The Coxswains'
Corner
This section is dedicated to the needs of the Coxswains of 11-1. A key service provided to the public by the Auxiliary is the on-water safety patrol, and well-trained, practiced, and equipped Coxswains are the key to the success of this program. Announcements, references, forms, and technical information will be added to this section on a regular basis. Each Coxswain should check in here often and please feel free to leave information and suggestions by emailing the Webmaster.
How
many explosions did you have on your boat the last time you took her out of the
slip? None? Well, if you were using an internal combustion engine, you had
thousands of explosions within a few feet of you and your passengers. And if
those explosions involved a volatile fuel like gasoline, you can be grateful
that each of those explosions occurred in a controlled atmosphere like the
inside of your engine's cylinders.
Each
year, people on or near boats suffer painful and debilitating burns or even
death from fuel vapor ignition in an uncontrolled environment. Vapors from
leaking fuel lines, corroded fuel tanks or poor ventilation skulk in the low
areas of your boat, and create one of the most feared hazards of all. It's a
molecular chain reaction, and it's sudden, chaotic…and devastating.
With
proper safety procedures and precautions, uncontrolled explosions on board your
boat are nearly always preventable. Just remember these equipment and fueling
tips:
Equipment
Have
your fuel lines inspected regularly. Look for loose fittings or cracks in the
lines, and if you see a problem, fix it. If you use portable fuel tanks, check
them for corrosion or pitting. Make sure the vents work properly, and that there
is a vapor-tight, leak-proof cap on the tank. If your tanks are permanently
mounted, have them inspected annually. Be certain that they are vented to the
outside of the hull, and that fill pipes are outboard so that spills will not
end up in closed compartments.
Before
You Fuel
If
you have a boatload of people, and they're not all needed for the fueling
process, suggest they leave the boat and go browse around the Marina gift shop.
The fewer people around the gas pump when you're fueling the better. If any do
insist on staying aboard, remind them not to smoke. Shut off all your engines,
electric motors and galley stoves, and close all compartments, ports, windows
and hatches. The idea is to keep the vapors out of those areas when you start
fueling. Make sure a fire extinguisher is readily available.
If
you're refueling portable tanks, take them out of the boat and fill them ashore.
If you spill gasoline on the tanks, wipe them off before bringing them back on
board.
During
the Fueling Process
Try
not to spill fuel on, in or around the boat. In fact, don't spill fuel anywhere.
Hold the fill nozzle against the metal side of the fuel filler pipe. The filler
pipe is grounded to the bonding system of the boat, and making contact between
the nozzle and the pipe at all times will help prevent sparks from static
electricity.
After
You've Finished Fueling Around
Tightly
replace the fuel filler caps. Clean up any spills that you weren't supposed to
have in the first place, and properly dispose of the rags you use to clean up
the mess. Now you're ready to open up all the hatches, ports and compartments
that you closed up prior to starting the fueling process. Before you turn on
your ventilation blower in the bilge, do one final check for fumes by using your
Jim-Dandy, Super-Stupendous, Vapor Detection Gadget…your nose. If you smell
gasoline vapors, you're not ready to flip any switches. Find where the fumes are
coming from and resolve it.
Finally,
get your family back on the boat and out of the Marina gift shop while you can
still afford to pay for the fuel you just bought.
If
you follow these procedures, and make sure your fuel tank and lines are in good
condition, you stand a good chance of avoiding an explosion hazard on your boat
before, during and after the fueling process. Aside from fueling, however, there
is one other piece of advice about the use of gasoline I'd like to impart.
Don't
clean engine parts with gasoline. I personally inspected a boat with a strong
smell of gasoline in the engine compartment, only to find out that the backfire
flame arrestor had just taken a bath that morning in gasoline. The owner was
quite proud that he was showing me an oil and grease-free arrestor. I strongly
suggested that he clean it off again, this time with hot, soapy water, and let
it dry thoroughly before he turned over that engine.
When
it comes to gasoline, it's always best to keep the explosions inside the engine.
So don't be fuel-hardy -- take the few extra minutes to do it right. It could
make the difference between a disaster and another fun day on the water.
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Each Coxswain should have copies of the GAR Risk Assessment Model form. This is used for assessing the risk elements of any particular mission. In the future, the OIC at Station Sand Key will have to be given this GAR number prior to each and every on-water mission. To download this form in PDF format, please click on this: GAR.
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Check out a new tidal current prediction information link: http://www.co-ops.nos.noaa.gov/tide_pred.html
Also, try out a free computer program that predicts the currents for major channels: http://www.flaterco.com/xtide/
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