Don't want boat explosion

[jorgeoliva]

I have a bayliner inboard 5.0 with an alpha drive my issue is safety am new at this so bear with me before I start the boat I remove the motor cover, turn on the blower for about 2 to 3 minutes then start the boat I head that lots of boat explode because people don't ventilate the engine compartment is there anything else I should be doing to assure safety in the water.

 

[Fishermark]

Without the motor cover on you don't have to worry about anything. It is a good idea to get in the habit of ventilating the engine compartment. As long as you do, you don't have to worry about explosions. (Well, that AND making sure you don't have any fuel leaks).

 

[Scott Danforth]

I turn the blowers on when I get to the ramp. By the time I get the boat off the trailer, it's been about 5 minutes. Fire boat up, tie it off, and let it warm up while I park the truck, too in and go boating.

The key is to run the blower for 3-5 minutes before starting

 

[GA_Boater]

Also run the blowers after refueling on the water. Depending how your boat is, fuel vapors from the filler can settle in the bilge. It isn't as much of a problem for a gassing up a trailered boat, but the blower should be run as Scott said before starting the boat.

 

[fhhuber]

Actually... just opening the cover just vents from the bottom of the cover up... and what you let out in fuel fumes immediately settles to the bilge.

So just opening the cover isn't really any help.

Gasoline vapors are heavier than air. You can fill the boat with a fuel-air mix very easily.

The amount of gasoline smell under my boat cover first time I removed it, convinced me very quickly that I needed to vent the boat cover with the thing sitting in my driveway. That thing was the next best thing to a bomb waiting to go off. If your boat cover traps the vapors from the gas tank vents you have a problem.

 

[jorgeoliva]

mmmm interesting going to take a little bit from all your suggestions and I think what am going to do is as I trailer the boat to the ramp which is about 30 minutes away an going to remove the motor cover and with the speed of the car should vent the entire bilge always better to be safe than sorry. the reason am asking all this question is we went to a restaurant that had a dock this guy was leaving on his boat I saw him turn on the engine and bammmmm he was safe he jumped over board but this left a big question mark in my head that it can happen to me to.

 

[boatman37]

i run my blower for a minute or two before starting it up and leave it on at no wake speeds and run it for 4 minutes after fueling up. trying to be pretty religious about it but i have fired it up without the blower a few times when i forgot

 

[jorgeoliva]

you know I don't know if this is norm but I keep my blower on all day while the engine is running

 

[nola mike]

If you're trailoring your boat to the ramp, you've already ventilated your bilge, no blower needed.

 

[bruceb58]

First think I do before starting the engine for the day is open the engine cover and do a visual and sniff test for leaking gasoline. I then run the blower and start the engine after the blower has run 3-5 minutes.

If you have a gas leak, running the blower isn't going to help you a whole heck of a lot.

 

[poconojoe]

Also run the blower If you are cruising slow... at idle speed.

 

[slag]

First think I do before starting the engine for the day is open the engine cover and do a visual and sniff test for leaking gasoline. I then run the blower and start the engine after the blower has run 3-5 minutes.

If you have a gas leak, running the blower isn't going to help you a whole heck of a lot.

Sometimes its pretty dark down in those bilges so bring a match when you go exploring.