Fire Extinguisher Placement

[firehoser75]

Everyone has made good comments and suggestions so far. On my boat, I have 3 fire extinguishers (it is a 36 footer), and I am thinking about adding a fourth. I have one mounted on the companionway stairs, mounted "sideways" tucked up under one of the stairs. In this location, it is located midway between the galley and the nav station, right above the engine room fire extinguisher access port. The other 2 extinguishers are mounted in the cockpit, one in each lazerette (port and starboard). I have also installed a smoke alarm and a carbon monoxide alarm inside the main cabin, and I religiously change the battery every spring (Spring ahead is my reminder). I mounted this on the cabin ceiling using velcro so that we can temporarily remove it when cooking. If we forget and are frying, it then acts as a test, which is actually comforting (it works properly). If I get the fourth extinguisher, I will mount it near the forward cabin (v-berth), because that is the master cabin. I would highly recommend having at least one accessible from on deck! Also, I highly recommend learning how to use one effectively. I have seen many examples where people have actually spread "grease" kitchen fires by "blasting them" with a fire extinguisher from "close range". Start out from a distance (say 6 feet) and move forward as needed to place the powder at the base of the flames in a sweeping motion, or, if possible, place a lid over the pan or use baking soda, all depending on the actual circumstances.
Hope this helps,

[sailingdog]

I would recommend that you mount at least one fire extinguisher further forward in the cabin. If you're asleep in the v-berth and the engine, galley or nav console (where your electrical panel presumably is) catch fire, you might not be able to reach the one mounted under the companionway step.

Also, the one you use on your engine compartment fire port should be a gaseous discharge extinguisher, either CO2 or FE-241, rather than dry chem, since dry chem extinguishers need to be aimed at the base of the fire to really work well.

Originally Posted by firehoser75

Everyone has made good comments and suggestions so far. On my boat, I have 3 fire extinguishers (it is a 36 footer), and I am thinking about adding a fourth. I have one mounted on the companionway stairs, mounted "sideways" tucked up under one of the stairs. In this location, it is located midway between the galley and the nav station, right above the engine room fire extinguisher access port. The other 2 extinguishers are mounted in the cockpit, one in each lazerette (port and starboard). I have also installed a smoke alarm and a carbon monoxide alarm inside the main cabin, and I religiously change the battery every spring (Spring ahead is my reminder). I mounted this on the cabin ceiling using velcro so that we can temporarily remove it when cooking. If we forget and are frying, it then acts as a test, which is actually comforting (it works properly). If I get the fourth extinguisher, I will mount it near the forward cabin (v-berth), because that is the master cabin. I would highly recommend having at least one accessible from on deck! Also, I highly recommend learning how to use one effectively. I have seen many examples where people have actually spread "grease" kitchen fires by "blasting them" with a fire extinguisher from "close range". Start out from a distance (say 6 feet) and move forward as needed to place the powder at the base of the flames in a sweeping motion, or, if possible, place a lid over the pan or use baking soda, all depending on the actual circumstances.
Hope this helps,

[chucklesR]

I like CO2 in the berthing areas, while it's not the best way to put out a fire it does cool the air in front of you enough to allow an escape though the fire.

Every boat layout is different and there's already a ton of info in the posts preceding mine so I'll add just one little thing:

In submarine qualifications one of the hands on exercises was donning a gas mask with the face plate blackened out so you can't see - then start from the forward most part and walk aft with the XO pointing at or putting hands on every single piece of fire/saftey equipment; blindly. If we can do that on a 600 ft SSBN, surely you should be able to do that on your own boat.

Every single piece of safety gear, blindly.

Because that's when you need it most.

[Valiente]

Chuckles, you are *really* going to have fun on Alex's boat...precisely because it isn't a flaming nuclear submarine.

That was the best anecdote I've heard today.

[chucklesR]

Originally Posted by Valiente

Chuckles, you are *really* going to have fun on Alex's boat...precisely because it isn't a flaming nuclear submarine.

That was the best anecdote I've heard today.

which anecdote, pays to keep track when I say something good


I only spent one mis-begotten year on submarines. I learned safety on both the firing line and grenade pits at Parris Island and had it reinforced on Navy ships.

I'm not sweating Alex's boat, much

[sailingdog]

You should be... you should be... I've heard what he is planning.... should be funny. But remember, humor is a perspective thing... the guy slipping on the banana peel can be funny, as long as you're not the guy.

Originally Posted by chucklesR

which anecdote, pays to keep track when I say something good


I only spent one mis-begotten year on submarines. I learned safety on both the firing line and grenade pits at Parris Island and had it reinforced on Navy ships.

I'm not sweating Alex's boat, much

[Idiens]

Originally Posted by max-on

Val, that is one of my concerns - not having an extinguisher 'on deck', as an engine fire could prevent entry into the cabin.

Is there any room in your engine compartment to squeeze in one of those extinguishers with bowden cable operation. Then the operating handle could be in a cockpit locker.

[wchevron]

i'm not sure what you call it but mounted in my engine compartment, there is a fire extinguisher with a sprinkler head type fitting on the top. during a fire, the fusible link will melt and the extinguisher will go off by itself.
maybe in the cockpit you could mount one in a capped piece of pvc attached to a stanchion?

[sailingdog]

That sounds like a Fireboy automatic fire extinguisher system. Not a bad idea for an engine compartment IMHO.

Originally Posted by wchevron

i'm not sure what you call it but mounted in my engine compartment, there is a fire extinguisher with a sprinkler head type fitting on the top. during a fire, the fusible link will melt and the extinguisher will go off by itself.
maybe in the cockpit you could mount one in a capped piece of pvc attached to a stanchion?

[wchevron]

your right. now that you say it i remember it is a fireboy.