Propane Tank Location

After considering several options concerning where to locate the propane tank,  I selected the stern rail or pushpit.  I looked at installations in the aft locker and in the port locker.  I even heard of locating the tank in the shallow starboard locker, but there never seemed to be enough height in the lockers to adequately vent the bottom of the tank enclosure above the waterline.  I considered locating a tall slender tank in front of the pedestal, since the cockpit drains are above the waterline, but was talked out of it by a Catalina Direct advisor.  He thought that a rapid leak could flood the cockpit and enter the cabin.

I was concerned about the aesthetics of hanging so much stuff off the back of the boat so I selected a tall slender 6 pound tank and the corresponding fender holder initially.  Then I found that it uses the old valve without the overflow protection, which is mandated in 2002.  One propane dealer told me that this tank would be exempt for the law since there is no way of installing the new valve in this slender tank.

I decided not to chance it and exchanged it for a 10 pound (2.5 gal) tank (shown below) that is a little squattier.  I also selected the sturdiest fender holder that I could find and mounted it with 4 mounts to the 1 inch railing.  The pressure gage, solenoid and regulator are attached to the horizontal tube with hose clamps.  The hose and solenoid wiring are temporarily routed through the cowl vent hose.  The solenoid is installed on the high pressure side of the regulator.  The sales person recommended going this way, but the low pressure side seems like a better choice to me.  I plan to cover the tank and regulator with a sunbrella bag to protect it from the elements since the regulator and solenoid are not made of corrosion resistant metals.

The solenoid switch is located in some scarce space on the electrical panel above the nav table.