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Lockable Gas/Bow locker...


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Hi All

 

One of my 'things to do' is to secure the outside of the boat and as i have a gas/bow locker this is on my list. Is there any BSS stipulation stopping this, such as quick access etc - i didn't find anything, but can't recall seeing many/any lockable gas/bow lockers??

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I'm sure someone will be along shortly with regards to where you stand with the BSS, on that I have no idea. 

 

I had considered doing the same a few years back but decided against it due to problems it might cause safely removing the bottles if the worst should happen to the boat. This outweighed any concerns I had about anyone potentially stealing or tampering with the bottles so it remains unlocked. 

 

I would like to secure the fuel cap at some point, but even that is way down on the list of priorities. 

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Mine locks but never when I am in the boat.

The gas bottle is in a very safe place if in a bow locker, fire unlikely to get that far. but the fire brigade always hack them out in the event of a fire anywhere aboard.

  • Greenie 1
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Likewise I don’t believe the BSS has anything to say on the matter but I’ve read before that the fire service would prefer that they’re not locked so that they don’t have to smash off your padlock in the case of an emergency. It doesn’t need to be your boat on fire, it could be one close to you. 

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This was one of the great BSS discussions in the earliest days of defining the scheme rules.  The BSS Manager asserted that locks required a key and that the key was a tool.  If a tool was required then any gas  fittings in the gas locker were not readily accessible for inspection. That was an automatic  failure point. 

 

  The collected Surveyors fell about.  We  then spent about two hours discussing real life gas lockers ranging from combination locks to the standard fireman's axe as a lock opener, and a lot more less complimentary things too.

In the end I think BSS Manager agreed that Surveyors would be OK if they did not notice the locks, and he would neither say anything about locks  in the Examiner training modules nor notice that the Surveyors were not noticing that some gas lockers were locked.

 

I always have my locker unlocked when aboard, but locked up if the boat was left somewhere for a few days.  The fire brigade view is that a padlock is but a small hindrance and they can deal with that if needed.  They already have to deal with valves and connecting pipes.

 

N

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My previous boat had a padlockable gas locker, but like everyone else I never locked it while aboard - only while away when I'd also usually isolate the bottles at the bottle. This boat doesn't; I might consider having something appropriate welded on when I get some other metalwork done, but it doesn't really concern me. It's virtually impossible to secure the rest of the boat with far more valuable items inside, so if someone chooese to nick my gas bottle instead...it's unlikely and far from the end of the world.

Edited by tehmarks
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5 minutes ago, tehmarks said:

My previous boat had a padlockable gas locker, but like everyone else I never locked it while aboard - only while away when I'd also usually isolate the bottles at the bottle. This boat doesn't; and I might consider having something appropriate welded on when I get some other metalwork done, but it doesn't really concern me. It's virtually impossible to secure the rest of the boat with far more valuable items inside, so if someone chooese to nick my gas bottle instead...it's unlikely and far from the end of the world.

If someone is really intent on pinching the gas bottle, a bit of 'cheap chain' will not stop the readily available battery angle grinder (Lidl this week)

 

Cost less than a single gas cylinder refill !!!

 

https://www.aldi.co.uk/ferrex-40v-cordless-angle-grinder/p/800487346471400?gclid=CjwKCAjwztL2BRATEiwAvnALcvFoLkS-wojPH4bMYxNfdvAX0YJLt2pO48jbopCucoVwsFKSTvKG_RoCyc0QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

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37 minutes ago, Kendorr said:

My gas locker doesn't lock, but the gas bottles are chained and locked to a small 'lug' welded on the inside of the locker.

 

Mine used to until we had the lug ground off in 2013 in connection with other work, The locker hasn't been locked now since 2013. It all depends on where you usually moor, but so far, so good.

The "attack it with an angle grinder" approach to security chains applies to padlocks too, of course ...

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58 minutes ago, Machpoint005 said:

The "attack it with an angle grinder" approach to security chains applies to padlocks too, of course ...

For many padlocks this is unnecessary. Guidance on how to open them effortlessly, including one padlock for which you only need a magnet, is available in the usual place.

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7 hours ago, Kendorr said:

My gas locker doesn't lock, but the gas bottles are chained and locked to a small 'lug' welded on the inside of the locker.

 

My gas locker would only ever be locked if I was away, in which case the bottles would be isolated inside the locker.

 

Whether bottles are locked with a chain inside the locker or the locker lid is locked from the outside amounts to the same thing in terms of removal. The only real difference is that if the fire brigade want to check that bottles are isolated rather than remove them, then it will be easier for them if the locker lid isn't locked. However, I suspect if one's boat is in the vicinity of a fire then the fire service will want to remove bottles completely so locking them in any way will require the bolt cutters.

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