Dive boat fire
09-09-2019, 02:22 PM
#11
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propane detectors, smoke detectors, CO detectors, my boat has a gasoline detector that is not required but should be.
What a waste!
What a waste!
09-09-2019, 04:59 PM
#12
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I would be surprised if there was any Propane on board. Most inspected boats have all electric galleys.I had propane on a old commercial boat I owned. My insurance made me remove it and convert the galley to all electric. That was 20 years ago. I had employees on the boat. A propane explosion would have blown the deck off, but not much fire after. My guess....Just a guess is somewhere there were a couple 5 gallon cans of gas for the skiff. Plastic cans are not "approved". Steel Safety cans are. Steel rots with salt. One leaked into the forward bilge and ignited. That provided the initial boom and fuel for a rapid fire following ignition. A horrific tragedy. We will learn from it. On a diesel boat it always all bad to have gas on board. Where do you store it? In the cabin? Engine room? Aft cabinet? If the can leaks whats downhill?
09-09-2019, 08:25 PM
#13
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We spent many seasons on Cuddy cabins to full cabin cruisers and sleeping bellow deck always made me nervous.
Our last one was 36’ w/an aft cabin which is where we slept.
It was a fixer upper when we bought it and I found two potentially catastrophic issues that would have taken it out and probably those aboard.
One was a loose ground stud, mounted to a gelled pc of ply that was bolted to a stringer.
It had arced long enough that it burned a hole, the exact diameter of the flat washer under the clamp bolt..
Burned all the way through the plywood mount!
What if I hadn’t found it?
#2 was the rusted exhaust defuser boxes that we’re at water level.
Wakes and waves were coming into the bilge.
Under way it leaked water and carbon monoxide into the bulge! Then to the cabin.
What if I hadn’t found it?
If it went down at dock, at night, while we were asleep......, spooky odds at finding (dark, in cold water w/zero vis, scared, w/your wife)........, the stairs/door to main salon, then the set from there to aft deck...., now through the black canvas and final set of stairs...., spooky to even think about.
Now put guests on board for the first time and let them try.
I posted earlier on this thread about the famous wreck diver Mel Fisher loosing his son and daughter-in-law when one of their dive boats sunk at anchor, at night.
Born and raised on a boat and didn’t make it out.
Hearing it was a live aboard dive charter changed everything I initially though.
Very sad but needs to keep us aware as well.
God speed to all those lost.
Our last one was 36’ w/an aft cabin which is where we slept.
It was a fixer upper when we bought it and I found two potentially catastrophic issues that would have taken it out and probably those aboard.
One was a loose ground stud, mounted to a gelled pc of ply that was bolted to a stringer.
It had arced long enough that it burned a hole, the exact diameter of the flat washer under the clamp bolt..
Burned all the way through the plywood mount!
What if I hadn’t found it?
#2 was the rusted exhaust defuser boxes that we’re at water level.
Wakes and waves were coming into the bilge.
Under way it leaked water and carbon monoxide into the bulge! Then to the cabin.
What if I hadn’t found it?
If it went down at dock, at night, while we were asleep......, spooky odds at finding (dark, in cold water w/zero vis, scared, w/your wife)........, the stairs/door to main salon, then the set from there to aft deck...., now through the black canvas and final set of stairs...., spooky to even think about.
Now put guests on board for the first time and let them try.
I posted earlier on this thread about the famous wreck diver Mel Fisher loosing his son and daughter-in-law when one of their dive boats sunk at anchor, at night.
Born and raised on a boat and didn’t make it out.
Hearing it was a live aboard dive charter changed everything I initially though.
Very sad but needs to keep us aware as well.
God speed to all those lost.
09-10-2019, 08:41 PM
#15
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My extended family live in that area and many of them and friends of mine have been on that exact boat. They had a reputation as a top notch outfit and (like all friends say) there wasn’t a better captain anywhere.
But investigation shows on its sister ship that the design is just too archaic. It’s pitch black down there and no way to find a light switch in a panic with only two small exits that were already blocked off.
Speculation at this point is propane leaked from the galley (propane is heavier than air) and settled in the bottom ignited old wiring that couldn’t handle 30 phones plugged into it.
Tragedy.
But investigation shows on its sister ship that the design is just too archaic. It’s pitch black down there and no way to find a light switch in a panic with only two small exits that were already blocked off.
Speculation at this point is propane leaked from the galley (propane is heavier than air) and settled in the bottom ignited old wiring that couldn’t handle 30 phones plugged into it.
Tragedy.
Real sad, and scary as we were going to go out diving this week in SBA (not on an overnight trip). Crazy accident, terrible.
I also find it wild that there was no easy egress on the boat.
09-13-2019, 08:22 AM
#16
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So the preliminary report says all the crew were asleep. No anchor watch.
Last edited by Wobble; 09-13-2019 at 12:07 PM. Reason: typo
