gasoline inboard safety

[woodsailboat]

I am currently looking at sail boats online as I am interested in buying one. Most of the sail boats that seem pretty reasonable have atomic 4s or other gasoline inboards and I am holding off on getting one because I have heard of so many fires and explosions due to gas vapors building up in the bildge untill a small spark sets it off. I heard of a guy last year in the keys refueling his 28 ft whaler at the dock when suddenly the whole rear end of the boat blew up, sending shards of fiber glass into the captian and the mate, hospitalizing both of them so you can see why I'm a bit cautious about buying one. But I need to know if this is just a rare occurance, negligence, or should I just find one with a deisel or outboard motor.

 

[Don S]

Re: gasoline inboard safety

Inboard gas engines (especially the Atomic 4) have been used in sail boats for years. All it takes is preventive maintenance, keeping an eye on things, actually sniffing the bilge, and even using gas fume alarms.
If you have leaky corroded gas tanks, carbs that leak fuel, leaky fuel lines, etc. sure, you can expect an explosion everytime you start the engine. Just stay aware and keep an eye on things.

 

[woodsailboat]

Re: gasoline inboard safety

Well I have been talking with a friend and he said that its not the engine that I have to worry about, its the fact that I have to carry around a tank full of gas so even a static spark can set it off and in a split second my boat and I are no more.

 

[RogersJetboat454]

Re: gasoline inboard safety

Well I have been talking with a friend and he said that its not the engine that I have to worry about, its the fact that I have to carry around a tank full of gas so even a static spark can set it off and in a split second my boat and I are no more.

Yes under the RIGHT conditions, you can ignite the fuel vapors, and blow you and your boat into tinsy little bits. The right conditions happen when you ignore everything Don had to say in post 3.

People have been boating with gasoline inboards for very close to a century now, and have been living to tell about it too! Out of the millions of inboard powered boats out there, you never seem to hear the stories about how someone had a sucessfull trip with out blowing up their boat, or they went to the fuel dock, and refueled the boat with out one bit of flame... Nope you never hear thoes stories.

What you do hear about are the 2 or 3 knuckle heads a year who either had boats with issues, or were too preoccupied to pay attention to anything, and woofed off their boat. But.....If it makes you feel safer, get the diesel or outboard.

 

[Don S]

Re: gasoline inboard safety

Try one of these.

http://www.iboats.com/Boat-Parts-Ac..._category.f--searched.1--session_id.384829683

 

[woodsailboat]

Re: gasoline inboard safety

Well every thing you guys said has given me some security in gas inboards and I will definitely use this information while purchasing a boat. Thanks guys