FIRE!

The single word "FIRE" is among the most dreaded words on earth. On land, the "fight or flight" phenomenon gives you the option to flee. On the water, however, you cannot simply run away from fire. You must deal with it, fight it, overwhelm it and defeat it immediately. Otherwise, the result will be tragic.

The key to reducing the likelihood of fire is prevention. Believe me, the greatest effort at prevention is well worth the time and expense, when measured against the effects of a fire. So, how do you start preventing fire on your boat? The following list may be helpful:

1. Start with good housekeeping. Get rid of combustible clutter. Properly discard old paints, thinners, polishes and other flammable or combustible items. (Most communities have a household hazardous materials day, where you can discard your hazmats for free, up to a certain quantity. Contact your city offices or fire department for details.)

2. Check your electrical wiring, both 12 volt and 110 volt. Be sure the power is off when checking shore power connections, etc. An electrical tester, designed to show polarity and ground integrity, is a good investment. Be sure wiring is of adequate size for the load. Check cords regularly to spot fraying or deterioration. Be sure all circuits are equipped with circuit breakers or fuses of the proper amperage. Don't over fuse.

3. Check all heat producing appliances for proper clearance to combustibles. This includes light bulbs, which can generate sufficient heat to ignite bedding, paper, and wood.

4. Check your fire extinguishing system. Halon, FE-200, FE-25 and carbon dioxide systems, installed in machinery spaces, provide an excellent first line of defense should a fire erupt. But, they must receive regular service to assure proper operation. Consult your owners' manual, and contact a fire protection service company for assistance if needed.

5. Check your hand portable fire extinguishers. Are they fully charged, sealed and tagged with a current service date? Are they the right extinguisher for the type fire you are likely to encounter, and USCG Approved for Marine Use? And, are they mounted where they are readily available in event of need?

6. Fuel carefully. Check all hoses and clamps regularly. Run your blowers for five minutes after fueling. Stick your head in the bilge and sniff for fumes before starting the engines. Use only listed containers and portable fuel tanks for outboard fuel, and always store them above decks.

7. Be sure your carburetor flame arrestor is clean, in good condition and secured properly. Never start or operate your engine without the flame arrestor in place.

And, if after all your precautions, a fire does start, keep your cool. If it's in the engine room, and you have automatic extinguishing equipment, give the system time to put out the fire. Leave hatches closed after the system actuates, and wait the recommended period of time before opening. Have a backup extinguisher ready. If you need to fight the fire with a portable extinguisher, sweep the extinguisher discharge from side to side at the base of the flames, until the fire is out. Keep a watch for rekindling or flare up. If possible, immediately call the Coast Guard and report your situation. This is no time to second guess the fire. Better to have the Coast Guard on the way and not need them, than the other way around.

Safe Boating.

ACCIDENTALLY YOURS

No one ever seems to plan an accident. If they did, I guess it would no longer be an accident. They just seem to happen, don't they? And some of us are accident prone. You know, the guy who falls off his own feet when he's standing still.

Actually, there is an accident causation theory that says someone is responsible for every accident. Who, me? Yes, probably you. Most accidents are a result of errors or unsafe acts committed by people, not by the equipment or environment around them.

Take Clem for example. Wearing a long sleeve shirt, he reached down to see if the shaft packing on his port engine was heating up. His sleeve got caught in the shaft coupling, and he was seriously injured. What caused the accident? Clem did. He never should have been wearing a long sleeve shirt around rotating machinery.

And, how about Will. He was standing on a plastic container trying to reach a fitting on the main mast. The container cracked, slipped out from under him, and poor Will suffered a broken arm in the fall. The container didn't do anything; Will should have been using a proper ladder, or a sturdy step made for standing on. Again, the injured party was the culprit who engineered his own injury.

Then there is Jim. On many occasions, Jim had been warned not to place his feet in the coil formed by the line laying on deck. But, when the line was suddenly snapped tight, so was Jim's ankle, broken in two places as he was dragged across the deck. Is it the fault of the line?

Or Lisa, who refused to wear her PFD, although she was a poor swimmer. They never found her after she went overboard in heavy seas.

There are certainly contributing factors in many accidents. Maybe the shirt was too long for Clem, the plastic container old and brittle for Will. And, maybe nobody yelled when the line was paying out under Jim's feet, and perhaps the skipper should have refused to sail with Lisa without her wearing her life jacket. Sure, we can lay some of the blame on others, but, ultimately, you are responsible for your own safety. As adults, we make choices daily, from deciding what time to get up in the morning, to going to bed at night. You don't let anyone tell you when to brush your teeth, so why let anyone else be responsible for your safety.

With safety, you are either the winner, or the loser. There's no runner up or second place. The prize is life.

Safe Boating.