Matt Lang wrote:

Folks,

I posted another thread about my Merc 1250 ... now a few questions
about the boat... I Must say that my boat experience consists of 2
years with a 14 ft/25 HP inflatable ..

Now I bought a 18.5 ft fiberglass boat from an estate sale, its a
70ies model ... brand is VSonic or something like it ...

I read that one should run blowers to vent the gas tank area before
starting the motor.... the boat has airintakes facing forward and
backwards, so once the boat drives it gets ventilated. Is it
necessary to install a fan to blow air in BEFORE starting? Can this be
a simple fan or would that just add sparks from electrics and blow
everything up?


There's no need to operate a blower on an outboard boat as you describe.
It is a good idea to vent the bilges on your boat, if your boat has
bilges, to take a look around and to sniff for any sort of fumes.


The boat has a drain plug in the stern. It doesnt have a valve, from
my inflatable I am used to leaving the drainplugs always open, but
they are checkvalves and as soon as it drives all the water comes out.

Are fiberglass boats different? Do you only open the plug on land and
close it in the water? If you do get some water do you just pump it
out? Should I retrofit a pump? Or should I put in a checkvalve Whats
the best for this kind of boat?



You should not open the valve while you are in the water. If you don't
have a bilge pump, install one.

Folks,

I posted another thread about my Merc 1250 ... now a few questions
about the boat... I Must say that my boat experience consists of 2
years with a 14 ft/25 HP inflatable ..

Now I bought a 18.5 ft fiberglass boat from an estate sale, its a
70ies model ... brand is VSonic or something like it ...

I read that one should run blowers to vent the gas tank area before
starting the motor.... the boat has airintakes facing forward and
backwards, so once the boat drives it gets ventilated. Is it
necessary to install a fan to blow air in BEFORE starting? Can this be
a simple fan or would that just add sparks from electrics and blow
everything up?

The boat has a drain plug in the stern. It doesnt have a valve, from
my inflatable I am used to leaving the drainplugs always open, but
they are checkvalves and as soon as it drives all the water comes out.

Are fiberglass boats different? Do you only open the plug on land and
close it in the water? If you do get some water do you just pump it
out? Should I retrofit a pump? Or should I put in a checkvalve Whats
the best for this kind of boat?



Any advice appreciated

Matt

JAXAshby wrote:

I read that one should run blowers to vent the gas tank area before
starting the motor


if you have any electrical equipment (such as a battery) in an enclosed
compartment that contains gasoline you are required under regulations to run
the blower for 5 minutes (?, it might be 4 minutes, who the hell remembers).
Opening it up and sniffing is even better, but doesn't meet regs.



That doesn't explain the hundreds of thousands of outboard boats extant
that have fuel tanks under the deck, aling with batteries and all sorts
of other devices, and no blowers.

I read that one should run blowers to vent the gas tank area before
starting the motor

if you have any electrical equipment (such as a battery) in an enclosed
compartment that contains gasoline you are required under regulations to run
the blower for 5 minutes (?, it might be 4 minutes, who the hell remembers).
Opening it up and sniffing is even better, but doesn't meet regs.

harry, check the regs

I read that one should run blowers to vent the gas tank area before
starting the motor


if you have any electrical equipment (such as a battery) in an enclosed
compartment that contains gasoline you are required under regulations to
run
the blower for 5 minutes (?, it might be 4 minutes, who the hell
remembers).
Opening it up and sniffing is even better, but doesn't meet regs.



That doesn't explain the hundreds of thousands of outboard boats extant
that have fuel tanks under the deck, aling with batteries and all sorts
of other devices, and no blowers.

Blowers are only required w/ inboard or I/O engines. Outboard boats do not
require blowers for the bilge as there is no engine ignition source.

--
Tony
my boats at http://t.thomas.home.mchsi.com



"JAXAshby" wrote in message
...
harry, check the regs

I read that one should run blowers to vent the gas tank area before
starting the motor


if you have any electrical equipment (such as a battery) in an enclosed
compartment that contains gasoline you are required under regulations
to
run
the blower for 5 minutes (?, it might be 4 minutes, who the hell
remembers).
Opening it up and sniffing is even better, but doesn't meet regs.



That doesn't explain the hundreds of thousands of outboard boats extant
that have fuel tanks under the deck, aling with batteries and all sorts
of other devices, and no blowers.

BOOM!!!


harry, check the regs

I read that one should run blowers to vent the gas tank area before
starting the motor


if you have any electrical equipment (such as a battery) in an enclosed
compartment that contains gasoline you are required under regulations to
run
the blower for 5 minutes (?, it might be 4 minutes, who the hell
remembers).
Opening it up and sniffing is even better, but doesn't meet regs.



That doesn't explain the hundreds of thousands of outboard boats extant
that have fuel tanks under the deck, aling with batteries and all sorts
of other devices, and no blowers.









this particular poster's situation, no such regulation concerning
powered ventilation existed until after 1980.

Otherwise, the following link represents the facts:

http://squid.law.cornell.edu/cgi-bin...ART=182&SECTIO
N=460&TYPE=TEXT


Frankly, although the machinery is required to be installed, I don't
know of any regulation requiring its use. (Other than Darwin's school
of really hard knocks.)

Oh.... and 4 minutes is the magical quantity.

--



Grady-White Gulfstream, out of Southport, NC.

http://myworkshop.idleplay.net/cavern/ Homepage
http://www.southharbourvillage.com/directions.asp Where Southport,NC
is located.
http://www.southharbourvillage.com/autoupdater.htm Real Time Pictures at
My Marina
http://www.thebayguide.com/rec.boats Rec.boats at
Lee Yeaton's Bayguide

check the regs of enclosed spaces wirh gasoline and electrical equipment.

Blowers are only required w/ inboard or I/O engines. Outboard boats do not
require blowers for the bilge as there is no engine ignition source.

--
Tony
my boats at http://t.thomas.home.mchsi.com



"JAXAshby" wrote in message
...
harry, check the regs

I read that one should run blowers to vent the gas tank area before
starting the motor


if you have any electrical equipment (such as a battery) in an enclosed
compartment that contains gasoline you are required under regulations
to
run
the blower for 5 minutes (?, it might be 4 minutes, who the hell
remembers).
Opening it up and sniffing is even better, but doesn't meet regs.



That doesn't explain the hundreds of thousands of outboard boats extant
that have fuel tanks under the deck, aling with batteries and all sorts
of other devices, and no blowers.

I'd strongly suggest that you buy a copy of the bible, also known as the
Chapman book of seamanship and small boat handling. Search for it at
www.bn.com (Barnes & Noble), using the words I mentioned. You'll find it.
Read it from cover to cover, and then do it 12 more times.

"Matt Lang" wrote in message
om...
Folks,

I posted another thread about my Merc 1250 ... now a few questions
about the boat... I Must say that my boat experience consists of 2
years with a 14 ft/25 HP inflatable ..

Now I bought a 18.5 ft fiberglass boat from an estate sale, its a
70ies model ... brand is VSonic or something like it ...

I read that one should run blowers to vent the gas tank area before
starting the motor.... the boat has airintakes facing forward and
backwards, so once the boat drives it gets ventilated. Is it
necessary to install a fan to blow air in BEFORE starting? Can this be
a simple fan or would that just add sparks from electrics and blow
everything up?

The boat has a drain plug in the stern. It doesnt have a valve, from
my inflatable I am used to leaving the drainplugs always open, but
they are checkvalves and as soon as it drives all the water comes out.

Are fiberglass boats different? Do you only open the plug on land and
close it in the water? If you do get some water do you just pump it
out? Should I retrofit a pump? Or should I put in a checkvalve Whats
the best for this kind of boat?



Any advice appreciated

Matt

"Matt Lang" wrote in message
om...

Can this be
a simple fan or would that just add sparks from electrics and blow
everything up?

As others have said, you may not need ventilation for your particular boat.
But, if you decide to be anal and install it anyway, you CANNOT use just any
old fan. Consult a boat supply company - it has to be a blower made for the
purpose. This assumes that you don't like spontaneous barbeques, with you as
the main course.