Stupid is as stupid does..

M

Mark P

New Member
Mar 10, 2010
18
Southeastern Michigan
Boat Info
400 Express Cruiser, 1992
Engines
454 Merc
I like to think I have as much common sense as the average Joe out there, so it's sometimes hard to admit doing something really moronic, but if someone else can benefit from my mistakes, then, well that's a good thing, I guess..
Went out to do some touching up on the bottom paint.. sides, a few areas on the bow.. Used an electric sander, and didn't even think to wear a dust mask, because I wasn't planning to do much sanding. Well, I ended up ingesting so much dust it made me sick as a dog. First symptoms were a bad sinus headache that night, loss of appetite, and a really BAD taste in my mouth. Then vomiting and diarrhea yesterday. I can't remember when I last felt that miserable. I was pretty close to going to the hospital, and I HATE hospitals. Feeling a bit better this morning; at least I'm keeping liquids down. Lesson learned.
 
Mark, Welcome to the Dumba$$ Club. You're not alone :grin:.
My little screw-up was using a bug bomb on the boat it almost killed me. :smt021
They found me passed out on the dock between 2 boats I spent 10hrs in the hospital for that retarded stunt. :wow:


Also .... Welcome to CSR. :smt001
 
Well I can relate. I sanded the entire bottom with my electric sander and dusk mask/white suit and it was not enough. Plus my goggles kept fogging up from the dusk mask and I couldn't see crap. The worst part was that the person at the boat part store (I will leave nameless) told me that was all the protection I needed. I too got sick as a dog, but not as bad as you fortunately. This dumb ass will where a resperator or pay the marina to do it next time.:smt021
 
My wife had called the poison control hotline, and evidently there is a name for that; they called it "metal fume fever". It's common with welders or people who work around heated metals.. I guess the copper in the bottom paint is the culprit. I think you're right; a dust mask probably isn't enough protection. A respirator would be far better.
 
The good thing about it is !!. That we're still here to tell others about our screw ups. :smt038
 
That is one of the reasons that is it getting very hard to find a do-it-yourself yard down here. Yard owners don't want any liability for you and your attempts to win a Darwin Award. Other reasons yards are mostly closed to outsiders now are the enviornmental considerations with bottom paint dust, rain run-off, pressure wash run-off, etc. It all has to be caught and disposed of properly now.


And Mark's error isn't even close to Darwin worthy......here is some of the stuff we used to see in boat yards as people tried to avoid paying someone to do bottoms properly. I remember one guy painting the bottom of an old shrimper using a broom for a brush and a 5 gal bucket of paint wearing only a pair of cut off jeans. He had more paint on him than on the old boat when he was done. And there was the genuis who used a pump up sprayer to spray thinned bottom paint on an old commercial long liner. Paint went everywhere. I think the boat yard ended up repainting 5 trucks, a couple of cars, a 54 Bertram and a couple of 50+ ft Hattarases.........some where about $.5 mil.
 
I've always worn a respirator- but even that doesn't go far enough. You're supposed to wear gloves, and a full Tyvek suit. The "nasty" stuff (not copper) in antifouling can also be absorbed through the skin.
 
Knowing is half the battle.

Now you know.
 
My bonehead move of a life time was jumping down a sewer to unclog my neighbors backup. I said "no problem". I just climbed 15 feet down a ladder got to the bottom and immediately new something wasn't right. Barely got back up the ladder without passing out and falling off the ladder. I would have died right there at the bottom. They would never been able to lift me out or get "clean" air to me in time. It was that close.
 
I beleive bottom paint is considered a "pesticide" and under FIFRA (Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, Rodenticide Act) regulations the "label is the law" and all appropriate prescribed PPE (personal protective equipment) is to be worn and all lable restrictions adheard to. In other words, READ AND FOLLOW THE LABEL. Copper, as stable and safe as it is, has strong anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties and is fairly toxic to the human body if ingested, inhaled or absorbed thru the skin.
BTW, many bottom paints have additives to prevent slime that are usually anti-biotics like hydroxy tetracycline, so if you have any sensitivity to anti-biotics especially tetracyclines, you should be extra careful when working with paints contianing slime preventers.
Thanks for sharing your experiences so others can learn from your misfortune. I'm glad you're feeling better.
 
Many have told me not to get married but I did it anyway--Does this count?

to my stupid moment (At least one of them) I was repelling down an 200' air duct to do some micro-biological sampling in a hospital. I was about 50' from the bottom and I decided to wedge myself there (feet on one wall and shoulders on the opposing wall).

I wanted to take the tension off the rope because I did not like the Knot. So yes, I untied the knot and began to slip. I was able to re-tie the knot (with one hand--I was Macgyver) with 1-inch of rope to spare--never so scared in my life.

But, in the same hospital, a few of us were in a huge AC unit for about 2 minutes while the facilities manger was showing me suspected mold. I took some pictures and when we came out, There was a Doctor who climbed up the scuttle latter, walk over 100-feet of roof to the mechanical room and was looking for the breaker to turn the AC back on. Thank goodness we locked and tagged out the breaker but, This is was a doctor.
 
Mark P said:
My wife had called the poison control hotline, and evidently there is a name for that; they called it "metal fume fever". It's common with welders or people who work around heated metals.. I guess the copper in the bottom paint is the culprit. I think you're right; a dust mask probably isn't enough protection. A respirator would be far better.
Click to expand...

Customer of mine who sells & sets up galvanizing plants explained why less than OSHA approved welders who are cutting / welding galvanize metal drink milk to prevent poisoning is the butter fat coats the stomach where the zinc is absorbed. He didn't recommend doing it but said if you did, drink whole milk, or better, cream.
 
Everyweekend I go boating, my goal is to NOT win the "dumb****" award. I am afraid to calculate my record....
 
Lets see what happens this boating season that brings us to the Dumba$$ awards first !! .:grin:
 
Does this count? I have run aground so many times that my partner will not split the bill for changing thermostats, flushing out the engines, etc. Fortunately, they have all been soft landings.
 
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