Nigel Stanley wrote: > Laura Colleen has a cruiser style rear deck. On this are two lockers > snugly taking 19kg gas bottles (the big ones). > > Our recent 20 year insurance survey was fine, apart from a warning > that the lockers are rusting. A slight list on the boat (which I've > mostly sorted using old sash window weights as extra ballast) has made > one particularly bad as it didn't drain properly. Of course I knew > that before the survey but was in a state of denial, and made a point > never looking too closely. But I suppose I should tackle them now. > > I've not had a go yet, but I'm not sure how I am going to get proper > access to the bottom of the lockers as they are deep and narrow. I > don't expect the NSPCC would be too keen on me dangling a small child > by their ankles. > > I'm sure I'm not the only boat owner to have faced this task. Is it > easier than I fear, or does anyone have any advice? > > Ouch!
Mintball is a touch over 20 years and when we were clearing out the rust from the bottom of the (13kg) gas lockers, we went right through the bottom of one. We had them fixed by having new bottoms welded in - Norbury did a very nice job, but our wallets are still smarting. It does look like one of the worst places on a boat. They tend to get damp, the bottles are often gritty when you put them in, they jiggle around gently under vibration.
