www.iFourWinns.com

I have a fireboy detector that came with the boat. The marina had to fix it when I bought it last year but never heard it go off since(good thing).
Lou, good information that they are not that sensitive. I try not to think about the danger factor too much. Just follow procedures and go on my way. I will keep saying I miss my outboard

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--2002 3880 Regal Flybridge | Twin Merc 8.1HO **Seven**
--2003 AB 13 VST Console Inflatable | Tohatsu 40hp TLDI **Phish'n ski**
--310 Mercury Inflatable | 1982 9.9 Johnson

Your right!

Mine is pretty sensitive, but I replaced both the sensor and dash unit when we bought the boat. When I ran wiring for the chartplotter/depth sounder/3-D structure scan I used a small squirt of the expanding foam sealant to seal back up the hole in the firewall between aft cabin and engine compartment. Just that 3 second squirt (hydrocarbon propellant), about 5' from the fume sensor, was enough to set off the detector after about 5 seconds. I could barely smell the propellant, but the sensor sure could. I guess I need to test it with gasoline and propane just to see how sensitive it is to those two flammable substances that live on our boat.
Makes me wish that diesel I/O power were much more common in the US. I've tried to light diesel with a match and it just doesn't go... takes a propane torch to get it going. This man's life would have been saved if his Carver were diesel powered. Prayers to his family.

I wish they said "caught fire" as that is more accurate, but they managed to use the word "Explodes" in the title, "Explosion" in the 1st sentence, and "Exploded" in the 2nd sentence. A related article is "Manhasset Bay boat explosion". They also managed to get the words "dead" and "deadly" in there, but those were true. It's just not good press without such words. Just like every article about an airplane incident has to include the word "plummeted", and every dog bite incident has to include the words "pit bull".

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"Knot Easy" 2000 Horizon 240 Volvo 5.7GS /SX
tow: 2017 Honda PILOT EXL-AWD
prev. boats:
'87 Chaparral 198CXL 4.3 OMC Cobra
'69 Jetstar 16ft Ski Boat, 115hp Yamaha
'68 Aluminum Jon Boat, 3hp Sears
'64 Water Wings

...don't even get me started on the lack of journalistic talents that 95% of the media has nowadays. Walter Cronkite was the last "journalist". Now they are all "editorializers".
Case in point: CBS evening news anchor last night referred to former president George W. Bush as "Mr. George Bush", but one sentence later referred to former president Bill Clinton as "former president Bill Clinton". I hear it and see it all the time.

one key element that people neglect is rutine maintenance of hoses and fuel related along with electrical elements. most people use the boat 3-5x a year unlike some of us that use our boats weekly. And those yard sitters/marina sitters have old parts and usually are owned by and average joe that does not know that a new alternator needs to have a spark surpressor and marine starters are different. plus most people do not annually check things like riser to output hose clamp fitment which is a common water leak point. along with the water pump connections on the motor. many people think that the only water pump is in the foot and many I/O boats have a WP on the engine block..

the biggest contributing factor to boat sinking and fires is NEGLECT and lack of common since.. unlike a car any joe blow with money can buy a boat. i know many people that i will not even allow to drive let alone own a boat. Boats are not meant for everyone and yet people think they are boaters because they do not need a license...


My fuel lines are still soft and flexible but i plan to replace them along with numerous other lines and items this winter when i tear the interior apart. do they need to be replaced right now? NO! but the $50 in hoses reassuring me another 10 years of safety is a price i do not batt an eye to.. and this is a task most people neglect to ever do.. Hell most people buy a 20 year old boat and put gas in it and go until something breaks.

NEGLECT is the main cause of un safe environments.

HAVE YOUR PETS SPAYED AND NEUTERED or BOB will come back and kick your ass.

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Not Penny's Boat

1993 190 Horizon 5.0L EFI
http://www.smwebhead.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11136
1977 14' CMF Skiff SOLD
2015 Emotion Stealth Angler 11

Actually I never thought of getting an alarm for gas fumes. Good post! I trailer and fuel up before the drive so get plant of venting during the drive....but have always been paranoid about any kind of leaks, water...oil...fluid...battery fluid...and especially fuel.

Due to this affliction I check oil and inspect at every fill up and couple oil level and engine checks while in use. If water sporting I leave blower going all time due to all the turn offs and restarts.

I've had a battery blow up in my face, had gas heater flash burns and watched a boat melt down while fueling so always check.

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http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o71 ... wqm355.jpg


08' H210SS
VP 5.7Gi

Is Running the blower and vapors under the engine cover are for carberated engines only? I have a fuel injected motor and didnt think it was as important.

No FI engines are not immune to fuel leaks. Sniff the engine compartment always, then if OK run blower 4 min.
It just drives me crazy that people aren't more careful with this. If you want a hit the starter and go boat get an outboard. Inboards need a bit more care. Closed engine compartment, electrical stuff toward the bottom of it (starter/solenoid) gas vapors heavier than air.....

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Grandpa Simpson? Is that you?

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2008 Four Winns h180 Bowrider
3.0 Volvo Penta

2013 Dodge Durango HEMI

What I do, is I take the engine cover off in my driveway, open the cuddy hatch, open the cuddy door, and the walk-thru section of windshield. I then head to the ramp, this allows PLENTY of ventilation in my engine compartment to chase any fumes out. It also help get rid of any condensation if its an early morning start.

Now I only live about a mile from my ramp, so I know this won't work for everybody who trailers and definitely not for anybody with a slip/mooring. I also run the blower when towing a tube or just idling around the harbor.

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1996 205 Sundowner DLX
5.0FL Volvo SX Cobra
Tow Veh: 2012 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X

I have a malfunctioning one on my Vista, but that doesn't count.

It's a Fireboy/Xintex and it doesn't seem to be doing what it should be doing. The red alarm light is on constantly, but the alarm is never sounding at all. Need to check the wiring next time I am out at the boat I suppose.

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2005 Vista 288 - That's A Winner

Back in my day, we had REAL men who did REAL things! Not these pansy-assed, suppooooosedly REAL men they have now! Men were men, and the sheep were apprehensive!

Sounds like it was in Bethesda and Caernarvon in North Wales in the 1970s (some very strange Court cases relating to Farmers and sheep reported in the papers !!!) Thinking about it, it's still like that !