Pippo

Hi all, I'm new to the forum so correct me if I violate any etiquette restrictions. I have a 32' Monterey that has recently had an explosion in the engine compartment. The boat has twin 5.0 mercs and recent inspection since the explosion points to a cracked fuel filler hose as being the likely culprit (although, admittedly, those could have been caused by the explosion itself) Knowing that an explosion runs about 3000 degrees Fahrenheit with extreme concussive force I am worried about the structural integrity of the fiberglass (I understand that above 140, 175, and 200 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the resin, the resins that hold fiberglass together begin to rapidly decompose, leaving weak spots and bubbles in the laminate. My fear is that the "after" effects of this decomposition still looks fine, but will fail catastrophically under a sudden load. The explosion was enough to blow the port side compartment hatch 7 feet, ripping our the retaining screws that secured the hatch to the deck. The velocity of the air in an explosion of this sort has a concussive factor that reaches supersonic velocity with the compartment air moving up to 3 miles a second, further adding to my concerns of structural integrity.
After that long winded explanation my question is, should this boat ever be put back on the water or am I putting family and friends at risk
Thanks
Pippo

rak rua

madbouyz

Was this one of those rather unusual boat explosions where there was no fire , just a big bang that extinguished itself or did an auto fire system kick in and prevent a fire ?

Pippo

Automatic fire suppression put out the fire fairly quickly but there was a fire in the compartment (plastic hoses, cables and wires mostly)

Baja Rooster

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