Exploding vs. Melting

S

SLW

Active member
exMember
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
RO Number
2186
Messages
1,372
Just wondering about another aspect of the gas vs. diesel debate… I see a lot of comments that imply that gas BOATS are dangerous. No doubt, gas FUMES in a boat is a very bad thing. I'll stay away from the CO topic as well – that's another very bad thing. But while I've never personally seen a gas boat that has exploded, I've seen many, many, boats with fire damage, and most of those were diesel-powered. Maybe the diesel boats are just bigger, so they're easier to spot in the salvage yards than the smaller gas boats. (or maybe there's nothing left to salvage after the explosion – who knows?)

I wonder what the statistics say about the fire hazard aboard gas boats vs. diesel boats. Do you think it's possible that the proportion of fire damages aboard diesel boats could be higher than gas-powered boats?
 
I have seen gas boats explode, it is quite convincing. Either can burn from a zillion similar causes but only gas can go BOOM.
 
oh, yeah, I don't need convincing. I've seen lots of pictures and videos, and heard lots of stories of exploded boats, but if you just listened to the forum chat, you'd think that diesels boats are flame-retardant. I just wonder what the numbers say. Those numbers probably aren't easy to come by...
 
it's hard to say... i woudln't say that diesels are safer because they dont' burn but they are safer because they will not explode which means lower risk of severe injury or death but also that you have a chance to fight the fire...

if fire breaks in the engine cpt of a gas boat, you'd have to think twice about trying to put it out... in a diesel boat, you have a chance... a tleast you can try without the risk of having 200 gal of gas blowing up...

note taht the risks of fires in diesel are higher with turbo'd engines vs natural... lots of hot stuff in a turbo system that could ignite if an oil or fuel line fails.
 
I've seen the results of a gas boat explosion and there was nothing left to salvage. All that was left was a few feet of bow hanging from a piling and the rest was just small pieces floating all over the canal. I think 2 people died in that case.

Diesel boats will burn, but you'll have time to see the smoke and get off into a liferaft, another boat, etc. To me that's the big difference, even if you can't put the fire out, you'll more than likely have time to save everyone and get off the boat. In the case of a gas explosion you may not.
 
Maybe November Charlie can rustle up some CG stats on this? Mike, are you there?
 
Eh, given the odds and factoring decent maintenance, I'll take the considerably less expensive gasoline powered setup on anything under 34'. The premium for diesel (cost and weight) along with the long payback cycle just doesn't make it worth it. Now, were someone to start offering diesel engine setups at the same cost as gas then it'd be a different argument.

There's all sorts of crap that can go wrong, flailing around worrying about gas fumes is just pointless. You're far more likely to die of a bajillion other causes first.
 
Just do a "Google Search" for boat explosion if you have any doubts about the danger of gasoline powered vessels exploding ... most causes were from negligent maintence, or carelessness. I have owned gasoline powered boats for over 50 years and by using commonn sense (and my nose) have not had a problem.
 
right Pete. In fact, you don't have to go all the way out to google - BE has regular postings of dramatic explosions. What I'm wondering is if the dramatic nature of the explosion makes it seem more common than it really is. Do another search for burned boats and you'd be amazed at how many diesel-powered boats suffer fires that originated in the engine room.
 
an attention getter is a couple of gallons of gas that leaked into the ER bilge. If it were diesel, it is just annoying.
 
I witnessed a Gas boat explosion a few years back. The operator was running the boat at no wake speed and did not have a flame arrestor on the carburetor. The backfire "Pop" turned into a very loud "Whump", blowing his wife overboard and setting the boat afire. I happened to be at the Fuel dock getting Gas when this occurred just 50 feet from my boat. I and another fellow jumped into the water to get the wife and operator ashore. Fortunately, the wife was OK but the operator had quite a few severe burns.

Regardless, we were also successful in keeping the blazing boat away from the dock and it drifted against a wood Sea Wall, setting it on fire. Fiberglass burns really, really well. Right down to the waterline and subsequent sinking.

A very bad incident indeed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top