Marine gas engineer Peter Draper explains what’s required for a marine gas system to be safe and legal, and how to assess the condition of the gas system on your boatIs the gas system on your boat safe, legal and insurable? Marine gas systems like these, and those that haven’t been inspected for years, are the ones we should be concerned about. Bad marine gas fittingsOver the years, I’ve seen a rogues’ gallery of incorrect pipe used, corroded pipes in wet bilges, low-pressure hoses on high-pressure systems, water fittings and taps, natural gas fittings, steel hydraulic fittings, hoses out of date by entire decades, gas pipes clipped to engines, bits of car radiator hose and, the worst yet, plastic push-fit pipe used as a marine gas line. A typical marine gas systemAt the heart of a typical marine gas system on a boat, as found on 95% of the vessels I work on, would be a cylinder in a locker which should be gas-tight. Want to read more practical articles like Marine gas system maintenance?