Ocean Pines Maryland boat explosion...

[DCMacGuy]

So first off, this is pretty damn scary. Hopefully everyone will recover and be in good health from this. I thought this might be the most appropriate place to post it but please feel free to move or kill it if inappropriate.

http://www.delmarvanow.com/story/new...wers/14924353/

So supposedly the captain ran the blowers for 15 minutes, "Opened ventilation hatches" (I'm presuming the engine box), etc.

He was pulling away from the pier - yet the drive appears to be in the trailer position, despite the fact that it was kept in water. Kinda makes me wonder what procedures were missed/what actually was followed/were the blowers really being ran? Something just doesn't seem right here.

 

[old islander]

I flip alot of old boats, it's my hobby. I would say easy 85% of the old boats I buy have rotted, disconnected, or just poorly run vent hoses from exterior vents or the blower motor it's self. The cheap "dryer" vent hoses of the 70's , 80's and so on only last so long. Add to that most boats have seen a few ham handed backyard mechanics that rip things out of the way, but not always put them back the way they found them and yes, this is the outcome.

 

[thumpar]

Could have been from a non-marine alternator, starter ect. On my last inspection the sheriff told me about a fiberform that blew up from not using a marine alternator.

 

[bruceb58]

Or could have been a leaky fuel fitting. You could run the blower forever and it wouldn't help. It's why I always look in the bilge at the beginning of the day before and after starting the engine.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Or could have been a leaky fuel fitting. You could run the blower forever and it wouldn't help. It's why I always look in the bilge at the beginning of the day before and after starting the engine.

Yeah. A severe fuel leak and a spark is all it would take. All the blowers would do is increase the combustion air for the fire.

I always look in the bilge and sniff around............. Always check that yellow hose from the mechanical pump to the carb.......Another reason for steel fuel lines and NO fuel bowls in enclosed compartments

Wish I had a diesel powered boat!!

 

[500dollar744ti]

How do you not smell that much fuel when attempting to operate a boat? I can smell my carb being flooded from the helm, I can't imagine how stinky it would be having a bilge full of gas fumes ready to explode..

I'll keep my ignition protected parts thanks.

 

[bruceb58]

How do you not smell that much fuel when attempting to operate a boat? I can smell my carb being flooded from the helm, I can't imagine how stinky it would be having a bilge full of gas fumes ready to explode..

Depends on the boat. Small I/O with a dog house cover will be vary different than a boat that has a hatch over the engine compartment. On my boat, a fuel leak would be very difficult to smell.

 

[chrome dome]

could have been worse,
this was around four years ago
http://www.theage.com.au/national/su...0620-crzl.html

sorry, no pictures in the article and it is a bit long

 

[500dollar744ti]

Depends on the boat. Small I/O with a dog house cover will be vary different than a boat that has a hatch over the engine compartment. On my boat, a fuel leak would be very difficult to smell.

Understandable, but the boat in question appears to be a standard issue runabout that would have a regular hatch. If the boat type makes it hard to smell a fuel leak, then I would certainly install a warning system.

 

[bruceb58]

Understandable, but the boat in question appears to be a standard issue runabout that would have a regular hatch.

It was a 24' boat.

My guess , he didn't smell it or he wouldn't have started it. Again, I would be lookng in the engine compartment before my first start of the day anyway whether I smelled fuel or not.

 

[500dollar744ti]

I have this feeling the guy didn't run the blower for 15 minutes. The generally accepted run time for a blower is 4 mins before starting. I wouldn't be surprised if he claimed to run it for 15 minutes to shift blame for the accident when he maybe didn't run it at all.

I also think that running the blower for 15 minutes on a boat that has an explosive bilge full of gas would surround the boat with the stench of gas within that running time.

I understand accidents can happen to anybody but I feel the vast majority of fires/explosions in marine or automotive environments are a result of gross negligence and/or ignorance.

 

[Lou C]

These stories are very sad, but all these events are preventable. SNIFF the engine compartment, check the hoses, when you start. I do it every time. I also put in a fume detector. Every couple years I lift up the gas tank hatch and check all the fuel lines and clamps. Most people at the gas dock don't do a damn thing. They should be running outboards ONLY, or diesels.