‘Blue Moon’ Boat Chat

Boat Chat comes out on the first and third Saturdays of the month but this September has five Saturdays in it. So Boat Chat is going to use the ‘extra’ fifth Saturday for something different. For this first ‘Blue Moon’ edition of Boat Chat we are going to dive into the photo archive to look at some of the horrors found during 15 years of surveying boats to see what we can learn. Some pictures are funny, some are dangerous, some are subtle but they can all help us understand boats better. Let us know what you think of ‘Blue Moon’ Boat Chat at the end.

Out Of Date Fire Extinguishers

Firefighting equipment is a must have on any boat and all too often it is just cheap little 1kg ABC dry powder extinguishers. All extinguishers have a typical service life of 10 years. Halon was the preferred choice of extinguisher for many years until the damage they do to the ozone layer was discovered and they were banned under the Montreal Protocol and have been prohibited for use within the UK since 2003. So here is the punchline for this picture, how come this 1985 Halon extinguisher was found on a boat built in 1988? The Owner must have felt very attached to it, it was even fitted in the toilet…!.

Engine Flexible Mounts

All engines in boats vibrate, some a lot more than others (Yanmar 1GM10 anyone?). Mounting the engine on flexible mounts is a good idea and virtually all boats have them. Over time these mounts will rust and the flexible material within will stiffen and degrade.

Often you find that the vibration of the engine has caused the fixings to loosen, allowing the vibration to increase. Don’t assume that just because your boat is new they will be tight, this loose one was fitted on a 2 year old boat. Check them monthly and if you notice increased engine vibration noise when motoring.

Expired Pyrotechnic Flares

It always amuses me how attached many boaters are to their pyrotechnic flares. So many out of date flares lurking in the dark corners of many boats, ready to be of ‘service’ in an emergency. Here are some flares which expired in 2010, found on a boat built in 2001 and surveyed in 2023. Thirteen years past their service life, these will just continue to degrade until they either fail whilst in their container or when they are called upon to perform.

Getting rid of them isn’t easy but that is no excuse, buy an LED / Laser hand held distress flare - they will work continuously for several hours through the night, are visible up to 7 nautical miles away AND they won’t burn your cold, wet hand.

Add one of these to your Christmas Wish List:

Rust

Corrosion is an inevitable fact of life when owning a boat, rather like inflated prices for any product with the word ‘marine’ in it! Rust is typically a sign that proper maintenance has not been carried out in a timely manner. Be it rust on a skin fitting inside the boat or on the hull and fittings outside.

Rust is your boats way of telling you to add something to the ‘To Do’ list. Ignore it at your peril - regularly clean and paint things prone to rust and dismantle any stainless steel fixings with rust stains as that is a sure sign of crevice corrosion developing within the fixing.

Flexible Gas Hoses

LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) systems on boats offer the convenience of cooking, hot water or heating. LPG systems are best kept simple and fitted with safety features to ensure the gas does not escape into the bilge. Flexible hoses are often used to connect the cylinder to the regulator in the gas locker and on yachts to connect a gimballed cooker to the fixed copper piping. Within most gas systems the flexible hose is the weakest link in the ‘chain’ and they should be replaced at least every 10 years. Sometime however they fail much quicker - this hose was made in 2016, surveyed in 2023 and had already perished through. Check them monthly.

Battery Boxes

Whilst most boats still use traditional lead acid batteries, increasingly installations are now using Lithium-ion (Li-ion) or Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePo4) batteries. Regardless of what type of battery is used, they are always heavy and need to be properly stowed away. All recognised boat standards insist that batteries be properly secured in place to restrict movement in any direction to typically 25mm or less. This is best done with straps, bars and fixed covers. Here are two installations at the opposite ends of that spectrum.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Regular readers of Boat Chat will know I tend to bang on about CO detectors but I do so with good reason when it comes to the ‘silent killer’. A lot of boats don’t have detectors fitted which always presents a ‘learning opportunity’ for the Owner. Far worse than that though is those boats that do have them fitted but with no batteries or flat batteries fitted.

Please, please, please – If you have a boat make sure one you have an approved detector fitted and working and if you regularly use someone else’s boat make sure it does too and TEST IT. If it doesn’t have one or fails testing, then please feel free to offer the Owner a ‘learning opportunity’ in your own style and then direct them to Boat Chat.

Here is a good one:

Fancy Some More Boaty Horror?

Fellow IIMS Colleague Geoff Waddington has put together a 148 page collection of horror photos from his surveying archive. Well worth a read if you want to develop your understanding of what looks right and what looks wrong in boats.

https://www.iims.org.uk/product-category/buy-an-iims-handy-guide/

More Great Kit Ideas

For more great kit ideas for your boat, bookshelf or surveyor’s toolbox have a look at our page on Kit.Co

How To Support Boat Chat

Boat Chat’s mission is to ‘Help People Understand Boats Better’ by looking at what is going on in the world of boating. Helping people make sense of current maritime events, offering suggestions on how to make the best / minimise the worst boating outcomes and reviewing books and products of interest to boaters.

The easiest way to support Boat Chat is by buying us a beer at:

BUYMEACOFFEE.COM

And Finally…

If you have any feedback on past issues or suggestions on what we might cover in future issues, throw us a line on the Boat Chat website: https://boatchat.uk

N.B. Links to products in this newsletter are typically Amazon Affiliate Links which may earn Boat Chat a small commission should you buy them using the link (this does not affect the cost you pay).