10-16-2009
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Best Looking Moderator
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: SW Florida
Posts: 8,455
Rep Power: 8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sailorgirl60
Good morning one and all!
I'm happy to be this morning we had a FIRE on our boat last night.
I'm not kidding...It's dipping onto the 30's here in RI and we pulled out the propane heater.
This is a lesson in PAYING ATTENTION and DOUBLE CHECKING so ya don't f'n DIE on your boat.
My captain switched a three foot hose off the 20lb tank for the 10ft hose. When he connected it to the heater itself he didn't sock it down completely. Then he lit it.....
There were flames coming from the hose connection and for some reason he hesitated to pick the unit up and head for the companionway. The hatch boards were in place. He was pulling the hatch boards with the heater in his hand and I was yelling to shut the main tank down. I was pulling the clips off the extinguisher but he was between me and the heater, I never engaged the extingusher...he headed up and moved to the toss it over board (now holding the heater by the hose) but there wasn't enough length to the hose to get it over board- I was right behind him and disconnected the hose from the tank. In a "controlled panic" he had inadvertantly OPENED the tank completely rather than shut it down! WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE THAT THE GAS BLOWING OUT OF THE TANK DID NOT REACH THE FLAMES BEFORE I SHUT IT DOWN. I wouldn't be making this entry.
The heater was distinguished. I'll post pictures later today. I ran a fan inside the salon for a while. How do I know if any gas is left in the bilge????
The confined space we choose to live in adds a huge element of danger to our life style. Heating sources are especially perilous. Anybody got $9000 I can have for a central heating system? Believe me, that system just soared to the top of our priority list for next year. We made the assumption that we had done well enough last winter with temporary heating arrangments and allotted our cash to other projects this year. Glad we both lived through this lesson!
Bethann aka Sailorgirl
s/v Gypsy Palace
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Good night! What a scare. You should write this up in the general discussion as many people could learn from the mistake (and few people are brave enough to wander into OT).
- CD
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