First time boater and to this forum

[MKmedic]

Hi all just wanted to pop in and introduce myself. I am new boater and new to this forum. I do have a few questions concerning my purchase of a 1990 Sea ray 180. First off the boat is a beauty!! She does run but my concern is that she sat for about a year or so since the previous owner did not use her. She was winterized by a Sea Ray dealer (tags of proof were still attached to the boat) My wife was talking to her father (my wife knows boats pretty well she has always piloted them for wake boarders and skiers but never owned her own till now) he said that we should be cautious of the vapor fumes when we first start it (from what I understand they will blow but not to damage the boat they will just come out the cap or in the area of ignition) is there a way to "drain" fumes from the lines of the fuel system properly? I hope I am not sounding to stupid with this question.....I am not sure if I am in the right spot for this question or not but I thought I would ask.

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: First time boater and to this forum

I/O it must be,,, that is what the blower is for....

 

[MKmedic]

Re: First time boater and to this forum

theres no blower to my knowledge. I think what he was trying to say was that the fumes would cause a type of minor explosion (nothing to do damage to the boat itself but more like minor burns on the person starting the boat) he recommended "draining" the fumes before starting it....Just curious to see if theres a proper way or if its something that I have to be truly concerned with (the fumes in the linesupon starting)

 

[Grub54891]

Re: First time boater and to this forum

The vapors in the fuel lines are not an issue. The vapors in the low areas of any boat are: engine room,bilge,ski lockers ect. That is why boats have engine room blowers,ignition protected. You run the blower for a few minutes before starting the boat to clear tge fumes.There should be a couple vent hoses attached to vents on the sides of the boat,they look like dryer hose. If it does not have them,and a blower attached to them it has to be installed for safety. Once under way,over no wake speeds,you can turn it off as the air will vent itself.
Grub
In an ideal world,there would be no fumes,BUT why take the chance.

 

[erie_guy]

Re: First time boater and to this forum

Can you tell if this boat is powered by an (OB) outboard or an (IO) inboard/outboard? If OB, a removable, 6 or 12 gallon, fuel tank may have a manual vent that needs to be opened before starting. If the engine is an OB, but has a permanently mounted tank (greater fuel capacity) the tank should be vented with a hose to the outside of the boat hull. It may also have a blower to remove (purge) fuel fumes from the boat bilge.

If the boat is an IO, it definitely would have a blower to remove fuel fumes from the bilge (i.e. lower parts of the boat). This blower must be run for 5 minutes before starting the engine, during idling operations, and a minute of so at the end of a trip.

Never heard of a fuel vapor release near the helm that can happen when starting an IO engine.

I therefore assume your boat is an OB with a fuel tank near the engine that has a manual vent on the tank. And yes, opening this manual vent can release some fumes - so be careful (no smoking, sparks, or matches) for a minute of so before starting the engine. Close the vent when leaving the boat. This stops the fuel from aging to quickly.

erie_guy

 

[MKmedic]

Re: First time boater and to this forum

Actually the boat in an inboard (stern drive). This is not the exact boat but I did find what I am looking at on the stern its self. Thank you guys so much for the wealth of info about the motor I greatly appreciate it.

 

[Southtowns27]

Re: First time boater and to this forum

What you show pictured is commonly referred to as an inboard/outboard or I/O. A true inboard has an engine with a reduction/reversing gear bolted to the back of it inside the boat with a propeller shaft attached to the back of the gear that protrudes through a stuffing box/cutless bearing in the hull of the boat with the propeller attached to the end of the shaft. This setup is common in large pleasure boats and nearly all commercial boats/ships.

The others are spot on about the fuel fumes. In a boat like yours, it is possible for fuel vapors to pool in the bilge of the boat. A spark can ignite these fumes causing an explosion. Your boat is equipped with an engine compartment blower to allow you to ventilate the space before starting the engine to remove any fumes that may have accumulated. If you find that the blower is missing, you NEED to replace it before operating the boat.

 

[MKmedic]

Re: First time boater and to this forum

Yeah I read a littlemore on the engine type that I had and I did see that what I am running is the IB/OD. Thanks for all the advice guys!! giving me more and more of an understanding for running this boat safely after its hibernation!!!

 

[NYBo]

Re: First time boater and to this forum

Welcome to iboats!:welcome:

There IS a blower. you just need to locate the control and run it for a few minutes.

+1 It sure had one when it left the factory. If it isn't working, do NOT start the boat until it's fixed. There is no such thing as a minor fuel explosion on a boat.