Those little green Coleman propane bottles

[Edo Kazumichi]

I've got a Magma grill and an "offshore stove" both of which use those little green Coleman propane bottles. My questions:

1. Can these bottles be refilled or do you just pitch them when they're empty?

2. Are they widely available worldwide?

3. Couldn't a person plumb a line from the regular, refillable bottles into these two and thereby cut out the need for the little bottles?

4. Someone suggested to me the possibility of getting one of those grills that sit on top of the stove. Anyone have any experience with these?

5. The "offshore stove" is just a single burner with a two-axis gimbal. Do I really need such a thing? Isn't the galley stove sufficient for cooking underway?

Many thanks ahead of time!

[CharlieCobra]

Originally Posted by Edo Kazumichi

I've got a Magma grill and an "offshore stove" both of which use those little green Coleman propane bottles. My questions:

1. Can these bottles be refilled or do you just pitch them when they're empty? No, I think some places recycle them.

2. Are they widely available worldwide? I doubt it.

3. Couldn't a person plumb a line from the regular, refillable bottles into these two and thereby cut out the need for the little bottles? There might be a converter

4. Someone suggested to me the possibility of getting one of those grills that sit on top of the stove. Anyone have any experience with these? No experience there...

5. The "offshore stove" is just a single burner with a two-axis gimbal. Do I really need such a thing? Isn't the galley stove sufficient for cooking underway? Not in big seas it isn't, unless you're using a pressure cooker. Mighty hazardous to cook with normal pots in anything over 6' seas, especially if beating.

Many thanks ahead of time!

Stupid site code, doesn't read my quote inserts and tells me the message is too short, go figure.

[bestfriend]

Edo, there are converters you can buy. Check hardware stores and BBQ sites online instead of marine stores. I was looking at them a while back, but don't remember the specifics. I believe they were around $100 or less.

[TrueBlue]

Converter hose assembly - $18.97 from Amazon . . .

[bestfriend]

Bingo! Thats right around $100, give or take.

[jftbuster]

HarborFreight.com has the refill kits, Item # 45989-5RYA $19.99 I have one but have not used it yet, others that I have talked to say that they work great, hope this helps.

[TrueBlue]

Personally, I wouldn't trust the notoriously leaky valves of disposable 14 & 16 oz propane bottles in the galley, let alone refilling them. That's not only illegal, but just begging for a disaster to happen.

[jftbuster]

I have used them for years and have not had a leak. I remove the tank when Iam done with the stove. What about the buddy heaters that so many people use? I wounder if they leak? Campers have used them for years.

[TrueBlue]

My experience jft, differs greatly. We had a double 10lb cylinder propane locker on our last boat, but used the disp. bottles for the stern rail-mounted Magma - since the propane locker was midships and usually too much hassle to connect the hose.

We also removed the small bottles after each use. But the occasional unit developed a leak - not enough to make a loud hiss, but if placed close to your ear, there was a slight hisss. Our slipmate, who we cruised with regularly, kept his bottle attached to the Magma - said it's safer keeping the leaky bottles in open air than in his vented lazerette.

[TrueBlue]

As a clarification to post #7, in case you misconstrued my point, it is illegal to use ANY propane cylinder indoors - that includes the galley of a boat and a camper.