Boat safety

[70liveaboard]

4 hours ago, WotEver said:

No. The BSS doesn’t include checking the gas bottles, only the gas installation. 

Don't your bottles have to be strapped safely. That is in the RCD, I know. Not sure on BSS, ours have always been strapped in since the RCD regs came out, so never asked the guy's on retesting if they checked or not. (and wouldn't, as it passes)

 

Also, solid fuel stoves should be checked for 'air gap', around the installation. IIRC.

[WotEver]

34 minutes ago, 70liveaboard said:

Don't your bottles have to be strapped safely.

Good point. Also, how can the inspector do a leakage test with no gas connected?  I guess therefore no bottle = cannot be tested = fail. 

[Machpoint005]

39 minutes ago, 70liveaboard said:

Don't your bottles have to be strapped safely. That is in the RCD, I know. Not sure on BSS, ours have always been strapped in since the RCD regs came out, so never asked the guy's on retesting if they checked or not. (and wouldn't, as it passes)

 

Also, solid fuel stoves should be checked for 'air gap', around the installation. IIRC.

Wedged in place would be fine -- the only requirement is that they are secured.

5 hours ago, Dave_P said:

I believe there are more fires caused on boats which start from solid fuel stoves, than from gas appliances.

That's as maybe, but Section 7 is aimed at gas safety. As others have said, there are also solid fuel stove requirements (Section 8).

 

I wouldn't want to prioritise one over the other - they both need to be right.

[Sea Dog]

6 hours ago, Dave_P said:

I believe there are more fires caused on boats which start from solid fuel stoves, than from gas appliances.

To give balance, there are also more gas explosions than solid fuel ones.

[reg]

9 hours ago, Dave_P said:

I believe there are more fires caused on boats which start from solid fuel stoves, than from gas appliances.

But it isn't just about gas fires its about gas leakage LPG is apparently circa 2 times heavier than air any leakage would drain, in the OP's case, under the front door and into a sealed metal tube where the op lives. 

For the sake of visualising the danger imagine the LPG as a liquid which was leaking out of the locker and then running under the front door. 

 

From an HSA site

 

"http://www.hsa.ie/eng/Topics/Liquid_Petroleum_Gas_LPG_/

" What are the dangers of LPG?

LPG may leak as a gas or a liquid.  If the liquid leaks it will quickly evaporate and form a relatively large cloud of gas which will drop to the ground, as it is heavier than air.   LPG vapours can run for long distances along the ground and  can collect in drains or basements.  When the gas meets a source of ignition it can burn or explode.

Cylinders can explode if involved in a fire.

LPG can cause cold burns to the skin and it can act as an asphyxiant at high concentrations."

Edited June 20, 2018 by reg

[70liveaboard]

OP.

Looking at the pics, I assume the lockers are fully welded and that the door is the only access. If that is the case, then have a welder put a 4-6" high steel plate across the front of the door aperture (fully welded) from floor,  enough so you can still slot the bottle in. Then have him cut a slit in the side at the base level of the locker and exit over the gunwale. Slit would have to be reasonable say 4" x 1.5".

Gas is heavier and will drop in the locker and exit outwards over the gunwale, before being high enough to go over and into the cabin door. i.e. it couldn't get into the cabin door.

 

Just seeing from the pics, no idea what your boat situation is.

Only my opinion.

 

 

Just to add to this. Stan at Liverpool Boats put gas lockers into the side of his Harrington class semi trad (lockers were in the stern end of the cabin). Door was on the side of the boat though, which I would have thought a better idea really.

Edited June 20, 2018 by 70liveaboard

[reg]

2 minutes ago, 70liveaboard said:

OP.

Looking at the pics, I assume the lockers are fully welded and that the door is the only access. If that is the case, then have a welder put a 4-6" steel plate across the front of the door (fully welded) from floor,  enough so you can still slot the bottle in. Then have him cut a slit in the side at the base level of the locker and exit over the gunwale. Slit would have to be reasonable say 4" x 1.5".

Gas is heavier and will drop in the locker and exit outwards over the gunwale, before being high enough to go over and into the cabin door. i.e. it couldn't get into the cabin door.

 

Just seeing from the pics, no idea what your boat situation is.

Only my opinion.

Not sure that is the answer as my understanding is that the locker must be gas tight to the height of the bottle so a partial height 4-6" steel plate would not pass. 

Happy to be corrected on this. 

[system 4-50]

2 minutes ago, reg said:

Not sure that is the answer as my understanding is that the locker must be gas tight to the height of the bottle so a partial height 4-6" steel plate would not pass. 

Happy to be corrected on this. 

That is correct.

[70liveaboard]

4 minutes ago, reg said:

Not sure that is the answer as my understanding is that the locker must be gas tight to the height of the bottle so a partial height 4-6" steel plate would not pass. 

Happy to be corrected on this. 

Ah, now that could make it difficult to get the bottles in then....

[reg]

Can't see any practical solution to this problem other than converting, as others have said, to side doors.

This would at least keep the aesthetics of the boat pretty much as they are. 

3 minutes ago, 70liveaboard said:

Ah, now that could make it difficult to get the bottles in then....

Would need that Honda advert technology where items pass through solids. 

[70liveaboard]

I would perhaps look at 7.2.3 in the BSS guide concerning lockers with side openings. Have a chat with the surveyor and if he is prepared to do a smoke pellet test, then the earlier post I mentioned may be a option.

The doors would require the correct seals of course.

Edited June 20, 2018 by 70liveaboard

[WotEver]

49 minutes ago, reg said:

Can't see any practical solution to this problem other than converting, as others have said, to side doors

Sam gave a perfectly sensible suggestion in post #20 which I thought was an elegant way around the problem. 

 

[Boater Sam]

Wow, someone agrees with me, Thank you, shocked. Greenie sent post haste. Sam.

[jammin1620]

On 19/06/2018 at 16:59, Nds123 said:

Recently had a BSS done 

i have a 50 Tug Narrowboat with gas lookers on both sides as you enter the boat from the bow

i can store 2 x 13kg gas bottles one in each

my questions are is there any other Tug Narrowboat with this set up and have you had any troubles with passing a boat safety test 

So. Some interesting developments.

I can't give you the official line until I have it in writing. However. I've had my boat out for its 30yr survey. The examiner happened to be on the technical committee of the bss and went thru the rules the overshadow this issue.

As soon a single have the official line I will post on here. But hasten to add that it's good news..