Skippers Corner – Fire On Board! – Long Island Boating World

I have the proud pleasure of having a grandson who is a cadet at the Merchant Marine Academy at Fort Schuyler at the foot of the Throgs Neck Bridge. Lately he has been taking fire fighting classes and experiencing it in actual process. All the cadets do. I know many other young men and women who have graduated there and they get an intense scholarly and physical education. When discussing fire fighting with my grandson it sparked the need to re-impress upon the pleasure and sporting boaters what they need to know what to do in case of fire.

I have seen burning pleasure boats on several occasions. Most of these situations were controllable if everyone kept their heads and fire extinguishers deployed immediately. If you own and captain a boat, even if you tend to be high strung to begin with, you must keep your cool. Screaming orders only scares people. You should know exactly where your fire extinguishers are and according to the size of the boat, the more you need. Even in a small boat 16 ft. boat, two should be available. One malfunctions and you have a backup.
If the fire starts at the engine you immediately shut the engine off so that fuel is not continuing to feed the fire. Make sure everyone has a life jacket on in case you have to abandon and have someone on the radio with a mayday call for help giving your position. If it is an outboard you can hit it with the extinguisher but you have a better chance if the engine top is off, so you can get to the source. Problem is that if you are able to get the top off, additional oxygen may cause it to flare up. Don’t risk your life. You can trough one of these fire blankets on it to starve it of oxygen until help arrives. If you can off-load any passengers, that is the best precaution. If you don’t feel you can control the situation you get off too. It’s not worth your life
When it comes to IOs and inboards you should consider a fire suppression system like Fireboy, Sea fire, Blaze cut, and Stat X. These are automatically activated by rising heat. They even make systems for outboards and are very helpful in aiding and educating you on the best system for your boat. You can Google them.
It is important to check your outboards for any fuel or oil leakage and get it fixed immediately. These are highly flammable so keep those outboard clean on the inside. The same goes for inboards and IOs. These engine compartments should be spotless and the engine should shine. I hate it when I open an engine hatch and see old oil, grease and black soot all over the one thing that keeps your boat moving. By keeping it spotless it is also easier to spot a new possible leak that could become an engine problem and also a possible fire issue. Engines should be checked for visual signs of fuel and oil leakage every day you use your boat before starting. IOs and inboards should have their hatches open to let any fumes escape before starting. Fumes are one of the major reasons for fires and even explosions, especially when taking on fuel.
Another source of fire is the electrical system. If you see sparks or flames emanating from any electrical source, shut the system off, cut your motor and attend to it immediately with your extinguisher. Call for a tow and then get the system fixed. Don’t take chances even if you get the engine started again. Like I said, get a tow and get it fixed. There are many other sources of fire like cigarettes. I don’t allow them on my boats! Romantic candles in the cabin combined with vino, barbeques that fit into you rod holders and fuel stoves in your cabin – some jerks even fire off fireworks from their boats.
The best you can do as the captain is to “Be aware and be prepared”! One extra tip. Make sure your medical kit has the ability to treat burns until you can get a person proper medical care.
See you on the water,
Captain Eddy Smith, (Retired)