Storing coal

[Dave Payne]

I face a dilemma, will be purchasing some coal today, only 1 x 20kg bag of brazier, the reason for the 20kg bag is the farm shop on the site where my shop is sells it and easy to grab a bag on the way home.

 

I have a cruiser stern, no cratch so once the bag is open it needs to come inside, problem is where inside do it put it without being in the way...

 

Only ideas i can come up with are,

 

Store the bag in the engine bay, have to lift boards though, fire hazard if the engine is running

Repack into smaller bags and store on the roof with a small amount inside the boat

leave it in my car boot and bring enough out each day to last

 

Anyone else have any tips?

 

Also does coal absorb damp if left outside?

[Sea Dog]

Oh heck Dave, that's a bloomin nuisance. I store several bags on my roof, the bag in use (maybe +1) is in the cratch under cover and there's a coal scuttle full near the stove for ready use. If you don't have an under cover place, maybe a big coal scuttle...? Or perhaps you'll have to buy 10kg baggs?

 

 

Eta - I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to absorb water, but it deffo gets wet and doesn't burn so readily or cleanly.

Edited October 30, 2016 by Sea Dog

[MissMax]

Can't you portion it and keep it under your seating area on the outside bit. Least it's protected from the rain

[Sea Dog]

Can't you portion it and keep it under your seating area on the outside bit. Least it's protected from the rain

Or maybe bake it in a cake and keep it discreetly on the side on the kitchen?

[haggis]

Acquire a big enough plastic box and lid and keep it on your front deck.

 

 

haggis

[Alan de Enfield]

Ours (normally 25kg sack) lived under the seat on the front-deck (cratch), along with sticks, fire lighters, logs a saw and an axe, with the anchor and chain under t'other side seat.

[mrsmelly]

Acquire a big enough plastic box and lid and keep it on your front deck.

 

 

haggis

 

Believe it or not and I am not going to mention names but I know someone who opens each bag and washes each piece under running water and dries it and keeps it in opaque plastic boxes so as not to take dust into their boat!! I kid you not.

 

Tim

[Alan de Enfield]

 

Believe it or not and I am not going to mention names but I know someone who opens each bag and washes each piece under running water and dries it and keeps it in opaque plastic boxes so as not to take dust into their boat!! I kid you not.

 

Tim

 

Why would anyone not believe it ?

 

When we had 'good old British pits' every lump was washed at the pit-head, with the 'dirty water' pumped out to the settlement lagoons.

[Slim]

 

Believe it or not and I am not going to mention names but I know someone who opens each bag and washes each piece under running water and dries it and keeps it in opaque plastic boxes so as not to take dust into their boat!! I kid you not.

 

Tim

Sad

[mrsmelly]

Sad

 

Yup, very.

 

Tim

[bizzard]

Drill holes through all the lumps of coal and thread them all onto strings and hang them from the ceiling with nails, like black beads. Tie knots at the bottoms of the strings that are slightly bigger than the holes in the coals, so that when you tug on a lump of coal the knot will pass through the hole and the lump of coal will come off and another will plop down its place ready for picking.

[Jennifer McM]

Believe it or not and I am not going to mention names but I know someone who opens each bag and washes each piece under running water and dries it and keeps it in opaque plastic boxes so as not to take dust into their boat!! I kid you not.

 

Tim

I'm desperate to know how 'said' person cleaned out the ash?

[Peter X]

I don't think coal (or smokeless) absorbs damp from the air, but it should definitely be protected from rain. If you need to keep it outdoors any sort of cover that makes water run off will do. Weighted down plastic will do, but most plastics slowly disintegrate due to the UV in sunlight; PVC has good resistance to this.

[Neil2]

 

Why would anyone not believe it ?

 

When we had 'good old British pits' every lump was washed at the pit-head, with the 'dirty water' pumped out to the settlement lagoons.

 

That's true, coal washing is/was routinely done in British pits, not sure if it is the case world wide I certainly can't believe the Chinese go to all that trouble. Considering most of our uk coal is imported there may be method in the (apparent) madness.

[Dave Payne]

Drill holes through all the lumps of coal and thread them all onto strings and hang them from the ceiling with nails, like black beads. Tie knots at the bottoms of the strings that are slightly bigger than the holes in the coals, so that when you tug on a lump of coal the knot will pass through the hole and the lump of coal will come off and another will plop down its place ready for picking.

This so far is my favourite suggestion!

Forgot about the front lockers, never use them for anything so might pack into small bags, have to keep off he floor though as they have drain decks.

[nbfiresprite]

A laundry box does the job, Can alos be used as a seat or as I do a step to the front doors.

 

[bizzard]

A laundry box does the job, Can alos be used as a seat or as I do a step to the front doors.

 

Then where do you put the laundry.

[Dave Payne]

Then where do you put the laundry.

Well.duh, you drill holes in it and hang it on string!

[Jamboat]

Acquire a big enough plastic box and lid and keep it on your front deck.

 

 

haggis

That's what we did before we had a pram cover, worked ok.

[Catnip King]

I just keep the whole bag inside and use it straight from the bag...

[Richard T]

Drill holes through all the lumps of coal and thread them all onto strings and hang them from the ceiling with nails, like black beads. Tie knots at the bottoms of the strings that are slightly bigger than the holes in the coals, so that when you tug on a lump of coal the knot will pass through the hole and the lump of coal will come off and another will plop down its place ready for picking.

When you have two strings with only one lump of coal on them you can challenge your partner to a game of 'coal conkers'!! Loser has to prepare the next two strings!!

[ditchcrawler]

What's wrong with the bath

[Retardedrocker]

This so far is my favourite suggestion!Forgot about the front lockers, never use them for anything so might pack into small bags, have to keep off he floor though as they have drain decks.

I empty mine into one of the bow lockers. The one on the opposite side to the toilet tank. It helps offset the list to port when near to pump out day.

 

The locker holds the contents of 2x20kg bags or a bit more, which lasts me a week.

 

T.

[Neil2]

I empty mine into one of the bow lockers. The one on the opposite side to the toilet tank. It helps offset the list to port when near to pump out day.

 

The locker holds the contents of 2x20kg bags or a bit more, which lasts me a week.

 

T.

 

That's exactly what we do - and likewise it helps with trimming the boat which is a bit port - heavy. Reckon I can get 75kg in ours. Doesn't half go down quick in the colder months though. And it's always raining when it's time to fill the scuttle. (we don't have a cratch cover.)

 

Its easy to fashion a cover, guard, tunnel whatever to protect the scuppers from getting blocked.

[Taslim]

 

That's exactly what we do - and likewise it helps with trimming the boat which is a bit port - heavy. Reckon I can get 75kg in ours. Doesn't half go down quick in the colder months though. And it's always raining when it's time to fill the scuttle. (we don't have a cratch cover.)

 

Its easy to fashion a cover, guard, tunnel whatever to protect the scuppers from getting blocked.

Do you or T. have any probs with corosion? I keep coal in a lidded box, used as a step, lined with galvanised steel sheet.

 

I find the liner rots out in two years as if the fuel is acidic. Same life span as the galvi coal scttles. I burn Antheacite with the odd bag of Taybright or similar.

 

The thought occured that 'it was the Zink wot dunit'.