Man found dead on Boat

[ditchcrawler]

(Off topic) Hi ditchcrawler, it was me and my wife who chatted to you while you were going up the lock in the middle of Banbury earlier this week. Good to meet you!

I did wonder if you would turn up somewhere.

[Ex- Member]

Coincidentally with this sad topic, I noticed that todays Amazon "Deal of the Day" is the Fireangel CO-9D Digital Sealed for Life Carbon Monoxide Alarm. Reduced from £29.99 to £15.99.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00441S9GS/ref=gbsl_tit_c-1_6707_4998e18a?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=0MYHV9AG8V3GYQYEAW06&pf_rd_i=350613011&pf_rd_p=460016707

 

Stewey

 

We've just bought this one. Lovely, fit and forget.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251376551531?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

[ditchcrawler]

As MtB suggests, sloppy journalism - the best photo they could find to illustrate the article was of a fire engine driving down a road.

If I understand the map correctly, this happenened at the location immediately south of the bridge which you cross to get to Tesco's, near the former arm now used for moorings at one end and winding round at the other. There used to be a little encampment there: an old 'bus, a caravan and two or three elderly boats. Last time we passed there (late November) we noticed that the vehicles had left the site and that the boats had moved on also. It is not easy to moor there as the towpath surface makes it difficult to knock one's pins in - is this where the unfortunate chap was parked?

 

EDIT: I see that the man was described in a local news report as a "well known boater" - local character, or celebrity?

I see also that the Narrowboat World web site has stated in a headline that Carbon Monoxide was the cause of death - then stated in the accompanying article that it may have been the cause.

There was no one moored there when we passed on the 1st about 3pm but there were several boats on the visitor moorings at Spice Ball Park just up from the long term moorings.

Except when this happens..

 

 

It was 11.45pm one night when the CO alarm went off in April 2011. We had no idea why. Opened all doors and windows and sat by the cratch door until the ecofan stopped working and the alarm stopped sounding.

 

The alarm would wake us during the night if there were more problems.

 

On investigating in the morning, it was discovered that there were holes in the BACK of the flue pipe!

 

Now we check each week. If we didn't have that CO alarm I probably wouldn't be writing this post.

 

We now have a spare working alarm in case the one we have fails.

 

Sue, did you see the emergency services or had you moved on by then?

[Athy]

Since my last post I have seen a photo on another local news report. Again it shows no boats, but it appears to show the section below the lock and round the bend from it.

[Naughty Cal]

Coincidentally with this sad topic, I noticed that todays Amazon "Deal of the Day" is the Fireangel CO-9D Digital Sealed for Life Carbon Monoxide Alarm. Reduced from £29.99 to £15.99.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00441S9GS/ref=gbsl_tit_c-1_6707_4998e18a?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=0MYHV9AG8V3GYQYEAW06&pf_rd_i=350613011&pf_rd_p=460016707

 

Stewey

Just ordered one to replace our aging alarm. Thanks for the link

[Sue]

Sue, did you see the emergency services or had you moved on by then?

 

 

No I didn't see them because it happened at the other end of Banbury in the community known as The Tramway between Sanuelson Bridge and the Calthorpe Winding hole.

 

I did find out who it was last night and I am still gutted today. There is an update on Chris's blog here ---> link

[ditchcrawler]

Since my last post I have seen a photo on another local news report. Again it shows no boats, but it appears to show the section below the lock and round the bend from it.

Just looking at my original post it says the Tramway which of course is the other end.

[Athy]

Thank you Sue. It's not the boater whom I thought it might have been (who had been poorly last year and who has a dog).

I don't recognise the name which you have given but, as we often travel the Cropredy to Banbury section, I am sure that we ran into him and his pet. What sort of boat is it?

[Sue]

What sort of boat is it?

 

 

Just a boater's boat, nothing special but a boat he enjoyed with his dog..

[Sue]

Sorry Athy I know where you are coming from now..

 

It was a narrowboat rather than a GRP

[Athy]

No need to apologise!

So a five-mile stretch of our lovely South Oxford has been the scene of at least two sad deaths in the last few months: you may remember the trampy guy who was wandering around, apparently contentedly, during the festival. He trundled past our boat one day, and was found drowned a bit further down the cut the following day.

[Pykebird]

So sad to hear of this, thoughts to his family and friends.

[phil5]

I went for these smoke/CO alarms when I got my boat a few months ago. Good price, a name I know (Kidde) & easy to take back should you have any problems with them. http://groceries.asda.com/asda-webstore/landing/home.shtml?cmpid=ahc-_-ghs-sna1-_-asdacom-dsk-_-hp#/search/kidde

Sorry to hear such sad news. Rip man & dog

Another possible way to test your CO alarm - I found this out due to my stupidity !!

 

Wave it over the container you're using to empty the hot ashes - probably best done outdoors.

[Loafer]

IMHO makes the BSS/BSC a joke when CO alarms and smoke alarms are still not mandatory!!!!!

I had a chat with my last BSC examiner (who we call 'The Bottom Inspector', from Viz magazine). He says the BSC exam is to protect OTHERS from potential dangers on YOUR boat. Eg, a gas leak, causing an explosion, which then blows out a porthole and takes the legs off a passer-by. Or a fire, which ignites your neighbouring boat.

 

You are at liberty to suffocate/poison/burn/anything else yourself/ to death, but you mustn't be allowed to do it to someone else outside your bubble. Hence no requirement for smoke alarms or CO alarms.

 

All hearsay, of course!

[Tesla]

Coincidentally with this sad topic, I noticed that todays Amazon "Deal of the Day" is the Fireangel CO-9D Digital Sealed for Life Carbon Monoxide Alarm. Reduced from £29.99 to £15.99.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00441S9GS/ref=gbsl_tit_c-1_6707_4998e18a?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=0MYHV9AG8V3GYQYEAW06&pf_rd_i=350613011&pf_rd_p=460016707

 

Stewey

We have one of these aboard, great as it shows historic levels and also the temperature...just ordered a 2nd one...

[keble]

I did wonder if you would turn up somewhere.

Ha ha, a comment worthy of Dave Allen (watching a compilation now)!

[smileypete]

Best have 2 CO alarms, including one with LCD display of CO level to help spot possible CO issues arising.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

[Chop!]

Smoke alarms should be mounted on the ceiling and CO alarms as I understand it, at average head height for the location.

My brother-in -law is the forensic examiner who is called in to investigate these, sometimes harrowing cases. He told me that I should always make sure the throat of my stoves is clear and clean and specifically told me to mount our CO alarms at around about 1 meter from the floor/deck

[luctor et emergo]

I had a stove on my narrow boat, and no detector.

 

I left my fire on over night. Too...

 

I'm still alive.

[Grace and Favour]

I had a stove on my narrow boat, and no detector.

 

I left my fire on over night. Too...

 

I'm still alive.

That must make it safe for every other person then...

[Québec]

We nearly became CO victims a month ago.

 

I'd noticed a couple of months before that , that the sealant around the stove to chimney joint had degraded. So I scraped it off, and replaced it with high temp sealant.

 

Every was fine for several weeks, until that day when, having lit the stove, we both started feeling a bit 'funny'. At that point we didn't have a CO alarm.

 

I checked the sealant, and it had developed some fine cracks and had become brittle. Fortunately we always have some windows open, otherwise it could well have been much worse. We let the fire go out, and didn't light it again until we'd bought a different sealant, this time from a chandler , and had also bought and fitted a CO alarm.

[Guest]

I've recently taken possession of my first NB and it has come with both a smoke alarm and a CO alarm. However the CO one does not have a digital display and I was thinking about buying this one http://www.amazon.co.uk/Carbon-Monoxide-Detector-Alarm-Sensor/dp/B009SIN1W4/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1EOUOG6WG5RK8&coliid=I3SNUVGRBQJT6X

 

Anyone tried this make?

 

Thanks

[Guest]

I've recently taken possession of my first NB and it has come with both a smoke alarm and a CO alarm. However the CO one does not have a digital display and I was thinking about buying this one http://www.amazon.co.uk/Carbon-Monoxide-Detector-Alarm-Sensor/dp/B009SIN1W4/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1EOUOG6WG5RK8&coliid=I3SNUVGRBQJT6X

 

Anyone tried this make?

 

Thanks

 

Not a make I have heard of to be honest and personally (whilst that one may be perfectly OK) I would invest in a Kidde or Fire Angel. Yes they cost more but I think it's an item worth spending a bit more on given the implications if it malfunctions.

 

ed to add - the one Stewey linked to further up the thread is a better buy.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00441S9GS/ref=gbsl_tit_c-1_6707_4998e18a?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=0MYHV9AG8V3GYQYEAW06&pf_rd_i=350613011&pf_rd_p=460016707

Edited January 5, 2014 by The Dog House

[FredDrift]

Not a make I have heard of to be honest and personally (whilst that one may be perfectly OK) I would invest in a Kidde or Fire Angel. Yes they cost more but I think it's an item worth spending a bit more on given the implications if it malfunctions.

 

ed to add - the one Stewey linked to further up the thread is a better buy.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00441S9GS/ref=gbsl_tit_c-1_6707_4998e18a?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=0MYHV9AG8V3GYQYEAW06&pf_rd_i=350613011&pf_rd_p=460016707

Not sure that total reliance can be placed in brand names alone... even though I would do the same rather than buy cheap obscure brand smoke / CO detectors.

Two FireAngel smoke alarms fail Which? fire test

http://www.diyweek.net/news/news.asp?id=17036

 

 

Admittedly this article relates only two specific Fireangel smoke alarms rather than the entire brand range and does not include CO detectors but it illustrates, as the article goes on to say, that paying more is no guarantee of better quality.

 

 

The advice earlier in the thread to fit two or more devices from different brands makes good sense.

[Guest]

Interesting article -

 

ed. I also see from the comments underneath that the makes of Fire Angel alarms have challenged those tests after conducting further independent testing. They claim Which have so far not responded in full.

 

Further ed - I initially thought that was the same as the one we have on the boat but it is an ionisation alarm that Which claimed 'failed' and ours is the optical (toast proof) version.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fireangel-SO-601-Toast-Proof-Optical/dp/B003H2W66E/ref=sr_1_4?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1388921272&sr=1-4&keywords=Fireangel

Edited January 5, 2014 by The Dog House