Fires on Board

[cal40john]

Originally Posted by spencer53

I agree!!!!

Yes CNG is safer, but there is 5 times the heat available in a 20 lb propane tank as there is in a 72 cubic foot CNG tank.

natural gas 1 ft^3 = 1031 BTU
propane 1 gal = 91,000 BTU

scuba size CNG tank at 2250 psi = 72 ft^3
standard 20 lb. propane cylinder = 4.1 gal

natural gas in above tank 74,232 BTU
propane in above tank 373,100 BTU

One model of Seaward cooker uses
about 5000 BTU/hr per stove burner
about 10,000 BTU/hr oven

John

[GordMay]

The three-piece Fire Port is made of high-impact plastic and vinyl. It allows you to visually inspect the engine compartment -- and, if necessary, insert your extinguisher nozzle through the port for fire suppression, without opening the compartment and adding oxygen to the fire.
MarineEast Fire Port:
MarineEast -- Products

[Pblais]

Yes CNG is safer, but there is 5 times the heat available in a 20 lb propane tank as there is in a 72 cubic foot CNG tank.

CNG is easily 10 times harder to find. Arond here you have to drive over an hour away to get it and then they may not have any filled tanks when you get there. There is no good reason to switch to it.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by GordMay

The three-piece Fire Port is made of high-impact plastic and vinyl. It allows you to visually inspect the engine compartment -- and, if necessary, insert your extinguisher nozzle through the port for fire suppression, without opening the compartment and adding oxygen to the fire.

I knew I should have searched USA websites before making expending time and effort before re-inventing the wheel. Is there nothing you guys don't manufacture

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Pblais

CNG is easily 10 times harder to find. Arond here you have to drive over an hour away to get it and then they may not have any filled tanks when you get there. There is no good reason to switch to it.

Agreed with all comments about CNG, which is why it is not used. Would be interesting to speculate if there was no past history in the use of say LPG, propane, alcohol, kerosine, coal, etc and all were discovered and presented for "approval" simultaneously - which one(s) would get up with today's protective policies.

[ssullivan]

Originally Posted by Wotname

IMO if you don't have an auto fire extinguishing system in your engine compartment, I suggest a small hole (~1 inch diameter) somewhere suitable on compartment covering (with a simple cover) into which you can discharge a fire extinguisher without having to open the compartment thus not exposing fire to air and not exposing yourself to fire.

This is an excellent idea. Very practial and doesn't cost anything at all.

I was planning on doing that very thing on my new boat, being able to blow in a discharge through one of the vents.

[cal40john]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Agreed with all comments about CNG, which is why it is not used. Would be interesting to speculate if there was no past history in the use of say LPG, propane, alcohol, kerosine, coal, etc and all were discovered and presented for "approval" simultaneously - which one(s) would get up with today's protective policies.

I saw a TV program some years ago where they talked about perceived versus real risks. One part of the show they asked several audience members what they thought of a new fuel that burned clean, was easy to transport to your house, and was cheap, (and other details) but would kill about 400 people a year in accidents. Everyone asked was saying the same thing, no more new tech that hurts people. Even one more death was too much. Finally one person gave the answer that I thought they had set up. It wasn't a new fuel, it was natural gas.



John

I have put out one boat fire, long ago, in rather strange circumstances.

My father, borther and I had trailered our 28 foot aluminum fishing boat to a remote area for a week of fishing. Heading home, we packed the tent and other camping goodies in to the boat, and set off.

Flying down the highway, a car pulls along side and motions to us to pull over. My dad sends me back to inspect the trailer to see what's wrong. I spent a minute looking under the trailor, trying to see what it was that attracted the bypasser's attention, then I look up and saw flames shooting from the top of the boat!

Somehow, I climbed into the boat (the gunwale must have been 6 foot above the road) and grab the extinguisher and had the fire out in short order. Just about the time we were taking stock and trying to figure out what to do next, the local rural fire company pullled up. One of their volunteers had driven by and seen our little "issue". They handed me a hose and a pair of glove to get everything good and cold.

When we pulled the tent out, which is what was burning, we noticed the paint had all been burned off the outside of the gasoline tank...

Wouldn't we have made a merry sight flying down the highway with 100 gallons of petrol blazing away?

We never did figure out exactly what sparked it in the first place.