This article is one in a series offering tips on boating skills and seamanship prepared for The Citizen by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.
A couple was sound asleep in their V-berth at a marina. The skipper of a boat docked next to them decided to use the electric stove on board and started the boat's generator. The wind blew the fumes into the sleeping couple's cabin. Luckily, the boat was equipped with a CO alarm which went off, awakening the couple.
A houseboat on pontoons drops anchor and children jump in the water to swim. Under the boat and between the pontoons, there might be trapped CO fumes.
If that is the case and they inhale the fumes, they may drown.
When the weather becomes chilly, the incidents of carbon monoxide poisoning tend to increase. To keep their cabin warm, some may be tempted to fire up their engine, close all hatches and ... risk CO poisoning. A few safety precautions are recommended, but first let's describe carbon monoxide.
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas that is produced when any carbon based fuel is burned. As a result of CO concentrations in the air, early symptoms include drowsiness, headaches, nausea, dizziness, irritated eyes and weakness. These early symptoms are often confused with sea sickness, but with extremely high concentrations or prolonged durations of exposure the result can be death.
On a boat there are numerous sources of CO, such as a gasoline engine, gasoline generator, propane and charcoal. These are fuels that we depend on to get us to and from our destination, keep us cool, provide electricity and heat or cool our food.
CO becomes dangerous when it collects within and around a boat. CO can enter a cabin of a boat from different sources including: hot water heaters, galley stoves, improper ventilation while in motion (the “station wagon effect”), and from exhaust leaks in your boat, as well as from moored boats nearby. CO can collect in areas around a boat such as near the swim platform, which is generally close to the engine exhaust and areas where boat overhangs can create pockets of air.
Teak surfing or dragging is a new activity where a swimmer holds on to the swim platform while the boat drags them through the water.
This activity puts a person in direct proximity to extremely high concentrations of CO as well as a moving propeller.
Here are some simple precautions that can be taken to avoid exposure to CO:
€ Avoid known locations where the gas can be present
€ Have regular maintenance done on your engine and exhaust system by a trained technician
€ Install a CO detector in the cabin of a boat
€ Be aware that CO can accumulate when a boat is running its engine or generator while at a dock or seawall
€ Open hatches and keep fresh air circulating throughout the boat to avoid exhaust fumes from reentering the aft part of the boat #- the station wagon effect
€ Turn off the engine or generator when people swim near the boat; take your passengers water skiing instead of teak surfing
€ Be aware that if a passenger has the symptoms of seasickness it could be CO poisoning and they should immediately be moved to fresh air
€ Get a vessel safety check.
John E. Keshishoglou is the
commander of the Ithaca Flotilla 22
A houseboat on pontoons drops anchor and children jump in the water to swim. Under the boat and between the pontoons, there might be trapped CO fumes.
If that is the case and they inhale the fumes, they may drown.
When the weather becomes chilly, the incidents of carbon monoxide poisoning tend to increase. To keep their cabin warm, some may be tempted to fire up their engine, close all hatches and ... risk CO poisoning. A few safety precautions are recommended, but first let's describe carbon monoxide.
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas that is produced when any carbon based fuel is burned. As a result of CO concentrations in the air, early symptoms include drowsiness, headaches, nausea, dizziness, irritated eyes and weakness. These early symptoms are often confused with sea sickness, but with extremely high concentrations or prolonged durations of exposure the result can be death.
On a boat there are numerous sources of CO, such as a gasoline engine, gasoline generator, propane and charcoal. These are fuels that we depend on to get us to and from our destination, keep us cool, provide electricity and heat or cool our food.
CO becomes dangerous when it collects within and around a boat. CO can enter a cabin of a boat from different sources including: hot water heaters, galley stoves, improper ventilation while in motion (the “station wagon effect”), and from exhaust leaks in your boat, as well as from moored boats nearby. CO can collect in areas around a boat such as near the swim platform, which is generally close to the engine exhaust and areas where boat overhangs can create pockets of air.
Teak surfing or dragging is a new activity where a swimmer holds on to the swim platform while the boat drags them through the water.
This activity puts a person in direct proximity to extremely high concentrations of CO as well as a moving propeller.
Here are some simple precautions that can be taken to avoid exposure to CO:
€ Avoid known locations where the gas can be present
€ Have regular maintenance done on your engine and exhaust system by a trained technician
€ Install a CO detector in the cabin of a boat
€ Be aware that CO can accumulate when a boat is running its engine or generator while at a dock or seawall
€ Open hatches and keep fresh air circulating throughout the boat to avoid exhaust fumes from reentering the aft part of the boat #- the station wagon effect
€ Turn off the engine or generator when people swim near the boat; take your passengers water skiing instead of teak surfing
€ Be aware that if a passenger has the symptoms of seasickness it could be CO poisoning and they should immediately be moved to fresh air
€ Get a vessel safety check.
John E. Keshishoglou is the
commander of the Ithaca Flotilla 22