Putting gas in your Sea Ray while it's running - BOOM

Four Suns

Four Suns

Not a pot stirrer
TECHNICAL Contributor
Oct 4, 2006
10,533
Williamsburg, VA
Boat Info
2003 480 DB
Engines
QSM-11 Diesels
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Thanks for awakening call, Gary. It's the beginning of the season and any safety reminders to a seasonal boaters are always helpful.
 
Running an engine while fueling?!?! Un-friggin-real.
 
You might as well leave the boat running, smoke a cigarette, and fuel durring a thunderstorm...
 
That sounds like Darwin doing his job.
 
spikedaddy99 said:
AMEN!! I've never seen a marina allow that.
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I don't think we can expect marina's staff to control this, especially if they're teenagers who I'm seen regularly during summer.
 
Not a boat story, but a stupid story none the less.

In, NJ your are not allowed to pump your gas for your car. A few weeks ago, I was fueling up and there was a woman at the pump next to me in a minivan. She had a small child strapped in a car seat in the back. She apparently was in a rush and did not want to wait for the attendant to remove the fuel nozzle, so she jumped out of her van with a let cigarette in one hand and a cell phone in the other. She walked to the side of her van, put the lit cigarette in her mouth and bent over, sticking her face right down into the fuel tank opening so she could see what she was doing and pulled the hose out.

I was speechless. How she didn’t cause a fire, I will never know. She drove off and never knew the danger she put all of us in.
 
These kinds of problems will continue forever as long as fuel docks allow owners to fuel their boats themselves.

And even with fuel attendents, it does not fully remove the risk unless the attendent is right on top of things and makes sure everyone is off the boat, the blowers and engines are not running during refueling, and that the owner turns on the blowers after refueling before restarting the engines.

Dave
 
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Filling our cars with gas has desensitized us to the dangers of gasoline. Many don't know that gasoline vapors are heavier than air. A car has a huge advantage over a boat, the gas vapors can fall to the ground and quickly disperse. In a boat, the vapors accumulate in the bilge and cabin. I turn everything off including the bilge blowers, close the cabin door, open the transom door and exit the boat – just in case.
 
Alex F said:
I don't think we can expect marina's staff to control this, especially if they're teenagers who I'm seen regularly during summer.
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Man, the marina's on our lake are militant about controlling this. They won't take the cap off of the tank until the motor and blower are off.
 
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One reason why I own diesel over gas. Safety does not show up in the fuel burn numbers. Either does stupidity
 
they should ban boats, so good people don't get hurt.
 
Vince_nj1 said:
Not a boat story, but a stupid story none the less.

In, NJ your are not allowed to pump your gas for your car. A few weeks ago, I was fueling up and there was a woman at the pump next to me in a minivan. She had a small child strapped in a car seat in the back. She apparently was in a rush and did not want to wait for the attendant to remove the fuel nozzle, so she jumped out of her van with a let cigarette in one hand and a cell phone in the other. She walked to the side of her van, put the lit cigarette in her mouth and bent over, sticking her face right down into the fuel tank opening so she could see what she was doing and pulled the hose out.

I was speechless. How she didn’t cause a fire, I will never know. She drove off and never knew the danger she put all of us in.
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I have unloaded on these kind of idiots when the indanger me and my family...............:smt013
 
Yep, because diesel boats never burn......yeah yeah yeah. Doesn't matter if you own gas or diesel, stupid people will find a way to blow up or burn to the water line. What kills me is just because you own a diesel boat, does not mean you can't get gas vapors or CO in your bilge/cabin. If you are fueling with diesel, there are generally gas pumps and vapors right next to your boat and you have to be just as mindful about gas vapors. They can easily be sucked into your engine compartment and BAM. Likely hood not very high, but possible yes.

I for one like diesel in boats, but I don't like the theory that once I get a diesel boat I will NEVER have to worry about gas fumes or CO again. From you boat, no worry about gas fumes or CO, but there are many others boats that will produce CO for you to suck into your cabin or gas fumes to settle in your engine compartment.

Bottom line, be vigilant when fueling (gas or diesel) and remember safety regulations are in place for a reason, probably because it is lesson learned from a previous event.

"You can never make anything idiot proof because they will always make a better idiot"
 
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