Propane Tank Connectors U.S. & France?

Just like shore power connectors there are a number of different gas bottles and regulators for you to contend with.

The pressure deliverd by the various regulators is pretty much the same all over with the exception of AT and DE where it is twice what it is elsewhere.

If you are only coming to Europe for one season just bring enough gas to get you thru.

Hi,

The number of people who turn up with Foreign Bottles compared to the local market is pretty dang small.

There is always of course the difference in testing standards of the pressure vessels. While the tests of your Gas bottles bought in the US might be fine in the contiguous 48 they could very well be different in Europe even country to country here.

I was using a US sourced BBQ with US Gas for a year or so as it came with 4 bottles and when it ran out I switched it to a French Regulator and gas bottle. This worked ok till I moved to Germany where the regulator attached to a local bottle delivers twice the gas pressure and caused the BBQ to be more like a blast furnace. It would have to be turned off and re lit a couple of times during the cooking phase.

Purchasing a local market BBQ to match the Gas Bottle and regulator I had was the only answer to obtaining a relatively normal Gas BBQ experience.

You are not alone.

http://www.svsarah.com/Whoosh/WhooshPrepLPG.htm

Page 4 of:

http://www.fireboy-xintex.com/manuals/propaneSystems.pdf

The "superyachts" (30-40m+) built in Europe during the late '70s through to the early '90s were often equipped with galleys using LPG as primary fuel for the major cooking appliances. Presumably, this was because back then, the designers / builders considered that most of these vessels had the necessary storage space to carry a sufficient number of gas cylinders to carry them through a whole cruising season away from their "winter" home port bases where they could easily refill / exchange their empty gas cylinders. Added to which, cooking appliances are major (if momentary) consumers of energy, the attractions of using LPG instead of installing significantly larger generators aboard for an "all electric" galley must also have been a factor. However, even back then, the actual refilling of empty gas cylinders from 1 European country in another when you were running out was somewhat complicated. Most European countries had / still have, their major networks involving the exchange of their own domestic LPG cylinders. However, there was always a "specialist", usually organised through a local ship-chandler, who could fill "foreign" LPG tanks with either butane or propane as required.

Here we are almost 20 years later. All of today's superyachts nowadays have "all electric" galleys. Leaving a number of smaller mostly sailing yachts with "global cruising agendas" and another group of apparently mainly small motor-yachts often based in US home ports, equipped with LPG as main source of energy for their major cooking appliances. Cruising in Europe for the 1st time thanks to perhaps the Dockwise and other yacht carriers. So far as I see it, these yachts have 3 options:

1) They have the storage space to carry sufficient gas from their home port to carry them through their entire cruising season overseas before returning home.

2) They have sufficient storage space to accommodate alternative / additional gas cylinders and /or regulators from each of the European coutries they will be cruising through and requiring LPG on a simple "exchange basis of empty cylinders", through regular suppliers in these countries. It should be noted that the local supplier will require a form of "security-deposit" for each of their gas cylinders supplied where there is no "empty cylinder" in exchange.

3) Once in Europe, they make enquiries through their local ship-chandler about refilling their existing LPG tanks with propane / butane. The current situation in France is that it is basically illegal to fill "foreign" LPG cylinders. However, there are still a few independent suppliers of LPG who can and will competently fill these "foreign" - (often US standard tanks) here in France (and throughout the rest of the Mediterranean), except that you will be required to pay for these refills in cash - there cannot be any documentation or proof that any such "foreign" cylinders were indeed refilled...?!​

Having said all that, you should be aware that your insurer may not appreciate that you've had to go through all these "hurdles" in order to refill your gas cylinders in Europe. Whilst they may have agreed to cover your LPG installation aboard 'as it was" in USA, I'd be surprised if de facto, any modifications that you make subsequently, whether it's merely installing another regulator, installing adaptors, accommodating what should be otherwise perfectly-acceptable European LPG cylinders etc., into your previously declared LPG installation doesn't put you as the yacht owner / skipper or operator in an extremely delicate position in case of any accident...which in the case of LPG on boats, are usually quite spectacular, lethal and/or destructive?

If you really want to know what other sort of adaptors etc. are available on a "D.I.Y." basis, your best source would be caravan and camping van suppliers in Europe:

http://www.euro-accessoires.fr/categorie.asp?id_ss_famille=A02010102&num=0&liste=false#top

http://www.outdoorbits.com/euro-adaptor-p-690.html

http://www.campingaz.com/c-538-gas.aspx

PS. I'm informed that there are still a few superyachts equipped with (very limited) LPG sourced cooking facilities aboard. One of these is a 45m motoryacht, the owner likes Chinese / SE Asian food cooked in a traditional wok - no "electric-wok" produces the same flavours etc...? I understand that the LPG cylinders the chef uses for this exclusive wok are the small Camping Gaz cylindres distributed throughout Europe and most of the rest of the World on a "standard exchange" basis against empty cylinders...

Hi,

Airship, That is a pretty well written summary of the state of affairs.

Would you care to PM me with the names of any Gas Suppliers near Nice/Antibes that will fill US Bottles?

1

After all the flak I received recently concerning my (supposedly anti-American) posts on the gulf oil spill thread, I'm somewhat surprised (and scared) that you're asking me to give you details of companies which might be able to refill foreign (ie. USA standard) LPG gas cylinders here in France (illegally).

For some years, until the USA Supreme Court recently pared back a law involving "the intangible right of honest services" - see Rough Justice - Economist.com. Which basically allowed any dumb US lawyer to sue whomever he cared to for whatever came to mind...

But don't worry, I don't intend to ever again to "set foot on US territory (last time was 1987 - was only trying to help the 2 Frenchmen and the US interpretator at LA airport - received the 3rd degree - why are you helping these individuals etc.?. I simply replied that they were "French" citizens of France's overseas territories or whatever, who did not apparently understand English very well, yet who were not expecting to have to undergo this "Gestapo-style interrogation", which is what it was, that was all. And way before 9/11. If only because of the ridiculous, infantile and racist "controls" on foreign visitors imposed back then, which continue to this day and post 9/11, are the excuse for every infringement of human-rights etc. experienced by all or any voyager transiting the USA.

If and when I decide to next visit Australia and New Zealand, it will be via Dubai and Singapore etc. Why would any sane individual in 2010, non-resident in USA, realising finally that the USA's constitution of 2 centuries ago basically counts for zero (for their own citizens, let alone anyone else...)

K1W1, just get your client to contact 1 of the 4/5 longest-established chandlers in Antibes, or ask him to consult his fellow skippers in the port. If you wish to use a scalpel on anyone here, then beware. If you harm them, they will find you eventually...?!

PS. I'd like to keep a Bren gun ready to use in the garden. But it's hard to really understand what the Frenchmen behind all the ship-chandlers / yacht servicing companies here are all about...?! Sometimes I think it's just confusion betwen the French-Mafia and (or usually Russian-origin "Foreign-mafia". Who really knows...?! So far as I'm concerned, the Russians have their hold on the entier "high-end" property market.

Mr. Sarkozy must be laughing all the way to the bank inj recent times.

As if I, a mere British citizen resident in France, could give a **** for (yet another French politician apparently found dabbling in affairs) where all the rules were quite clear for all...

Hi,

I would suggest you keep your nightie on there Airship.

I don't think I have posted anything against what you had to say about the USA. I did make a reference to your use of Pastis and ended it with a to indicate it was a joke.

I will be in Antibes this Thursday and Friday so if I get time I will ask Fabrice at ASS and see if he knows where to get the bottles I still have refilled. If not it will have to wait till next time.

K1W1, I currently and inevitably sleep completely naked during the hot nights we've been experiencing here on the French Riviera. The lack of any substantial rainfall here on the Cote d'Azur since March / April can be directly attributed to the secret contracts agreed between the French government and the representatives of pretty small French commercial enterprises which depend on good weather. We know that governments, given all their resources, can manage the weather (at great expense) to suit local conditions.

If you know Fabrice, then you can obviously call him on his mobile number. Good luck to you if you get through to him. Usually, he never answers his phone anymore, nor replies to any messages left, whether from customers or his own employees.

Still, somewhat surprised that you'd think that "Fabrice" would be willing to (illegally) organise the refilling of foreign gas cylinders, quite so openly as you imply...?!

Hi,

Airship, It would appear you have been out of England too long.

What I wrote does not in anyway suggest I would ask him to organise anything on my behalf I would just ask him where it is possible.

As I have known him, played golf with him and dealt with him professionally for over 20 yrs I doubt he would have any problem helping me out with a bit of info.

I will turn on the AC as soon as I get to my home so it is nice and cool when I go to bed.