Do Boats Cause Cancer ?

[SaltyMonkey]

Forgetting the sun for a moment...consider:

Plastic and fiberglass/epoxy outgassing
Solvents, varnishes, and paints
Plastic water tanks and hoses
Water from strange marinas
Diesel fuel and engine lubes
Electrical systems
God knows what is in the bilge
God knows what is in the bay outside my porthole.

[Bash]

I'm a lot more worried about the sun. Even with a permanent bimini installed, I get way too much of it reflecting off the water.

[Target9000]

Yes.

Also. Everything causes cancer.

That is all.

[hanschristian38]

The biggest danger is the dihydrogen monoxide - deadly and all around most boats. Very dangerous!

[dennisjay]

Here's my take: Yes, there are substances and compounds from which vessels are made that cause cancer. But in the overall scheme of things, it's a much more healthy environment than sitting in a closed living room, breathing stale air and watching bad television.

Besides, the benefits of boating in relieving stress and getting in sync with nature probably does more to extend life than the prospects of cancer shortens it. I think sailors generally have better immunity systems to ward off cancer.

[BubbleHeadMd]

Is this a serious question? If so, time to sell the boat my friend. I have a sterile, plastic bubble I'll sell you for dirt-cheap. Only used once by a little boy with an immune deficiency.

Boats cause a lot of things-

-Poor fiscal conditions
-Pregnancy
-An urge to consume rum
-A sudden renewed appreciation for sunsets and sunrises

I could go on, but you probably get the point by now.

[dennisjay]

Actually, I think beer is the the cause of more pregnancies than boats.

Originally Posted by BubbleHeadMd

Is this a serious question? If so, time to sell the boat my friend. I have a sterile, plastic bubble I'll sell you for dirt-cheap. Only used once by a little boy with an immune deficiency.

Boats cause a lot of things-

-Poor fiscal conditions
-Pregnancy
-An urge to consume rum
-A sudden renewed appreciation for sunsets and sunrises

I could go on, but you probably get the point by now.

[TrevC]

dihydrogen monoxide

Some equipment on boats produces TONS of the stuff. Yikes!

[Zednotzee]

Originally Posted by hanschristian38

The biggest danger is the dihydrogen monoxide - deadly and all around most boats. Very dangerous!

That's a good point actually. I couldn't be arsed to check the statistics, but I'm sure it's killed more sailors than anything else. At least 3 lost just this weekend:

Latitude 38 - 'Lectronic Latitude

[forsailbyowner]

I'm amongst the crowd that believes todays cancer epidemic is due to the way dietary fats are processed. Hydrogenated fats kill. They cause cancer, heart disease and diabetes. They collect in cell walls and arteries and cellular respiration suffers drastically creating an atmosphere where cancer thrives. Throw out the margerine and shortening, replace them with unheated highly unsaturated fats high in omega 3s and lignans and your chances of developing tumors will drop drastically.

[senormechanico]

The bottom line?

Life causes death.

Gotta avoid life at all costs.

You first...

[SaltyMonkey]

Err...didn't say it caused the most deaths...just cancer...

The prototype stories I am running into all the time:

- Recent retiree or close to retirement...fixing his/her boat up for a few years...then ditches cruising plans due to serious illness.
- Cruisers out there for a short while who have to give up the life due to serious illness, sell their boat in some port and return home.

[sarafina]

ya think maybe that retirees are... well ya know... older... and older people get... well ya know... sick? So I am not thinkin so much the boat... more like life kills you and the boat is just where you happen to be, as a cruiser, when it happens.

I bet the statistics for RVers is pretty much the same...

And for that matter adult communities often have a large population who mysteriously come up ill...

And the short answer is EVERYTHING causes cancer. well. except for chocolate and red wine.

[hummingway]

It ain't the water it's the lack of air and heat that gets 'em.

[SaltyMonkey]

Ahh very sad and somewhat true...but i think there is a real push over the line pattern here we are not seeing. Personally, I think its diesel fuel with outgassing second.

Hmmm...would be interesting to see if certain boats are leaders. For example Tayana's and Westsail - maybe because they have wooden decks that contain dioxins and strange oils.