With thoughts of spring drifting amongst the snow flakes, I thought I would take a little time to talk about some of the safety systems that often get over looked, and are almost never serviced on boats. I’m talking about the big three types of alarms; Fire, CO, and High Water.
Fire at sea is one of the leading causes of death on the water. Chances are, once a fire has been detected, the chance of getting it put out with a small portable fire extinguisher is slim. Engine compartments are a breeding ground for fire. In addition to fuel and oil, batteries and electrical wiring are leading trouble spots. To have the upper hand in an engine compartment fire, you need early detection and action. The smell of something burning can go unnoticed for a great amount of time, especially with all the exhaust odors already running about.
So how can you detect a fire or fuel leak early?? With regularly maintained detection systems. Self discharging fire bottles are great, and should be required on every boat. They are a fully pressurized system, and once the temp of the valve reaches a preset temp, they automatically release, and fill the area with the fire agent, without any interaction. Most people rely on using the USCG required hand held extinguisher, but who will be there to use it if the boat is sitting at the dock??
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Most modern fire bottles have a built in switch, that can be wired into a display on the console, or to an engine shut down system. Engine shutdown systems are great, especially with diesel boats. The diesel engines are often to nosy for a alarm buzzer, and have the ability to actually pump the fire agent through the motor, and out the exhaust, rendering it useless. By shutting down the engines completely, you eliminate on extra step that can save time in an emergency.
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Compartment vapor detectors can be a great early alert that there is a hazardous situation, long before a fire can start. Modern sensors can alert you to leaking gasoline, hydrogen build up (from batteries), propane gas, and many other explosive gases that may be present on a boat.
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Every year we see scores of people who suffer from Carbon Monoxide poisoning. This colorless, odorless gas is also present in boats. Any boat that has sleeping arrangements should have a CO detector installed. Boats with generators or motors that run with a enclosed cabin space are extremely susceptible to gas build up. Even boats without motors running can fall victim from neighboring boats. Many sensors now add an engine shutdown feature, and can automatically shut off a generator as soon as a alarm is activated.
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High water alarms are one of the oldest and simplest alarm systems found on the water. Not only can they alert you of trouble in the bilge, but if properly installed, can alert other dock mates of trouble. I have received more calls saying that a system I installed saved there boat at the dock, than I have while running.
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No matter what type of system you have, you need to inspect, clean, and test it regularly. Turn off all your battery switches on your boat. Go down in the bilge and lift your float switches and inspect the wiring. Check the pressure gauges on the fire bottles, along with the next service date. Confirm that your smoke detectors and CO detectors are free of dirt, and self test properly. If any of these systems don’t work with the battery switches turned off, then they are not wired correctly. You should not be able to kill power to any of the alarms, without physically having to break a connection. After all, what is the point in having a alarm if you can turn it off when you leave the boat??
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Spend one of those nasty un-fishable days doing regular maintenance, your life and your boat may depend on it one day.
If you are unsure about how good your system is, or want to install or upgrade one, feel free to get a hold of us. We can help with what ever you needs are.
Fire at sea is one of the leading causes of death on the water. Chances are, once a fire has been detected, the chance of getting it put out with a small portable fire extinguisher is slim. Engine compartments are a breeding ground for fire. In addition to fuel and oil, batteries and electrical wiring are leading trouble spots. To have the upper hand in an engine compartment fire, you need early detection and action. The smell of something burning can go unnoticed for a great amount of time, especially with all the exhaust odors already running about.
So how can you detect a fire or fuel leak early?? With regularly maintained detection systems. Self discharging fire bottles are great, and should be required on every boat. They are a fully pressurized system, and once the temp of the valve reaches a preset temp, they automatically release, and fill the area with the fire agent, without any interaction. Most people rely on using the USCG required hand held extinguisher, but who will be there to use it if the boat is sitting at the dock??
Most modern fire bottles have a built in switch, that can be wired into a display on the console, or to an engine shut down system. Engine shutdown systems are great, especially with diesel boats. The diesel engines are often to nosy for a alarm buzzer, and have the ability to actually pump the fire agent through the motor, and out the exhaust, rendering it useless. By shutting down the engines completely, you eliminate on extra step that can save time in an emergency.
Compartment vapor detectors can be a great early alert that there is a hazardous situation, long before a fire can start. Modern sensors can alert you to leaking gasoline, hydrogen build up (from batteries), propane gas, and many other explosive gases that may be present on a boat.
Every year we see scores of people who suffer from Carbon Monoxide poisoning. This colorless, odorless gas is also present in boats. Any boat that has sleeping arrangements should have a CO detector installed. Boats with generators or motors that run with a enclosed cabin space are extremely susceptible to gas build up. Even boats without motors running can fall victim from neighboring boats. Many sensors now add an engine shutdown feature, and can automatically shut off a generator as soon as a alarm is activated.
High water alarms are one of the oldest and simplest alarm systems found on the water. Not only can they alert you of trouble in the bilge, but if properly installed, can alert other dock mates of trouble. I have received more calls saying that a system I installed saved there boat at the dock, than I have while running.
No matter what type of system you have, you need to inspect, clean, and test it regularly. Turn off all your battery switches on your boat. Go down in the bilge and lift your float switches and inspect the wiring. Check the pressure gauges on the fire bottles, along with the next service date. Confirm that your smoke detectors and CO detectors are free of dirt, and self test properly. If any of these systems don’t work with the battery switches turned off, then they are not wired correctly. You should not be able to kill power to any of the alarms, without physically having to break a connection. After all, what is the point in having a alarm if you can turn it off when you leave the boat??
Spend one of those nasty un-fishable days doing regular maintenance, your life and your boat may depend on it one day.
If you are unsure about how good your system is, or want to install or upgrade one, feel free to get a hold of us. We can help with what ever you needs are.
