BoatUS News: Boat Fire Extinguishers: Four Myths
Look closely ‘“ is this fire extinguisher ready to put out a fire and does it meet US Coast Guard requirements?
NEWS From BoatUS
Boat Owners Association of The United States
880 S. Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: D. Scott Croft, 703-461-2864, SCroft@BoatUS.com
Boat Fire Extinguishers: Four Myths From the BoatUS Foundation
ANNAPOLIS, MD, April 19, 2016 ‘“ Every spring, the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water receives questions from boaters about fire extinguishers. To help set the record straight here are four fire extinguisher myths debunked:
Myth #1: Tapping or striking the extinguisher keeps the contents `fresh’.
Reality: Leave the mallet at home. Unlike days of old, today’s modern fire extinguishers don’t use chemicals that cake, get hard, or need to be broken up. Whacking it with a mallet or hammer could compromise the extinguisher’s ability to put out a fire.
Myth #2: All extinguishers must be mounted with a bracket.
Reality: Mounting a fire extinguisher on a bracket keeps the unit in a handy place and may protect it from being banged around the boat, but it is not a legal requirement. You do, however, need to ensure the extinguisher is readily accessible, so leaving it at the bottom of locker or compartment is a big no-no.
Myth #3: Fire extinguishers get old and go `bad’ every year.
Reality: Unlike flares, fire extinguishers have no expiration date. To meet US Coast Guard carriage requirements however, the extinguisher must be Coast Guard approved and in `good and serviceable’ condition. The charge indicator needs to be in the green zone, the nozzle free of obstruction and the cylinder not rusted.
Myth #4: The law says you only need to carry one extinguisher.
Reality: US Coast Guard minimum equipment requirements dictate that larger vessels require more than one fire extinguisher. While a full list of all minimum safety gear requirements for all boat sizes can be found at BoatUS.org/equipment, don’t let that stop you from adding additional extinguishers. Having back-ups may help save your boat and won’t break your budget.
For more on fire extinguishers, go to BoatUS.org/fire-extinguishers.
About the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water:
The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is a national leader promoting safe, clean and responsible boating. Funded primarily by donations from the over half-million members of Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS), the non-profit provides innovative educational outreach directly to boaters and anglers with the aim of reducing accidents and fatalities, increasing stewardship of America’s waterways and keeping boating safe for all. A range of boating safety courses ‘“ including 34 free state courses ‘“ can be found at BoatUS.org/courses.
Comments from Cruisers (1)
As I understand it, the purpose of the Port Canaveral lock is to isolate the port from the Lagoon to avoid strong tidal flow through the port and the attendant shoaling and difficulties for large ship maneuvering that come with strong currents. The lack of strong current on the ebb tide in the entrance channel does make the Port one of the safest entrances on the east coast in rough weather (no “stacking” of waves at the entrance).
Opening the locks to improve tidal flushing of the lagoon has been considered and has been modeled by coastal engineers, but would probably compromise the port operations and maintenance.