The prior owner's propane locker was a very shabby box made of 1x8" pine knocked together with nails, and sat directly on the cockpit floor. I suppose it served it's purpose, but when I stripped the boat to paint, I discarded it with great pleasure. I wanted something that looked and felt like it belonged on a gorgeous sailboat. I started with a lot of measurements, and used a thin batten to create fair curves on some 1/4" foam core. A half an hour with a hot glue gun created a clumsy mock-up to test for fit. After a few minor adjustments, I selected a left-over mahogany door skin from under the back porch to test some "one-off" lamination techniques. I used the stitch and glue method, holding together the parts with copper wire and creating epoxy paste fillets on the inside of all edges to create the box core. Interior "baffles" were epoxied into place in stages, to hold the locker's shape, stiffen the construction and immobilize the tank without straps or other hardware. By the time I had gotten to the interior baffles, I was already satisfied that I was creating the final product, evolving it's design as I went. I laminated another layer of door-skin over the entire box, using mold-release coated self-tapping screws to hold it together while the epoxy paste kicked. The top of the locker slants slightly downward in front, so water can't pool on it, and the bottom is curved downward in the middle and slants downward at the back to create a low point, where any propane that might leak out can pool and drain overboard. I was fundamentally happy with the design so I covered the entire locker with 6 oz glass and epoxy, a bit of fairing compound, a barrier coat and two coats of Interthane Plus. I then installed vapor tight glands for the safety solenoid wiring and gas line where they pass through the cockpit into the lazarette area, mounted it on the boat, where it stiffens the transom, and serves as a very comfortable seat for the helmsman. Go Back to top