OnBoard Magazine - Summer 2014

On any boat, corrosion is always a concern and can affect the safety of both DC and AC wiring. A common cause of fires started on the AC side are corroded, or otherwise faulty, shore power cords. Over years of outdoor use or perhaps due to poor construction quality, plug prongs deteriorate, bend or even melt. Plugs with visible defects or that feel overly loose after working them into a receptacle, should be considered highly suspect and repaired or replaced. 2 OVERHEATING The overheating of propulsion systems including engines, transmissions and turbo chargers account for nearly a quarter of reported boat fires. Blocked coolant systems can quickly escalate an engine to excessive temperatures that start to melt hoses and impellers. While McDowell admits these fires are often of the “slow and smoldering” variety, dark smoke from the engine room typically gets the Captain and PARTING SHOT An exceptional amount of manpower and teamwork goes into building a new boat, as evidenced in this well executed group photo of the Grand Banks construction team who built the 43 Heritage EU, Float Test . Posing in the foreground is Tucker West and Bruce Livingston from Grand Banks along with Bluewater salesman Chuck Meyers just before the boat started her journey to the United States for delivery to her new owners. crew’s attention very quickly, “and then someone makes the mistake of opening the engine room and introducing a bunch of fresh air into the equation,” he adds. Experts agree the best way to handle an engine room fire is to let an automatic suppression system do it for you. Short of that, you should shut down the engine(s) and discharge a fire extinguisher through a fire port. If none exists, crack open the hatch or engine room door as little as possible while allowing you to discharge the extinguisher. Again, the wisest approach is prevention in the form of routine maintenance in order to avoid overheating problems in the first place. 3 FUEL LEAK Approximately eight percent of vessel fires are reportedly caused by fuel issues, with gasoline systems accounting for 95% of those cases. Certainly the most explosive and devastating type of fire on our list, gasoline leaks most typically occur around fuel lines, at connections to the engine itself or from the fuel tank. “Fortunately, routine visual inspections and an aware nose are usually all that is needed to sniff out gasoline leaks.” McDowell says. With these simple tips, anyone should be able to effectively prevent – or worst case, react capably to – vessel fires. It’s important to review these scenarios with your crew and make sure everyone aboard knows the location and operating procedures of your extinguishers. Annual equipment inspections by a certified professional is also highly recommended. Ultimately, arming yourself and your crew with as much knowledge as possible and taking the time to routinely go over all the systems in your boat will make your boating experiences safer and more enjoyable, as well as reduce your operating costs in the way of repairs and insurance premiums. Now that’s something that should effectively motivate all of us. 39 SUMMER 2014