Blowers

[harddock]

Whatched a boat go up in flames to the waterline today. Everyone got to shore safely . Overhearing the owner talk with the authorities I heard he had taken the boat off the trailer, parked the tow rig came back and the when he started the boat and ventured out it stalled twice and the poof. He said he had not run the blower. Expensive lesson for him and now an advisory message for all. Run the blower. It was a late model I/O but the rule applies to all inboards as well.

[Trevorg7]

RE: Blowers

Wow - that is scary. Scares me too because my boat stalled twice on the way in the other day (see post in mechanical section). I had the blower running however....


T

[bwana50]

RE: Blowers

Hmm, that raises a question. I turn the blower on a couple minutes before starting, but then turn it off. Should it be on all the time?

[Mikeski]

Running the blower is good but I prefer to pop the motor cover and give it a sniff before reaching for the starter. This is part of my pre-launch routine, call me paranoid? I have seen two boats on fire, on fire once myself (not my boat). FI boats are lest prone but still not immune to fuel leaks, just less likely to ignite them.

[SkiTower]

Hmm, that raises a question. I turn the blower on a couple minutes before starting, but then turn it off. Should it be on all the time?

The book says to have the blower on for 4 minutes before initial start-up, to run it before EVERY start, and run it when you are "below cruising speed".

My routine is like Mikeski, I pop the hatch before initial start-up, but I try to turn the blower on whenever the motor is on and we are "below cruising speed". My boats too expensive to gamble with something like that.

[mcbridek]

I am going to guess that fuel was dripping from one of the connections - a common problem - and why it is so important to lift the cover and "sniff" before you initially start the boat (sniff before you start running the blower). Once the blower has been running or you have been crusing, you may not smell the flumes from a slow drip. Scary

[DanielC]

I have seen two boats with the FCC starting to get leaks around the wires that go to the internal fuel pump. This occured at around 900 hours on both boats.
Look for gas leaks before starting your boat. Run your blower every time you start your boat. You need to form this habit, so when you stressed, or fustrated because your boat does not want to start, you do not blow your boat up because of a fuel leak, that prevented it from starting
Fuel injection boats have less of a chance of a fuel leak, but if they get a fuel leak, it is much more serious because the fuel pressure is a lot higher than a carburetted boat.

[robertsmcfarland]

would the automactic fire extinguisher cc offers as an extra help in a situration like this?

[2gofaster]

There are a couple of companies that make fire systems that could be installed. At less than $400, I would say they are a pretty sound way to protect our very expensive boats. Safecraft is the brand that I use in my 200mph drag race car and have now ordered for my 196. While one of these fire systems won't do much for the open cabin, having a nozzle under/behind the dash, one near the battery, and a nozzle in the engine compartment would do well to protect from gas, oil and electrical fires that may crop up. The system is operated by a handle you pull that could be mounted near the dash and the bottle also has a burst disk that will rupture at 300 degrees.

[DanielC]

An automatic fire extinguisher might help. It is impossible to know what will happen in every situation.
The automatic fire extinguisher might also reduce your insurance rates. You will have to check with your insurance provider to know if it actually does decrease your rates.

[AirTool]

One would think that the gateway of an "X"ty thousand dollar boat would automatically control the blower based on speed, etc. The amp draw is minimum and the noise is nil.

AirTool

[SkiTower]

One would think that the gateway of an "X"ty thousand dollar boat would automatically control the blower based on speed, etc.

I actually had the same thought our last week on the lake. The only kink in that line of thinking is for a fully auto system, the boat doesn't know when you are going to start the engine.

[AirTool]

One would think that the gateway of an "X"ty thousand dollar boat would automatically control the blower based on speed, etc.

I actually had the same thought our last week on the lake. The only kink in that line of thinking is for a fully auto system, the boat doesn't know when you are going to start the engine.

Agree...but it does know when you last turned it off. I sure don't want to have to "wait" on the blower on the first start....or any start....but that system could easily have pre- and post- run logic along with on/off during KOEO conditions.

AirTool