Welcome to the “club”. You’ll have a ball with this boat that is as big as condo, sails like a dream, goes like a locomotive and provides no end of fun (especially in a place like the Bay).
I know nothing about marine stoves and just wanted to congratulate you on this astute purchase.
Thank you Ernie, really very excited to be finally onboard, after 3 long years of following this group’s discussions. I believe one of the most rewarding part of being an owner is having all of your to lean on…
I thought you’d have more answers by now. Must’ve been a good sailing day for folks. Stay tuned.
The only advice I can offer is that there isn’t to my knowledge a published standard length for our boats’ propane lines, so the answer to your first question is that it depends on how you choose to route it. You might tie some string to one end of the current propane line, and then pull it out. That way, you could leave the attached string behind to help pull the new one through and you could measure the old one to get its length.
Hi,
On my boat, PO had a rat, gnawed on some wires, and propane hose, so I replaced propane hose from propane locker to galley stove. I don’t recall length but I think it was 20ft, just measure your old hose. I bought it from a industrial supply shop called Greenline. They make and sell all kinds of hoses here in Canada. There’s likely a similar supplier in SF. You can also try a welding supply shop, they can get any gas hoses.
Where the old hose and solenoid wire passed through the propane locker, I cleaned it all up. Then used a small piece of 3"x4" plywood, 1/2" thick, I drilled two holes a 1/4" larger than diameter of hose and wire, used a Forstner drill bit. I cut the plywood into two pieces, through the middle of the holes. With hose and wire installed, I screwed one half of plywood on the propane locker from inside cockpit locker, with caulking all around and under the plywood. Then put caulking around the hose and wire where it passes through the locker and the plywood. And installed 2nd half of plywood, with caulking.
Use either Sikaflex 291 or 3M 4200 caulking, absolutely do not use silicone!
You also should check the hose, and hose clamps that connect the bottom of the propane locker to the transom through hull. I have just discovered that water in my bilge is coming from a leak at this spot, but only when under power. If water can leak into bilge, so can propane.
My boat has a Electro System propane controller and sensor, don’t know if they are still available, but I was able to buy a new sensor on Amazon. The sensor is mounted in bilge area. You can test the sensor by holding a butane lighter under it, unlighted of course. My control unit and alarm is on wall behind the stove. But this is not the best place for the control unit because if you have a stove fire you need to reach over the stove to turn off the solenoid. I may install another switch to turn off the solenoid near by.
Congratulations on your recent purchase of ZOE! And thanks for stopping by that one day at the St. Francis YC docks; I’m so glad to have a chance to meet you in person and talk Nonsuch after conversing by phone…
As before, feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions. Prior to my acquiring “Hobbes II“ in 2012, I was the proud owner of my first Nonsuch in 2005, a 1989 30 Ultra DEAL ME IN. berthed in in the East Harbor at the SF Marina.
Robin - Keep us posted on your progress! This will be one of my winter projects this year.
As for sniffers, I installed one from MTI model 30-441-P in the bilge below the accessible floor baord. It’s very sensitive - even just a little spray-painting in the cabin causes it to alarm! Just make sure to connect it to a circuit that it always on.
Good luck!
Bob Gehrman
NS30U # 396 “Quickbeam”
Magothy River, Maryland
I did this same ‘upgrade to spec’ last Spring (2021) on my 30 Ultra, and posted the project on the discussion group so it you search for it, some of the info may be helpful.
I was a bit surprised when I measured the hose lengths as they were longer than I had originally estimated… I ended up buying pre-made hoses of 30’ to the stove, and 35’’ to the water heater mounted above the galley sink. There is a bit of extra length for the stove but I was concerned about 25’ being too tight, too short, and not leaving any room for the stove to gimbal. 30’ provided enough flexibility to be able to route the hose correctly and comfortably thru the engine compartment and all of the risers.
I used water pipe insulation as chafe protection at any point where the hoses touched a bulkhead, riser, or each other.
Peter Grabow
S/V CAKE WALK III
1987 30U 430
Jersey City, NJ