You Gotta Be Kidding!!!!

[Maclin]

Re: You Gotta Be Kidding!!!!

How much would a boat cost if it had to meet go-to-the-moon standards.

An inboard engined boat is like having an engine inside your closet at home with a carb and no closed vent fuel system that has been sitting a while and starting that puppy up.

 

[Mike Robinson]

Re: You Gotta Be Kidding!!!!

myself, I say REMOVE most all warning labels and in a few years the gene pool will correct itself.
I dont need a label warning me not to use my hair dryer in the shower nor one teeling me not to stand at the top of the step ladder nor one telling me not to rest the ladder on a power line.
I also dont need one relling me to check for fuel vapors in my totally enclosed engine box.
ALWAYS simply OPEN the box, LOOK around, SNIFF a bit, turn the blower ON wait a few minutes and fire that hummer up, with the box still open and then INSPECT for water leaks,fuel leaks,oil leaks and such.
once we get stupid people out of the gene pool litigation will subside and travel here on the outer banks will be nice again.
kinda like dope, legalize it,tax it and in 6 years life will be good.
crime will fall to nothing,the dopers will either OD and die or get rehabbed and with no profit motive the crime rate will fall to nothing.
look up Prohibition profits 1920's.

Ignorance and stupidity are not the same thing, but stupid people don't recognize their own ignorance.

When you get someone who reads the label and then choses to ignore the warning... Now that there, is stupid!

 

[slasmith1]

Re: You Gotta Be Kidding!!!!

Ignorance and stupidity are not the same thing, but stupid people don't recognize their own ignorance.

When you get someone who reads the label and then choses to ignore the warning... Now that there, is stupid!

Yes, but ignorant people are usually only one mistake away from stupidity!

 

[This_lil_fishy]

Re: You Gotta Be Kidding!!!!

Yes, but ignorant people are usually only one mistake away from stupidity!

..and one step away from millions awarded by a stupid, make that ridiculous, court system.

Ian

 

[rjlipscomb]

Re: You Gotta Be Kidding!!!!

In addition to the blower, we tell you to turn off the engine before boarding the back of the boat from the water. If you choose to do otherwise, good, the gene pool gets smarter and eventually we can get away from government intervention, uh, I mean regulation.

 

[witenite0560]

Re: You Gotta Be Kidding!!!!

If they can't follow simple instructions on a placard, what makes you think they won't find a way around the "Fool proof" and likely expensive solution? Stupid kills... just not enough and unfortunately sometimes the stupid take the innocent with them.

 

[RickJ6956]

Re: You Gotta Be Kidding!!!!

The bottom line is, there is a procedure for preparing to depart the dock on an inboard or I/O boat. The checklist is extensive, and has much more on it than turning on the blower.

In fact, clearing the bilge of gasoline fumes is only one of many categories on the checklist.

These checks include opening the hatch, sniffing for fumes, pulling the engine oil dipstick, checking the other fluids (coolant, power steering, hydraulics, etc.), inspecting the engine for leaks, checking the bilge for water or fluid accumulation, inspecting the linkages, and many others. All of it takes no more than five minutes. Ignore any of it an you may not get back to the dock.

Now add the fact that you are legally responsible for everyone who sets foot on your boat.

People call me anal and I've been laughed at because I always get everyone's attention and show them where the PFDs, fire extinguishers, and other gear is on the boat before we leave (not the least of which is teaching them how the head works!). But we've had a couple of scary situations where that briefing came in handy.

The 32-foot boat I bought just last week had a 3-foot section of blower vent hose missing. What's the first thing I replaced? You got it. I would never have known had I not looked in the engine compartment before we did the sea trial.

 

[5150abf]

Re: You Gotta Be Kidding!!!!

Used to work for OMC and they owned Lawn-Boy at the time, these 2 numb nuts decided to trim the hedges with there mower.

Of coarse they cut off there fingers and succesfully sued for millions because they didn't have a sticker that said "Hey numb nuts! Don't stick your hands under the mower when it is running!"

They have joked a couple times at work about having to make the boats bigger to fit all the stickers on it.

 

[NoKlu]

Re: You Gotta Be Kidding!!!!

They say you can't fix stupid but they sure seem to reward them on a regular basis. They even have an award for it called the Darwin.

 

[Bluepike]

Re: You Gotta Be Kidding!!!!

We just lost another boat that blew up. The local news carried a story about a boat that blew up in Conneaut harbor, Ohio last Monday. One of the witness's said that they must have had a fuel leak or lots of fimes in the engine compartment. They had just gassed up and were on their way when it exploded.

The two people on board and their dogs are going to be okay but the boat is half gone.

I'd link to the story but don't know how.

Yep, blowers and a sniff every time.

 

[Thad]

Re: You Gotta Be Kidding!!!!

We have tasks for both of our daughters, my wife, and myself. It is followed without exception. First is the plug. Oldest daughter gives it to me, I pit it in, wife asks me, is plug in. Second, and most important, youngest daughter turns on blower in staging area. Oldest double checks. I again check upon getting in the boat. And before the wife backs us down the ramp, she asks "Is the blower on?" Also, oldest daughter opens the sun deck to get out pfd's. I put them there for the sole reason that the hatch would have to be opened before putting on the water.

My biggest problem with the "sniff" is, I can not smell. So I HAVE to rely on my daughters. For this same reason, I NEVER take my big boat out by my self.

Two years ago next town down, we were to pick up some freinds at my least favorite ramp. We got there as the fire dept. was putting out the freshly restored cobalt tri-hull. (I knew the boat, not the 'new' owner) The dad was thrown from the boat as it blew, the children were not. They suffered second and third degree burns and lacerations. My oldest daughter then realized the importance of her "redunant" task.

 

[Maclin]

Re: You Gotta Be Kidding!!!!

Not as easy as you might think. There are too many times the engine must start NOW. From a liability stand point it becomes even more complicated. Say the boat has an electronic sniffer and like all electronics, it eventually fails. Failure one is, the boat woudn't start and ended up going over the dam. Failure two is, it allowed the engine to start when it should not have and there was a fire. For liability, your much better off telling people that it's a boat and they must learn to operate it properly.

THIS is the most important thing to consider when wondering WHY a boat is not as "modern" as a car and requires that an adept operator always be part of the equation. Well stated Bubba

 

[zach103]

Re: You Gotta Be Kidding!!!!

Yup. Go with an outboard.

hahahahha simply as that lol..

 

[45Auto]

Re: You Gotta Be Kidding!!!!

Evinrude doesn't seem to share your faith in outboards and safety from fuel explosions/fires:

After further investigation, the Coast Guard learned that between July 1999 and December 2000 OMC had received reports of an unacceptably high number of fires and explosions involving the company's 1999 and 2000 model year Evinrude FICHT 200 and 225 horsepower models.

Evinrude FICHT 200/225 Fuel Leak Advisory The Coast Guard advises owners and operators of boats powered by 1999 or 2000 Evinrude FICHT 200 and 225 horsepower outboard motors about a fuel leak problem that causes a potential fire and explosion hazard. There is evidence that fuel leaks affecting these outboard models have resulted in fires and explosions that, in some cases, caused personal injuries. The Coast Guard advises owners and operators to cease using 1999 or 2000 Evinrude FICHT 200 and 225 horsepower outboard motors until such time as the defect is corrected.

http://www.uscgboating.org/articles/boatingview.aspx?id=21

Any time you're dealing with gasoline on a boat it's a danger. As QC said, if gasoline was newly discovered today there's no way it would be allowed in the civilian market.