BOATING TIPS -- MAY 1994
Gasoline and Propane Safety

Scary! If you have gasoline or propane on your boat, please watch out for leaks! And remember that propane gas is heavier than air, just as gasoline vapor is! (Up here in the Northwest, compressed natural gas [CNG] is not readily available, although it is safer, since it's lighter than air!)

The dangers of leaking gasoline were brought home to me again, recently, when I smelled gasoline in the facility of a gas-powered cruiser. I was all set to look in the bilges until I noticed that it was coming from the dinghy, tethered to the back of the boat. The dinghy had an outboard with a remote tank, the tank was connected, the vent on the tank was screwed down tight, and, on this first warm day of spring, the fuel was running out of the gasoline supply hose! Obviously, the highly-expansive gas found that leaking out of the hose-end into the bilge was easier than escaping from the very secure tank-cap and vent seals.

And then it happened again, one week later, on a different dinghy! Same scenario: like the first case, the second boat's hose was also leaking.

I guess one thing I learned was to remove both ends of the hose when laying the boat up for the winter or leaving it alone for a while. Simple solution to a risky situation. Even better: Take the tank off the boat, or, or put the tank outside the hullform and, being sure it's not overfilled, open the vent slightly when in port.

(By outside the hullform, I mean in such a location as to prevent vented or leaking vapors from flowing down into the bilges. To visualize this, pretend the vapors are a liquid, for they act in just the same way. If the tank leaked, where would the gas go?)

By the way, back on the subject of propane, its heavier-than-air properties are the reason why no new boats can be delivered with propane-fueled refrigerators: the risk of the pilot light igniting a leaking fuel supply is just too great. Of course, they're great for RV's: RV's have leaky bottoms anyway --- but our boats don't (at least usually).

So as far as propane goes, be sure yours is stored outside the hull form of the boat, or carefully and properly vented overboard. And the safest way to use it is to have an electric solenoid-operated valve at the tank which you turn off (or turn the tank valve off), then let the stove flame go out as a result, then shut off the burner at the stove. In this way, at least two separate valves isolate your bilges from your propane tank. And for heaven's sake, have a propane-vapor "sniffer"!

As the person who is legally the "operator" of a boat, your first obligation under the law is safe operation of the vessel. Please don't ever be careless with explosives like gasoline, propane, some of the cleaning solvents, or cooking alcohol. Blow your bilges. Close safety valves. Instruct users of the equipment. Store fuels properly in the approved containers.

And be around to enjoy next month's column!

Now, on the lighter side, (and on the subject of vapors), you can win beers with this riddle if you know the answer: You are driving a big, old-fashioned station wagon. You're alone in the car, bringing home a helium-filled balloon for your spouse's birthday, and the balloon is resting against the ceiling in the middle of the car. Suddenly, a car stops short in front of you, and you jam on the brakes. Ignoring friction or obstacles on the roof, what does the balloon do? The answer.

Happy and safe boating to you!

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