That looks like good info and probably a good winter project.


"Gould 0738" wrote in message
...
This just came through.

Might be of interest to somebody in the NG, especially since colder
weather is
setting in.

A Message from Sparky


(Editor: I am Commodore of Everett Yacht Club. I wrote the attached
article for
our Scuttlebutt newsletter some time ago. Since then, I have had requests
from
many yacht clubs on the West coast for the article and I have lectured at
some
of the Grand 14 clubs regarding this incident. I have been told to send
this to
you by many boaters. By the way, your magazine is a favorite at our club.
Keep
up the good work.)

Part One; Don't Panic!

At the request of several of our members, I will recall one of the most
traumatic events of boating life for Bev and me, and what we learned from
the
experience. On a Monday evening in October, 2001, the phone rang. Michael
Asbury, a fellow tenant at our marina asked me if I was sitting down. He
then
proceeded to tell me our boat was ablaze and a total loss! We had just
returned
from a boat trip to Poulsbo, and couldn't imagine what might have started
the
fire. We raced to the scene to find fire trucks, policemen, the Coast
Guard,
the press and half the marina gathered to watch the spectacular display.

Bev and I were both devastated, speechless, and couldn't think straight.
With
my mate in tears and trembling, I finally talked the fire captain into
letting
me go to the dock and look at the remains of our beautiful 34 Tolly. The
fire
also scorched the adjacent boathouse, damaging a few of the boats moored
there.

The questions started immediately. The fire investigator, coast guard
officers,
and fellow tenants wanted to know how I though it may have started, what I
could have done wrong, what I would do about the other damaged boats and
boathouse, what was I going to do with the blackened hull, whether my
insurance
covered environmental damage, and every other question you could think of.
Thank God for Michael Asbury. He immediately pulled me aside and told me
not to
answer any questions whatsoever. After all, I didn't have any answers.
Don't be
tempted to start thinking out loud how you could have caused this to
happen.
Here is what I leaned from this disastrous experience:

At the scene of the accident, whether fire or sinking:

Call your insurance company immediately. Tell them what happened, but do
not
speculate about reasons.

Do not leave the scene until you are advised to do so by your insurance
company- it could mean the loss of your boat to salvagers.

Show responsibility for your boat, not for what happened. The Coast Guard
can
fine you up to $270,000 for environmental damage if you do not work to
prevent
contamination of the environment.

Ask advice from your insurer about transporting your boat to dry dock. Get
an
authorization for the expenses, then contact a marine salvage company to
take
your boat out of the water ASAP.

The Investigation Begins

When the fire and/or insurance investigator comes to inspect your boat, be
present and do not speculate about what happened. Ask lots of questions.
Answer
any questions you can honestly. There may be several investigators: the US
Coast Guard, your insurer, other boaters' insurers, the fire department,
marine
surveyors hired by your insurer, etc. Don't let anyone inspect your boat
without you being there and supervising. Don't let anyone take anything
off the
boat. Take note of conversations, names, phone numbers, and business cards
from
anyone asking to investigate. Forward them to your insurance company
immediately.

If you think your boat is totaled, you do not have to accept the insurer's
valuation if you think it doesn't cover your costs. Make sure the surveyor
has
receipts for all the improvements made on the boat since purchase. It is
the
responsibility of the insurer to cover your losses, up to the maximum of
your
coverage. Salvage and moving costs may not be included. (Check your
insurance
policy for this clause now, it's important), Most of us just don't pay
enough
attention to the fine print until it's too late

If the boat is totaled, weigh the benefits of buying it back from the
insurer.
Some insurers will take bids on disposal. You can have them pay you that
amount, then salvage what you can, and dispose of it yourself.

Part Two: What they Don't Tell You

Within a few days, I was contacted by the Seattle Fire Department. They
wanted
access to the boat for their investigation. I met them at Bob's Boat
House, got
a ladder, and let them start. They were very professional, and not afraid
to
get dirty. It wasn't very long before they found what they thought was the
cause of the fire, but wouldn't disclose it to me. They first checked the
engine compartment, then any other flammable liquids aboard including
propane
tanks, etc. They asked questions about how I handled shut-down procedures,
what
kind of fire protection I had, etc. I answered them honestly and to the
best of
my knowledge. They said they would go make their reports, and I cold check
with
the department for their results.

Next, I received a call from PEMCO Insurance. They said they had the
results,
and were sending their professional investigator to do a follow up. Again,
I
met the investigator at the boat, answered questions, and advised him that
I
didn't have a clue what happened to cause the fire. He went through the
boat,
bottom to top. He was much more straightforward with the results of his
research. He came up with the shorepower connection from somewhere in the
boat.
It became abundantly clear that this was the culprit. The area around the
shorepower connection on the boat was completely burned away.

I was astonished at this finding. I had a certified shorepower cord,
locked
into the outlet. We had only a heat lamp and a small de-humidifier aboard,
drawing less than 10-amps total. The investigator stated that the amount
of
power you are consuming has little to do with the failure of this
connection if
it is not checked regularly. The lugs in the female side of the plug
become
loose due to the twisting motion needed to lock it in place, and then the
normal movement of the boat causes a spark to jump between the male and
female
lugs. This is just like an arc welder, and the connection gets hot inside
the
boat since the outside plug is exposed to the weather. The shorepower
breaker
won't even trip until the wires are on fire and burned until they touch.
By
that time, your boat is ablaze.

The insurance investigator told me this condition is very common, and
responsible for hundreds of boat moorage fires every year. There is no
widespread, published protocol regarding checking this connection. A
notice
etched into the shorepower connection of your boat states that it should
be
checked "regularly," but no what knows what that really means. My insurer
checked into this, and found that many surveyors don't check this
connection
properly when they inspect your boat for purchase or sale.

Here's what I found out we should do to prevent this from happening:

1. Twice a year, take out the 4 screws holding the connection to the boat.
Check the wires behind it. If they are crisp and brown, have a marine
electrician change out the wires and install a new shorepower connection.
2. Every time you hood to or disconnect form shorepower, check the male
lugs on
the boat. If there is any brown around the power or ground connection, do
not
re-connect before checking the connection.
3. When you hook the power cord to the boat, be sure to screw the collar
on
tight. Also, make sure you secure the cord with a couple of wraps around
the
rail. This will prevent motion from effecting the connection.
4. Buy a small tube of "di-electric" grease from any marine supply house.
It is
conductive. Apply a generous amount to the male lugs on the shore power
connection, and in the female side of the cord. Also at the shore
connection.
This will prevent arcing.
5. Occasionally, when docking, hook your boat to shorepower and connect
all the
things you will be leaving on. Wait about 15 minutes, and then disconnect
the
shorepower. Place your hand on the wires behind the plug. If they are warm
or
hot, you may have a potential problem. Reduce the amount of amperage, and
repeat the test until the wires stay cool.
6. If you are not going to check your boat on a weekly basis, do not ever
leave
a fan-operated heater running. The back of the heater an collect dust and
cause
it to over hat. Keep boat amperage under 8 amps during storage.
7. Start a moorage watch with someone who is close to you in the marina.
Swap
keys, and check each other's boat regularly. Keep emergency numbers posted
in
view so if anyone sees anything wrong they can reach you or your
representative.

Following these steps will greatly reduce your risk of boat fires. We hope
you
never have to go through what we did.

Part 3: You are insured, you have it coming

Now that we know how to protect ourselves, it still may not be enough.
What if
the boat next to yours causes yours to burn? It may, like mine, be a
no-fault
incident and you may have to depend upon our own insurer to cover you. Bev
and
I know some very important rules to follow to assure that you don't take
too
big a hit. These are not my ideas, we can thank Michael and Jane Asbury,
insurance investigators and adjusters with 50-plus years of experience for
the
following:

1. Don't trust your memory to keep track of all the items on your boat.
Take a
camera, open drawers, and take pictures of what is inside them. Same with
closets. Take interior pictures, then go home and make a complete
inventory of
what you have on your boat. In columns, list all items that are
marine-oriented
only and items that may have other uses. This is important- your
homeowner's
policy will kick in and pay you back for some of the items if you have
them
listed with date of purchase and original cost. (They may deduct for
depreciation).
2. If you add anything to your boat after you purchase it, take pictures.
Keep
all receipts, including the nuts and bolts you bought to install it. It is
amazing how they add up later.
3. Keep abreast of other boats of your vintage, brand, and condition. If
you
see ads in magazines, cut them out occasionally. Be aware of what your
boat
could sell for. Remember, it will be your responsibility to prove the
extent of
your loss, not the insurance company's. You don't have to accept their
appraisal if you think it is unfair, (you can get a second opinion and
lobby
for adjustments).
4. If you buy back your totaled boat, be sure to get a written property
release
from your insurer. They are anxious to get rid of it as soon as possible.
To
avoid additional costs, dispose of the salvage promptly when you have
permission from the authorities.
5. Very important! Check with both your boat insurer and your homeowner's
coverage about getting an umbrella policy. This low cost coverage acts as
a s
supplement if the damages exceed your basic liability coverage. Every
boater
and homeowner should look into this. Also, make sure you have a Mariner's
Liability coverage to address environmental damage- this could be very
important!