I do not know how handy or how much you want to dig into this. But we have hull #1057 and had the same set up. What I did was called Catalina and I bought a new aluminum tank and the fiberglass insert that goes into the current boats, 2 years ago. I removed the old plastic cube and the wooden shelf that held the 5 lb tank( 1 gallon) and added the new insert.

I had to remove some of the trim lip (depth)that when you raise the seat cover you up you see that lip. What that did was to allow the new insert to set down flush with the top of the lip. Thus if you do not do this the top of the tank will hit under the bottom of the seat cover not allowing it to close all the way.

Looking at it now it looks like it was factory done plus it gives you 10lbs ( 2 gallons) of propane as well. The past 5 lb tanks you either had to buy new valves or try and find new tanks. So I went this route as I wanted more propane for extended cruising.

Randy

Randy,
Do you have any pictures of this setup? Does this seal off the locker from above?
Gary

Gary:
Well I did have full pictures of the old box and when I did the install but I had my laptop stolen and I lost a lot of info and pictures that I had on it. Right now the boat is covered up for the winter.

As for sealing. Yes it is totally sealed. There is no way propane can get into the boat if it ever leaked out into the mold. There is a drain hose in the bottom that is vented out to the outside stern. It is the same set up as what the new boats come with.
Randy

:)We have 1993 C-36 MK 1.5 #1224. Has anyone tried to modify the 10lb propane locker to hold a 20lb tank?

I have a 1987 C36 with no provision for a propane locker. What solutions have other C36 owners found?

I'm curious why you'd want a 20# tank instead of two 10# tanks. If a single tank goes, you're out of propane until you refill the single tank. We have CNG, but we have two tanks, so if one goes out we have a backup and six or more months to refill the empty one. regardless of the fuel, the concept's the same. Please help me understand why one bigger one is better than two smaller ones.

On my 1989 C36 (and a couple others near me) I've got a mounting bracket for a tank that fits on the stern rail. At first, I wasn't too thrilled about having the tank on the rail, but after a year (and other higher priorities for upgrades) I don't mind it. The mounting brackets are available at Fisheries Supply in Seattle (or on-line).

The PO of our boat had a mounting device made of StarBoard material that attaches to the stern rail and the spare 10 lb propane tank is lashed there. If it should leak, the gas will go overboard.

The mount looks like a baby seat and when the tank is not there, we get a lot of curious questions about it.

my thought are that a 20 would last twice as long, spare would mount as easily as 10 and I have not had in my 59 years ever heard of a 20 # breaking.:):)

We upgraded tanks as well due to old tank filler valve issues. The new tank was longer (deeper) so I (not per kosher standards) removed the original tank support platform under box and rigged a deeper set support to hull. Cut out a round hole in bottom of plastic box to accommodate the longer tank which protrudes below the box resting on the support, and sealed the joint with silicon. I feel pretty good about the vapor containment since only the top of the tank with its threaded fittings will tend to leak.
Nice to know our boat's sibling owner! We have the sugar scoop as well. I wonder what little idiosyncrasies our boats have in common.

Jamie:

I am curious how your going to fill it if the tank is now part of the box?
I know on ours, (1057) I had to remove the plastic box when I redid ours to the newer style of thank and holder out. The box had to come out via rear aft cabin.

Just hope things are safe as there was a reason the plastic box was sealed and vented. Do not want to read about you on here with an explosion if tank or valving leaks. Good luck
Randy

"I feel pretty good about the vapor containment since only the top of the tank with its threaded fittings will tend to leak."

Jamie, am I understanding your post correctly?

Let me restate it to make sure. You have cut a round hole in the bottom of the propane containment box, and set the (taller) tank down into the hole, apparently after applying silicon sealant to the metal tank exterior to "seal" the joint made where the tank mates with the containment box bottom???

How will you refill the tank? And how can you be sure that the seal will retain its integrity, what with the motion of the boat and the eventual and inevitable deterioration of the silicon?

I also don't understand your statement that "only the top of the tank with its threaded fittings will tend to leak". That may well be, but the essence of the matter is that propane is heavier than air, and any leaking gas will descend, and find it's way through any poor seal, into the bilge. This is how the tops of boats are blown off.

Where do you sail, by the way? What marina are you in, and what's the name on your boat?

Jim:
If you have a mark1. One thing you will have to to is to cut the top lip down. It comes very wide and long from the factory. I also had to cut part of the old propane box support away in order to fit the bottom of the new propane locker.

I have yet to glass the lip to hold it all in as it give me access to the autopilot. I have a few pictures of it pictures of it but I do not have the picture rezier program on here. I will add them once I get home in a few days.

Randy

Jim:

If you want send me a email to [email]rssjks@yahoo.com[/email] and I will send you some pictures I took today of it.

Randy

I'm halfway through a propane locker retro on my mk I. I shopped all the pre-packaged options, and the biggest problem (aside the $$) is that most of them would not fit into the lazarette opening.

I ended up building a plywood box 16" x 12" x 19" deep. This is sized to fit the 10# aluminum and 10# composite tanks. My previous boat would get rust streaks on the transom from the steel tanks so I wanted to get away from that.

The box will get glassed over some time this week, dropped in the lazarette, and thru-bolted to the forward wall of the lazarette. The drain/vent goes out the transom. The box has a hinged lid with a latch that opens perpendicular to the lazarette lid - ie. the hinge is along the outboard edge of the box. I didn't bother moulding the interior to a round shape, I will instead use a couple of webbing straps inside the locker to secure the tank. total cost looks like about $250 including materials, regulator/gauge assembly, solenoid valve, plus another $150 for the new seaward composite tank.

Jim:

I took a few pictures for you so email me, I got the same mold as you have in the picture, I will send you a detailed write up of what I had to do to install it. It works well but I presume your skilled at doing such work, It just takes times and patience.

One thing you will need to do is to lengthen the tube hole that the tank sets into, as the tank will hit the seat hatch if you do not and it will not close. There is plenty of room to do it. I have yet to seal (glass it in) the unit in as it is very handy for extra storage and access to the autopilot.

As for the drain hose, That I did not hook up as there is no hole in the bottom of the mold when you got it, So if you ever had a propane leak, there is know way for it to get into the boat. It has to come out the top.

Randy

This is somewhat of a related subject to this thread, but I am wondering if anyone else has ever connected their gas grill on the stern rail to their main tank in the propane locker. Has onyone else ever done that? I get tired of changing those little cannisters. BTW, I purchased 2 for just over $5 whereas, at Tiffnys, er I mean WM they were almost $5 each.

Yes:

I carry a hose right in the locker where the tank is at. All I do is unconnect the tank and connect the grill hose to it,

Randy

That's an idea Randy. I was thinking of adding a "t" to the line and was wondering if anyone had done that yet.

Glenn

Glenn, one of the handiest reference materials for all of us is the West Marine catalog, both in print and online at [url]www.westmarine.com[/url] Product Advice tab. They have an excellent propane Advisor which discusses the question you ask. [url]http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/westadvisor/10001/-1...

And the resource is FREE. Between the WM catalog, Calder's Handbooks, and one or two other books [like This Old Boat by Don Casey], all the information you need to fix your boat is right at your fingertips.