Naughty Cal Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 Bit of Drama at Burton Waters this afternoon. A petrol boat has set on fire at the fuel berth and well destroyed it and another boat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frangar Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 Just saw this on FB. Hope everyone is ok. Petrol fires aren't fun at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naughty Cal Posted March 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 All people are safe. No injuries. Just damage to boats and property. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frangar Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 16 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said: All people are safe. No injuries. Just damage to boats and property. At least that's something! I'm guessing they might be reviewing the petrol sales and possibly petrol powered craft mooring now..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan de Enfield Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 Glad everyone / everything is all OK. There are several reasons why Petrol powered boats are much, much cheaper than diesel ones - this is one of the reasons, and supports all of the extra safety requirements in the BSS. A petrol boat (owner) was told to leave our Marina after refusing to agree to use the fuel berth. They repeatedly used 5 litre cans and refuelled on their mooring (pontoon amid other boats) Eventually the Police were called and they were 'moved on' and went to Lincoln area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naughty Cal Posted March 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 A couple more pictures. The Fairline at the front is now unfortunately dead and sunk! The Rinker was moved in time and saved. Gates are shut to contain the fuel and oil spills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athy Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 I assume the Fairline is the small blue/black and white one. Which is the Rinker? Looks very dramatic, thank goodness that only boats, and not people, went up in flames. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naughty Cal Posted March 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 The Rinker is the one to the right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Brooks Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 I wonder if the fuel system on the boat was properly bonded to dissipate the static that can be created when refuelling. I think that given fresh water is not a particularly good conductor an earthing strap should be used between filler and pump nozzle. I think (Nick will put me right) this is always done on aircraft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naughty Cal Posted March 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 The flames got much bigger. The dinghies had to retreat when the wooden fuelling pontoon went up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WotEver Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 12 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said: I think that given fresh water is not a particularly good conductor an earthing strap should be used between filler and pump nozzle. I think (Nick will put me right) this is always done on aircraft. That is correct. On small airfields it is the Fire Marshall's job, dunno who's job it is at major airports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 Its a desperate shame no-one watching was brave enough to go and move the Fairline. I suppose the other boat appeared to be at more risk as the bow was closer to the fire... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murflynn Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 1 hour ago, Athy said: I assume the Fairline is the small blue/black and white one. Which is the Rinker? the burning one is a vintage Freeman, I believe, usually fitted with a Ford Watermota petrol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackrose Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 (edited) I've never understood how inboard petrol engines are made safe on boats. After all we're not supposed to store petrol generators or jerry cans containing petrol in engine rooms so what's the difference between that and an inboard marine petrol engine? Don't they still have carbs, seals, pipes connections, etc that can leak and allow a build up of fumes in the bilges? Edited March 25, 2017 by blackrose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUMPY Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 32 minutes ago, blackrose said: I've never understood how inboard petrol engines are made safe on boats. After all we're not supposed to store petrol generators or jerry cans containing petrol in engine rooms so what's the difference between that and an inboard marine petrol engine? Don't they still have carbs, seals, pipes connections, etc that can leak and allow a build up of fumes in the bilges? My Freeman had a bilge blower which evacuated any fumes from the bilge. Rules were turn it on before the fuel and leave it on for 15minutes after stopping. When leaving the boat we would turn off the fuel and run the carb dry leaving the blower running afterwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan de Enfield Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 (edited) 42 minutes ago, blackrose said: Don't they still have carbs, seals, pipes connections, etc that can leak and allow a build up of fumes in the bilges? Yes - which is why you are supposed to run the bilge blowers* for 5 mins + (vented to the outside) before 'turning the key'. * marine 'spark-proof' fans designed for use in hazardous atmospheres - not just any old 'computer fan' that is lying around. As my batteries are in the same space as the engines (diesels) I have bilge blowers fitted on all my boats. A battery on charge can produce some 'nasties'. Its not a big thing to have the blowers and to turn them on - it avoids the build up of any 'gases'. I never understood why NBs with the engines and Batteries in the same space are not fitted with them as standard. Edited March 25, 2017 by Alan de Enfield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cereal tiller Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 37 minutes ago, blackrose said: I've never understood how inboard petrol engines are made safe on boats. After all we're not supposed to store petrol generators or jerry cans containing petrol in engine rooms so what's the difference between that and an inboard marine petrol engine? Don't they still have carbs, seals, pipes connections, etc that can leak and allow a build up of fumes in the bilges? Petrol Engines can be safe,as long as you hang them on the transom of the boat and place the Portable Fuel Tank in a Gas type Locker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murflynn Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 19 minutes ago, cereal tiller said: Petrol Engines can be safe,as long as you hang them on the transom of the boat and place the Portable Fuel Tank in a Gas type Locker agree; if fitted inboard they, and their fuel systems, are intrinsically unsafe. scary to think that petrol inboards like Stuart Turners and Watermotas were the norm for decades; most of those beautiful varnished Edwardian launches had petrol engines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 That's really scary! So glad it was only boats and not people hurt. Glad too that Naughty Cal did not melt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cereal tiller Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 21 minutes ago, Murflynn said: agree; if fitted inboard they, and their fuel systems, are intrinsically unsafe. scary to think that petrol inboards like Stuart Turners and Watermotas were the norm for decades; most of those beautiful varnished Edwardian launches had petrol engines. A surprising amount of Antique Thames Launches have modern Diesels installed,have personally installed many Out board fine,Open launches not bad if installed and maintained correctly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyboy Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 3 hours ago, Tony Brooks said: I wonder if the fuel system on the boat was properly bonded to dissipate the static that can be created when refuelling. I think that given fresh water is not a particularly good conductor an earthing strap should be used between filler and pump nozzle. I think (Nick will put me right) this is always done on aircraft. You are quite correct, always done on aircraft. Although aircraft have anti static tyres which should remove the static, the earth strap is still used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Brooks Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 I think modern petrol injected engines are intrinsically safer that those with carburettors because a carburettor is hardly gas/vapour proof and certainly not leak proof once it is several tears old. The number of down draft carbs I have seen (typical on Ford and early Austin engines) spewing petrol out of the throttle spindle when they are shut down scares me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 1 hour ago, Flyboy said: You are quite correct, always done on aircraft. Although aircraft have anti static tyres which should remove the static, the earth strap is still used. Even using Avtur Jet Fuel which has a much higher flash point than petrol 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyboy Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 2 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said: Even using Avtur Jet Fuel which has a much higher flash point than petrol Indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billh Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 3 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said: Yes - which is why you are supposed to run the bilge blowers* for 5 mins + (vented to the outside) before 'turning the key'. * marine 'spark-proof' fans designed for use in hazardous atmospheres - not just any old 'computer fan' that is lying around. I agree with you about spark proof fans, but what is the physical difference between the proper job and a computer fan? The latter have been brushless for years and unlikely to generate sparks or anything "burning out" in the fan. In my long experience of computer fans- if they fail, they just stop, no drama, no smoke ,no flames. I'm not suggesting they should be used for bilge blowers in petrol installations,just curious. Bill 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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