Guide 02 stop, check, call
I smell propane (LPG) in the galley
No flames, shut the gas off at the cylinder if you safely can, air the boat out, and have the system tested before using it again.
Stop first
- No flames, no smoking, and do not start the engine or generator.
- If you can do so safely, close the valve at the propane cylinder, following your stove or system maker's instructions.
- Open hatches and ports and get everyone off the boat until the smell is gone.
Checks an owner can do
- Check that every burner knob on the stove is fully off.
- Do not look for the leak with a flame, and do not take fittings apart yourself.
- Write down what you noticed and when, for the technician.
Call a certified marine technician when
- Any propane smell you cannot explain by a burner left on: have the whole system leak-tested before you use it again.
- Any work on the cylinder locker, regulator, solenoid, hoses or appliance connections.
Sources
- Your boat's, engine's and appliance makers' owner's manuals, The manufacturer
No public source is cited for this guide. Its steps are general precautions; the instructions in your boat's, engine's and appliance makers' manuals come first, and a certified marine technician decides anything beyond these checks.
Reviewed 2026-10-08. Your manufacturer's instructions come first wherever they differ from this page.
Keep a record and brief your technician
Log this problem on your boat with the checks above as a checklist. Tick what you have done, then print a one-page technician brief: the boat, engine hours, what happens, what you already checked and the boat's recent work. When it is fixed, it goes into your maintenance log.
The technician brief is part of Skipper: $1.95 a month or $19.50 a year. Free during preview. Pricing