Very Bad Day at LOTO
 

Baja explodes after refueling at the Lake of the Ozarks....

http://www.lakenewsonline.com/featur...losion?photo=0

Be careful when fueling.

The older I get, the more gasoline scares me.

Man looks like a real mess, guess the fire dept. let it burn scince they were just sitting there in the pic. Maybe they were there if the dock caught fire

Some additional pictures... looks like in one of the pictures they did fight the fire at one point.

http://lakeexpo.com/shared-content/g...8&mediaid=2417

Man looks bad,least the gas dock didnt go up also

Ouch.....hope he is ok. I should be more consistent with turning on my blowers and raising the hatch after filling.

It's good to raise the hatch, wait some time, and then turn the blower on. Never leave the blower on while refueling. But as everyone knows, they want you to leave the dock pretty quick. Never leave hatches or cabin doors open, all electronics should be off. Everyone on board should also be on the dock while refueling.

He must have had a fuel line leak or something like that for it to happen so quickly.

Gasoline is nasty and fumes are heavier then air so boats are ideal places for things to accurate. That being said I am not sure a hatch leading to the the bilge is safer being "open". Boats vent the fuel tank to the exterior of the hull and that is where most of the fumes go as the gasoline you are pumping enters the tanks. I bet this particular boat had a fuel leak independent of the filling the tank or maybe a hole in the fill hose or something.

I know here in CT we have an insurance yard where allot of the boats end up that get damaged.

There are allot of char coal brickets in there at any given time.

I like the outboards better for just that reason. Its not a total cure all though theres still electircal and a gas tank on board.
Most OB equipped boats dont have a blower on board.
I think I may add one to my boat soon.

Always open hatches when fueling, close cabin door, all power off, inspect fuel lines every time you check your oil. Get in the habit, it will save your boat and life!

Install a fume detector, it should be mandatory in any case.