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New gas regs? Someone please tell me I'm wrong


Murky

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Skimmed the latest Boating NZ yesterday and there is an article which - as I read it - said there are new regs which took effect from April 1.

 

It contained the somewhat-standard suggestion in these situations that insurance companies might be reluctant to pay out on an incident caused by gas if the installation does not meet the new standards.

 

The aspects that stuck in my mind because ours would not be compliant were:

- no hoseclips any more (not a big drama)

- anywhere the hose passes through a bulkhead, due to the risk of chafe, a new threaded brass joint fitting needs to be used

- even if you have a SST surround around your stove, that now needs to be backed up with special thermal pads as well.

 

I like to think of myself as reasonable and someone who will generally fall into line with new regs if you can look at them and see the sense and ideally recall the incident/s that they have been designed to prevent a repeat of. I certainly remember the one at Pine Harbour where someone had inadvertently drilled into the gas line while installing deck gear.

 

But seriously...? Our current continuous length of hose with fittings at each end will need to become four sections with three threaded joints at bulkheads plus still the fittings at each end. Maybe those threaded fittings are impervious to ever vibrating loose but that just looks like a lot more risks to me. If there is genuinely a problem with chafing at bulkheads, why not handle it like you would with any other service - just slip on an additional protective layer (hose or sponge) and cable-tie it in place.

 

Also, from other threads, it seems like even in marinas like Westhaven, it is almost impossible to get a qualified gasfitter to come and take a look at a boat (as seems to be the new requirement).

 

Or am I completely mis-reading this one?

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Having not read the regs. I have come across a similar environment. The bulkhead issue was solved with the gas line being run inside a continuous length of conduit through the bulkheads.

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I'd say by the obvious inflexibility and silliness, of those suggested new rules they probably are real.

 

Which of course will soon be followed by a Safety Rule Amendment from YNZ requiring all bulkheads to be beefed up 50% to allow for the holes drilled in them. Which in a year or 2 will lead to stronger hulls as it seems silly to some bureaucrat to have bulkheads so much strong than the hulls.

 

I have heard something was afoot but never sussed any detail but was meaning to as I was told all gas lines have to be copper pipe, plastic are a no-no. Only hearsay but again silly enough to be true.

 

Is there some background as to why this change or did some bureaucrat read some story about a boat in Outter Timbucktoo having a small issue back in 1972, as is often the way things like this come about. Or, being a conspiracy sort of a dude, has some company discovered thermal pads have massive profit margins and talked the powers that be into the new rule.

 

Way way too many companies are able to swing powers that be into regulating to have their gear. There are a couple out there at the moment trying to change regulations to suit them.

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Way way too many companies are able to swing powers that be into regulating to have their gear. There are a couple out there at the moment trying to change regulations to suit them.

 

Especially one on the north shore that sells anchors and rope wanting everyone to have bigger anchors and chain!

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Way way too many companies are able to swing powers that be into regulating to have their gear. There are a couple out there at the moment trying to change regulations to suit them.

 

Especially one on the north shore that sells anchors and rope wanting everyone to have bigger anchors and chain!

Ha, quite the opposite actually and if anything I've saved the fleet from having to do so.

 

Currently arguing with very top of the very top level Officialdom that a light weigh 42ft day Cat does knot need the 168 kilo anchor they have said it must have. So far I've got them down to 36kg and aiming for 31kg. Also mentioned 'whoever spec'ed the 14mm chain for that boat must be clinically brain dead'. That email got forwarded to a Govt Dept, the very one containing said brain dead person. I have now be summons to appear and explain said comments, Opps, but I'm gonna enjoy that meeting. Knot often I get paid to piss off Govt Depts, I'm more than happy to do it for free, hell at times I'd even pay to be given that chance :)

 

But there is a company up north saying that, the council sucked it up and changed the rules to suit so now everyone up there has to pay lots more money for little good reason. But we are working on rolling that back. The same outfit tried it down here to but luckily the Council guys who look after Akl were smart enough knot to fall for it.

 

Couple of others doing similar stuff out there, that is just wrong.

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