Boat explosion at Big M marina

[Quillback]

https://www.ozarksfirst.com/news/explosion-injures-three-barry-county/

[fishinwrench]

How many I/O's have to explode before people (and design engineers) wise up ? 

9 of them burst into flames last week, on this lake alone.  

[jdmidwest]

8 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

How many I/O's have to explode before people (and design engineers) wise up ? 

9 of them burst into flames last week, on this lake alone.  

What's the solution, run outboards?  You can only vent stuff so much an keep it quiet.

[tjm]

Crazy reporting first says the boy is 14 and the girl 18, then says girl is 14 and the 18 year old was injured. Five sentences and can't keep it straight. Makes one wonder if any of it is correct, the boat is Colbat, not Colbalt? 

I bet they could design in forced ventilation that would be required  prior to startup. Isn't I/O the same principle that is used on whaleboats, yachts and ships?   An electric  blower isn't very noisy, they run them in bathrooms and kitchens of most houses. Ships and yachts have vented engine rooms. Forced fresh air would likely give better engine aspiration too? I don't know boats, but this kind of accident does seem kinda like premeditated stupidity. 

[fishinwrench]

6 hours ago, tjm said:

don't know boats, but this kind of accident does seem kinda like premeditated stupidity

It's ENGINEERED STUPIDITY! 

You can't take a complete combustion engine, a battery (or 3),  and 40-60 gallons of fuel, and cram it all into the bilge area of a boat......then bury it all tightly under upholstery, with a piddly venting system......and expect it not to eventually explode. 

 Especially in a craft that sits for months at a time with anything less than constant impeccable maintenance.  

Noone short of a qualified marine technician has any business owning/operating a I/O 

[fishinwrench]

My kids get invited out with their friends families to go boating, tubing, ect all the time........But I have pounded it into their brain, since birth, to NEVER step onboard an I/O regardless of how bad they wanna join in on the "fun".   

[snagged in outlet 3]

41 minutes ago, fishinwrench said:

My kids get invited out with their friends families to go boating, tubing, ect all the time........But I have pounded it into their brain, since birth, to NEVER step onboard an I/O regardless of how bad they wanna join in on the "fun".   

This may be a dumb question.  Is every boat without an outboard an I/O?

[tjm]

52 minutes ago, fishinwrench said:

Noone short of a qualified marine technician has any business owning/operating a I/O 

Lot's of people not trained as mechanics are smart enough to open the hatch and take deep breath or two before lighting up the boat. And I'd bet a doughnut hole that a bunch of technicians  are dumb enough not to. Venting should be built in though, but if it's not $100 would go a long way towards a duct and a blower. 

[ness]

The world is absolutely overrun with injury attorneys. I wonder why they haven't sued manufacturers or whoever into making the needed changes? 
 

Wait...I think I've got an angle here. You guys keep quiet, ok?

[fishinwrench]

6 hours ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

This may be a dumb question.  Is every boat without an outboard an I/O?

Straight inboards have a centrally located engine.  The engine is housed separately from the battery and the fuel system, and there is no Tilt/Trim system, and steering is done via a mechanical rudder. 

 

 

Stern Drive (I/O)  have the engine, out-drive, batteries, and fuel tank, all situated at the stern.  The idea/theory is to keep all the weight rearward for greater speed and better rough-water handling.  There is also the addition of power steering and Tilt/trim circuitry.