MARINE SURVEYS

     "These are serious and their maintenance should be high on every boat owner's list. However, keeping things in perspective, fires and explosions rank fourth on the Boat U.S. list of most common insurance claims, behind hurricane damage, striking submerged objects, and sinking. Most of those claims are fires without explosions and are more commonly caused by defective wiring or overloaded shore power connections than by fuel leaks. Statistics released by the U.S. Coast Guard show that of the 4,789 accidents they recorded in 2008, only 48 were attributed to "ignition of spilled fuel or vapor" and another 32 to "fuel system failure." These incidents caused two deaths - about 1/4 of one percent of the total 709 for the year - and 51 injuries. Two deaths were two too many and some of the injuries involved severe burns. Additionally, the partial or complete loss of 80 boats could have been avoided.

     One of the most important preventatives is the installation of backfire flame arrestors on inboard gasoline engines. They function by absorbing the heat and flame of a backfire and have been required by law for all gasoline-powered inboard boats for many years. These devices attach to the carburetor or throttle body atop the engine, like an air filter on a car engine. If you have inboard gas engines, make sure you have a flame arrestor in place on each engine, see that it has a snug fit and is clean and undamaged. It's a simple matter to clean any buildup of grease or dirt with detergent and water, but if the unit is damaged, replace it right away with an approved arrestor complying with UL-111 l or SAE-J1928 standards.

     Regularly inspect the fuel piping and fittings, all the way from the fill plate to the engine and including the vent lines, for damage, wear, or deterioration of hoses and tubing, and for tightness of fittings. Even seemingly minor seepage can lead to a significant buildup of flammable fumes in the bilge over time that could become ignited.

     A more recent problem has emerged with the use of ethanol-blended gasoline, known as E-10. In older boats with fiberglass fuel tanks, particularly, the ethanol additive has been shown to degrade resins, leading to weakening of the tank's structure and resulting in leakage. Your boat's manufacturer should be able to tell you if your boat is affected. If so, it's best to avoid E-I0 gasoline entirely (see the article above regarding delay of E-15 fuel blend). The alternative would be to replace the fuel tanks, but unfortunately, that’s not inexpensive to do.

     In all cases, accidents can often be avoided by ventilating the bilge for about five minutes before starting the engines, particularly after refueling. Use marine-grade bilge blowers, which are sealed so their internal electrical parts won't spark and cause an explosion – regular blowers aren't sealed.

     Propane gas is another possible source of fire and explosion that cannot be ignored. Heavier than air, propane will sink to the bilge rather than dissipating into the atmosphere. Any installation should be to American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) standards. Be sure to check all LPG lines, fittings and tanks on a regular basis as well.

     While most fuel-related fires are on gasoline-powered boats, they do occur in diesel engine rooms. They are often caused by a cracked injector line or loose fitting that allows diesel fuel to leak or a fine mist of fuel to spray onto a turbocharger, exhaust fitting, or other hot engine part."

     At the end of the above article I noted that I had recently conducted a damage inspection for Boat U.S. Claims Div. on a 49 foot motoryacht that had suffered fire damage in the diesel engine room. The owner had just returned from a sea trial to check out his newly rebuilt turbo on one of the engines. He had just shut down and saw smoke coming from the engine room. When he opened the engine hatch he saw smoke and flames and immediately used a portable fire extinguisher to put out the fire. The cause turned out to be a fuel leak at a faulty fitting that allowed fuel to drip onto the exhaust manifold. The owner’s action was so quick that the automatic fire extinguisher in the engine room didn’t even have time to activate.

And Another New Book Suggested:

     This very interesting book titled "Honey, Let’s Get a Boat…" is by Ron and Eva Stob, and is a cruising

adventure of America’s Great Loop by this couple.  They spent time aboard their 40 ft. trawler yacht, "Dream O’

Genie" (now "DOG"), back in 1999 at Whitley Marine in Cocoa, FL when it was still a boat yard, fixing up and

refurbishing their boat.  It was at that time that my wife, Susan, worked at Whitley Marine and ordered the parts

they needed.  She even played tennis with Ron & Eva Stob on occasion during their stay in Cocoa, FL, as

mentioned in Chapter 4.

     Also mentioned in the beginning of Chapter 4 is my good friend and a regular subscriber to our Newsletter, Mike Potter of Noah’s Ark Repair in Cocoa, who had his shop on the Whitley Marine premises at that time.  He

helped them with running gear problems. They called Cocoa "River City" in their book.  There are lots of good

color and black and white photographs and is well worth reading! Go to: www.greatloop.com for more info.

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