almost blew up!!! scary!!

[relocyo]

well i would like to relay a horror story a buddy of mine put me thru a couple days ago... we got up early for a nice boat day, we had the cooler full the boat full with pretty women and were heading out but before we decided to fill er up, so we pull up to the marina in the boat, bloody mary in hand, the gas attendant greeted us and we gave her our account information. so me and my buddy (the captain) are chatting talking about where exactly we were going to head to, as we are chatting he unscrews the gas cap, the lady hand us the nozzle he puts it in and clicks the handle to the pump position... soooo i dunno, 10 minutes goes by and the attendant asks us if we have 2 gas tanks, captain says no and she says the boat should be full, so as i investigate, the bilge kicks on pumping straight gas out, the captain had put the nozzle into the fishing rod holder!!! so electric bilge is going the electric blower is going ( I/O) and im sitting on the motor cover/bench seats... HOLY S#$&!!! so gas is spewing outta the bilge, and $186.84 worth of gas is in the engine bay!! that im sitting on, so quick everyone outta the boat kill power to accesories and they have to bring the damn tractor lifter over to lift us outta the water and drain the gas outta to engine comp. ugh. im pissed!! but hes in a whole lot worse shape than me with his boat like it is, sooo 4 hours at the marina and a GIANT plastic barrel full of gas that hes responsible of disposing of later... we get 2 hours on the water before the plastic parts turn to goo in the engine bay. lol close one for me and 5 friends... gas in tank, fishing poles in rod holders... i made it thru this one, yall be careful out there...

 

[mattb1974]

Re: almost blew up!!! scary!!

Hopefully the cops came down and arrested your friend for stupidity !!

 

[PitchFork]

Re: almost blew up!!! scary!!

Holy Crap almost lost 5 boaters.

 

[elkhunter338]

Re: almost blew up!!! scary!!

That's what can happen when pretty girls are involved. Probably distracted the captain and you. Was the gas attendend good looking to and in very little.
Glad no body got hurt, but your captain should have know where to put the gas and should have been paying attention. I have heard of others not paying attention and filling there gas engines with diesel or diesel with gas.

 

[Summer Fun]

Re: almost blew up!!! scary!!

the electric blower is going

Thats a NO NO right there !!.
You NEVER run the blower when fueling up. . Always after for 4 to 5 min's.

I'm glad nothing happened to you guys.

 

[DYLBOSS]

Re: almost blew up!!! scary!!

oh my......

Well, glad you are all ok and I'm glad that my gas cap says "Gas" on it.

 

[relocyo]

Re: almost blew up!!! scary!!

yea super scary stuff... didnt actually sink in until i got home and was thinking "geezus". to his defense the gas tank and rod holder holes are seroiusly only an inch and a half apart, and the gas tank cap had a un neccesarily long chain on it so it hangs waaaay below the gunwales... but yes, bikinis were def. partialy to blame, alchohol was not (thank god) only a 5 min run from the wet slip to the marina... but we all were talking and it was just "one of those things" that almost killed me he wont do it again, he has got major repairs to do now, boat wont do anything with key turned , but i didnt know your not supposed to run the blower while filling that one ill remember for next time, thanks, well i guess if there is a next time....

 

[Thajeffski]

Re: almost blew up!!! scary!!

How the HELL do you mistake the gas filler for a fishing rod holder?

Honestly, your buddy needs to stick to non-motorized vehicles.

 

[ddrieck]

Re: almost blew up!!! scary!!

Ahem......alcohol in any amount and boats don't mix!!

Ya'll got really lucky!! Glad to hear that no one was hurt

 

[H20Rat]

Re: almost blew up!!! scary!!

Thats a NO NO right there !!.
You NEVER run the blower when fueling up. . Always after for 4 to 5 min's.

I'm glad nothing happened to you guys.

exactly!! gas fumes take a specific air/fuel ratio to actually light. With raw gas in the bilge, it would have been safer NOT running it. Its far too rich, but running the blower draws in a nice supply of fresh air.

 

[180shabah]

Re: almost blew up!!! scary!!

This is why they offer classes.

ALL hatches and vents closed
ALL electric anything off
ALL people OFF THE BOAT
Then fuel
Peek/sniff under hatch
Run blower
start engine
THEN other people back onboard

Big supporter of manditory boater education, too many people out there with no clue about what they are doing.

 

[dave11]

Re: almost blew up!!! scary!!

How the HELL do you mistake the gas filler for a fishing rod holder?

Honestly, your buddy needs to stick to non-motorized vehicles.

X2 That and lay off the booze. A screwup like that is inexcusable.

 

[Thajeffski]

Re: almost blew up!!! scary!!

This is why they offer classes.

ALL hatches and vents closed
ALL electric anything off
ALL people OFF THE BOAT
Then fuel
Peek/sniff under hatch
Run blower
start engine
THEN other people back onboard

Big supporter of manditory boater education, too many people out there with no clue about what they are doing.

Yup. In EVERY boating accident you read about it 100% of the time ends up being the captains fault.

I don't know WHY in the WORLD you'd run the blower WHILE FUEL AND FLUE VAPOR is circling the rear of the boat.

The first thing I do upon tying up to the gas dock is turn the battery switch to OFF. It's what they teach you to do in boating class!!

 

[Thajeffski]

Re: almost blew up!!! scary!!

X2 That and lay off the booze. A screwup like that is inexcusable.

seriously.........within 10 seconds of RAW gas being pumped into my bilge I would SMELL IT and immediately realize the mistake.

Here's what happened:

1. Guy has WAYY too much
2. Guy has very small amount of brain power
3. Girls love these kind of guys and wear small bikinis
4. Boat ends up being a ticking time bomb..

 

[Summer Fun]

Re: almost blew up!!! scary!!

The first thing I do upon tying up to the gas dock is turn the battery switch to OFF.

I don't do that.

It's what they teach you to do in boating class!!

Really ??. So you're telling me that every time I fuel up !!.
That I have to go in the engine bay to turn off the main batt's switches ??

I think you lost your mind on that statement !!!!!!!!.

 

[relocyo]

Re: almost blew up!!! scary!!

LOL... i love the advice guys!!! what the deal is about this guy is he grew up on the water like i did, but i have no illusions of grandeur, he watched his father and occasionally helped steer the boat but he rarely did anything else, including maintenance, but i cant help but to feel a little guilty with me not being a solid first mate (if i was one?) watching what hes doing, but im trying to sign for gas and help women off the boat to use the head, the marina we use has togo food, and the usual stuff... i dunno, i feel bad for him but i wasnt the one who put the nozzle in the rod holder... but i did end up going half on the gas for him.... im a sucker... LOL... could have been much worse, just relaying the story for everyone to PAY ATTENTION when pumping fuel.....

 

[Boatist]

Re: almost blew up!!! scary!!

Your lucky to be alive and and he is lucky he is not in California.
Out here two drops of fuel in the water and a clean up crew is called.
Very large fines plus the cost of the clean up.

Lots of mistakes. Before Fueling Close all hatches and turn off blower.
Know how much fuel you need and pay attention.
after fueling turn on the blower and and smell the output air.

Also very lucky. Hear of several stories like your's every year but usual ending is the started up and left the marina then about 200 yards away blew up and burned everyone very badly and throw them over board. Some can not swim and some die from burns and the worst off live with the memory and scars from the burn.

 

[Thajeffski]

Re: almost blew up!!! scary!!

I don't do that.
Really ??. So you're telling me that every time I fuel up !!.
That I have to go in the engine bay to turn off the main batt's switches ??

I think you lost your mind on that statement !!!!!!!!.

Why is your battery switch inside your engine compartment?? Sources of sparks should always be far away from that place

 

[HappierWet]

Re: almost blew up!!! scary!!

Used to see that crap way to often when I worked in marinas. Some people have more money than brains. Sure don't want some teenager telling them what to do. I am another big supporter of mandatory licensing.

 

[ovrrdrive]

Re: almost blew up!!! scary!!

This actually happens pretty regularly believe it or not. I'm surprised the attendant didn't realize it right off the bat. Glad you guys are ok. That could have been national news.