The Nose Knows:
Simple Tips to Prevent Fires and Explosions

Take the time to inspect
Surprisingly, most boats are not equipped with fuel vapor monitoring systems. Regular inspections are of the utmost importance, but most boaters rarely inspect their boat's fuel, mechanical and electrical systems.

Fueling guidelines
To prevent accidents, follow these simple guidelines when fueling:

1. Turn off all engines and electrical equipment.
   
2. Extinguish all fires and smoking materials.
   
3. Close all hatches and ports.
   
4. Keep fuel nozzle in contact with fill opening.
   
5. Clean up any spillage, check bilges for any leakage.
   
6. Replace cap tightly.
   
7. After fueling, open all hatches and run blower at least five minutes before starting engines.
   
8. Sniff blower exhaust to make certain a gas smell is not present!

Every year, an estimated 4,000 pleasure vessels fall victim to either fire or explosion.

Of this number approximately 400 are either a total loss or are extremely costly to rebuild.

Go no further than your nose!
No one wants to endure a nightmare like this, and you don't have to. Accidents like this happen far too often and sometimes the solution is literally right under our noses.

Gasoline: a powerful substance
Gasoline is the fuel used by the vast majority of pleasure boats. It provides brisk performance, is easy to obtain, but is also highly volatile. A cup of gasoline contains as much energy as a stick of dynamite and should command equal respect.

An example
Consider this example of a vessel that has just been refueled. One engine turned over immediately, but the other did not. The operator decided to jump-start it.

When he did this, there was a violent explosion that destroyed the boat and injured all aboard. Obviously, there was a fuel spill or leak.