Public Service Articles in the pursuit of
Recreational Boating Safety
You don’t want to foul up, when fueling up
Some do’s and don’t at the marine pump
By Wayne Spivak
National Press Corps
United States Coast Guard Auxiliary
Several years ago my wife and I took her cousin and his girlfriend out for a ride in my 19’ runabout. We were running low on gas so I pulled into a gas dock. Now, my cousin had been a boater for years, but his girlfriend was a novice as far as boating went.
We tied up to the dock, I killed the engine and I’m just starting to prepare the vessel for fueling, when I look aft and see the girlfriend lighting up a cigarette. Can you say P*A*N*I*C?
I guess she missed the class on gas vapors, flames and the effects of heat, and combustible gas along with flying debris has on the human body when she got her Ph.D.
This is one of those experiences best read about and not lived.
Fact: Fueling a recreational vessel is much more dangerous than fueling your car. While the same dangers exist for both water lovers and land lubbers; gas fumes, fuel spillage and accidental ignition. Your boat offers a better chance for disaster.
Statistic: During 2006, there were 141 accidents where a fire and/or explosion were the result of improper fueling. One death and 66 injuries were reported along with over $6 million in damage. During the five year period 2002 – 2006, the number of accidents ranged from a low of 141 to a high of 162.
Interesting enough, 19 of those 141 accidents in 2006 happened in the great state of Florida. 13.46% of all accidents (which was the highest percentage) occurred in Florida; this included the other 49 states and the District of Columbia.
Incidentally Florida had for this period the largest number of registered motorboats. These figures come from the United States Coast Guard’s “2006 Boating Statistics” COMDTPUB P16754.20 issued 30 July 2007. (http://www.uscgboating.org/statistics/Boating_Statistics_2006.pdf)
The reason fueling your vessel is more dangerous is because the heaver than air gas fumes always find there way to the lowest point. In the case of your automobile, it’s the pavement. But, in your vessel it’s the bilge or your cabin.
How to properly fuel your vessel
1. Secure you vessel.
2. Stop your engines.
3. Shut all electrical systems down, including turning off your battery at its main.
4. Close all ports, hatches, doors, etc.
5. Have all passengers (whether human or not) disembark the vessel and remain on land.
6. Make sure no one is smoking.
7. Carefully fuel your vessel making sure you do not spill any fuel either inboard, on the gunwale or overboard (we’ll discuss this later). Make sure nozzle of gas pump stays in contact with the metal rim of the fill pipe. Wipe up any spills inboard or on the gunwale. Don’t overfill your tanks! Leave room for expansion of the gas and vapors.
8. Re-open all ports, hatches, doors and let the vessel ventilate.
9. Turn on your bilge blowers and let them run for at least four – six minutes.
10. Use your high-tech gas fume detector (your nose) to determine if any fumes are present in the bilge or cabin.
11. Turn on battery and restart your engines.
12. Re-board your passengers.
If you have portable tanks:
- Disconnect the fuel tank from the fuel hose.
- Remove the fuel tank from the vessel and take it to the fuel dock.
- Fuel the tank. . Don’t overfill your tanks! Leave room for expansion of the gas and vapors. Make sure the rim of the nozzle is in contact with the rim of the tank.
- Clean-up any spills.
- Re-secure tank back in vessel.
Following these rules will greatly reduce your chances of accidentally igniting fuel vapors. The longer you take to ventilate your vessel, the safer you are. Remember, the single best gas vapor detector is you nose!
Oil and Gas Spills
The Federal Water Pollution Control Act prohibits the discharge of oil or oily waste upon or into any navigable waters of the U.S. The prohibition includes any discharge which causes a film or discoloration of the surface of the water or causes a sludge or emulsion beneath the surface of the water. Violators are subject to substantial civil and/or criminal sanctions including fines and imprisonment.
Regulations issued under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act require all vessels with propulsion machinery to have a capacity to retain oily mixtures on board and be equipped with a fixed or portable means to discharge these oily mixtures to a reception facility. On recreational vessels, a bucket, oil absorbent pads and heavy duty plastic bag, bailer or portable pump are some suitable means that meet the requirement for retention on board until transferring the oily mixture to a reception facility. No person may intentionally drain oil or oily waste from any source into the bilge of any vessel. You must immediately notify the U.S. Coast Guard if your vessel discharges oil or hazardous substances in the water. Call toll-free 800-424-8802 (In Washington, D.C. (202) 267-3675).
Report the following information:
- location
- size
- source
- color
- time observed
- substances
Storage of Extra Gas – not the best of ideas
Many people inquire about the storage of extra gas tanks on their vessels for extend range. While there are no specific regulations regarding this issue for or against the storage and use of extra gas tanks or fuel cells (fuel bladders) on recreational vessels, the Coast Guard believes this is a potentially dangerous practice.
Let us define the present standard for portable gas fuel systems. Richard A. Blackman, Product Assurance Branch (CG-54223) of the Boating Safety Division (CG-5422) in the Office of Auxiliary and Boating Safety (CG-542) points to “An American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) voluntary standard, H-24, deals with portable gasoline fuel systems and sets forth a number of design and construction considerations. However, ABYC, also defines a portable fuel tank as having a capacity of not more than seven gallons and as having provisions for ‘...connection to the engines by flexible fuel lines, with connection fittings.’",
The Coast Guard believes that there is potential for problems in the transference of fuel from these “extra” tanks to the main fuel system. This is especially true if this transference were to occur while the vessel is at sea.
Spilled fuel invites disaster, as the liquid and gaseous portions would either make their way into the lower levels of the vessel (bilge) and/or be pumped overboard, contrary to Federal Law.
According Blackman, “…any "extra" fuel should be stored in containers specifically intended for use in storing the fuel, and that fuel not be transferred onboard the boat. If a boater has a need for more fuel than what the designer intended, he should consider installing additional permanent tankage in compliance with fuel system standards.”
By application of safe boating practices, which includes fueling your vessel, you can make your hobby a safe and enjoyable sport for the whole family. Learn more about safe boating by taking a safe boating course of advance courses on seamanship and navigation from your local Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla. For more information and to find a local Flotilla, point your web browser to http://www.cgaux.org/visitors/.
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