Boat fire off Islamorada

Gut-wrenching pics. "The 38-foot boat was in the ocean just off shore of Snake Creek."

I wonder if the something went wrong to cause a fire when they chopped 10 feet from a 480DB to make it a 38-foot boat?
 
Very glad that they got off safely.

Also, a good example whenever someone asks whether they need a DSC VHF, whether they need a handheld in their ditch bag, whether they need an epirb, etc.

In this case people would see the smoke and call for help, but if you are offshore at night? Cloudy night or rain?
 
Article said the fire suppression system didn't work. Wonder if the insurance company will be asking when was the last time it was checked.
 
As far as checking the engine room fire extinguisher system what is required, what is commonly done and how is it really tested?

The reason I asked was I had a certified fire extinguisher company that sells and in Annapolis inspect mine and the only thing he did was take out the tank, weigh it, pull the remote cable to make sure it would manually activate the system! Hung a tag on it, took a check and left. Do I really know it will work, no and I bet no one else does either. I have the required system, addition 2.5 lb hand held extinguishers and then (3) 10lb extinguishers in each state room closets. Ditch bag, hand held VHF and hopefully ready with preferably no event ever taking place.

Friends on the Chesapeake Bay were not to fat behind another yacht club boat several years ago and notice smoke. Call them on the radio and sure enough they were on fire and did not know till they were called. They were pulled off the boat by the following boat and she burned to the water line and sank. The couple only had a couple of minutes from call to off the boat.

Have had two bridge boats and both have had engine room infrared cameras running any time the engines are running. Also have interconnected wireless Ionization smoke alarms In engine room, salon & bridge which will activate all three alarms.
 
Great question on what's required. I know there is a standard for inspection but can't quote it here. Perhaps some other members can chime in. The inspection performed on my system is the same as yours: weight and test the manual functions of the system.

I agree with you in that we can't ever know if the system will work either automatically or via manual pull. I like your idea of the interconnected alarm systems. I'll be putting that on my list.
 
Captn TJ said:
Article said the fire suppression system didn't work. Wonder if the insurance company will be asking when was the last time it was checked.
Click to expand...

My yacht policy does not specify any checks on the automatic fire suppression system in the ER. Whenever I'm in the ER I check to see that its charged.
 
Last survey the recommendation was to weigh the cylinder once year and if less get it looked at.
 
Captn TJ said:
Article said the fire suppression system didn't work. Wonder if the insurance company will be asking when was the last time it was checked.
Click to expand...


It apparently discharged but was not effective which is a slight twist on why it didn't work. Had a friend whose 410 Express Cruiser burned to the waterline on the Chesapeake. Engine Alarm went off.....he stopped the boat...opened the hatch.....saw fire.....fire burned the wiring on the hatch activator.....ER fire suppression discharges and blows out the open hatch.....fire keeps burning.

Those systems operate in a contained space. I'm not sure what happened on the boat in Islamorada but I know what happened to my friend's boat.

upload_2019-4-21_13-30-55.png
 
northern said:
Anyone have or know of this as engine room fire suppressant item?
I was given one a few years ago.
https://getelidefireball.com/
Click to expand...

Interesting product. Like the idea of it. Seems to me that a multi-faced surface rather than round would be a consideration so the ball wouldn’t roll through the fire, when that would be a thing.
 
What I was told you attach the bracket in an area out of the way and when it gets hot it explodes and covers everything in the engine room. Assume it is white powder. I never installed it as I am afraid of it going off when the engines create heat.
 
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