version when the new propane tank with updated valve was replaced

 

[Skipper John]

Welcome aboard, Lillian. I believe that there would have been a factory-installed propane locker in your boat. It would be the smaller locker in the port aft corner of the cockpit... next to the helm seat. Take a look in that hatch and see if it isn't lined with a drain tube at the bottom.

Good luck!

 

[Ward H]

@lizardwizard Welcome aboard Lillian,

On the C30, Mk II, which you have, I've seen the propane locker in the center aft locker under the helm seat. If you have the walk thru transom like my 93 Mk II, it's mounted in the port side forward locker.

Our boat also had the original cold plate system in the ice box that did not work. I simply pulled it out and replaced it with a kit from Defender. I installed an Isotherm air cooled compressor kit with an L shaped cold plate. Very simple install. Works very well in the ice box which has minimal insulation it doesn't operate as a freezer.
If I needed that I'd buy a cooler type freezer and put it in the qtr berth under the steps like @Hayden Watson did.

 

[Hayden Watson]

@lizardwizard Welcome aboard Lillian,
...
If I needed that I'd buy a cooler type freezer and put it in the qtr berth under the steps like @Hayden Watson did.

 

[Hayden Watson]

On my 1988 C30 tr/bs Mk2 I have a propane locker similar to this one and it is mounted under the hump in the helm seat. It is controlled by a Fireboy P-2BS-R dual channel propane fume detector with solenoid valve control.