On Oct 17, 6:41*am, wrote:
On Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:54:11 -0700 (PDT), Bart



wrote:
On Oct 15, 12:07*pm, wrote:
On Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:57:30 +0200, "Edgar"
wrote:

"Bart" wrote in message
...
What boat safety gear (not personal gear) should you
have below just inside the companionway? *1 pt
If you mean 'fire extinguisher' then I think it should be in the after
locker in the cockpit (as mine is)and not inside the companionway which may
well be full of smoke when you want it.

In my opinion, there need to be multiple extinguishers on any boat
with a cabin. One accessible in the cockpit, one just inside the
companionway, and another just inside the forward hatch. I actually
carry a forth one in the anchor locker. You never know in advance
where you are going to be, or where you may end up trapped if a fire
breaks out on a boat. And don't make the mistake of buying the
smallest extinguishers you can find. Those may be adequate in a land
structure to get you outside, but on a boat,where your escape options
are limited, you need something that has at least some chance of
putting the fire OUT.

Good comment. *So what type of fire extinguisher works best on
a boat?

Depends on what kind of fire you have!

On a boat, I would recommend a dry chemical type covering at least
Classes A B C. People complain about the mess dry chem makes, but
that's a pretty foolish mindset when you are talking about an onboard
fire.

Class A - for paper, wood, plastic, cloth

Class B - Flammable liquids as well as flammable gases

Class C - Electrical fires on a powered circuit

Class D - Combustible metals

(I'll pause here and note that I carry one extinguisher that is rated
for Class D fires. It's the one in my anchor locker. If I ever end up
with a burning flare landing on my deck, I'll be very glad I spent
that extra money.)

Class K - You don't hear about this one often. It's specifically for
cooking fires caused by fat or vegetable oil. I don't have one rated
K. If I owned a restaurant, I probably would have a few of these in
the kitchen.

Oh... If you have an inboard engine, don't overlook the need for at
least one strategically placed fireport. That allows you to apply the
contents of an extinguisher without adding more oxygen to the fire by
opening any access hatches.

A permanent fire suppression system in the engine compartment is an
advantage, but relatively expensive to install and maintain.

OK, so we know there are different types of fires possible on a boat.

What one type of fire extinguisher would you want to have to cover
all types.