Fire safety is something that everyone who owns or operates a boat should practice. Each year, boating fires and explosions injure hundreds of individuals and cause millions of dollars in property damage. While there is a greater chance for a fire or explosion on a boat than on land, many of these accidents can be prevented.

• DO install a smoke detector.
• DO ensure furnishings (foam) and insulation is fire retardant.
• DO protect wiring to avoid chaffing.  Consider using conduit.
• DO contain and vent battery boxes.

Fuel and fuel vapors are two of the leading ingredients in all boating accidents involving fires and explosions. Keep fuel and vapors in their proper places and make all of your boating trips fire-safe.

Recommended Firefighting Equipment

• Portable fire extinguishers that are properly certified. Make sure that you have a sufficient number of the appropriate extinguishers and that the extinguishers are in good condition.

• A fire blanket may provide an alternative method of extinguishing a cooking pan fire or allowing safe escape from the boat.

• Bucket

Service and inspect your fire extinguisher(s) yearly!!
They can’t help you if they don’t work!

Tip: Carefully consider where you mount / store your portable fire extinguishers.  Many people prefer mounting extinguishers near doorways/emergency exits.  This way you can fight the fire without the fire getting between you and your exit.

Action to be taken in the event of fire

• Call the coastguard on VHF radio channel 16.

• If the boat is moored, call the fire department - 911

• Alert and avoid other craft.

• Tackle the fire (if safe to do so).

• Crew to don life jacket.

When possible:

• Isolate fuel and natural gas if possible.

• Prepare an emergency ‘grab bag’ and life raft if at sea.

Hazards

Fuel

• Use an approved container for carrying and storing fuel.

Refueling

• STOP the engine.

• Turn off all heating and lighting appliance and extinguish all cigarettes and naked flames.

• Use a funnel when decanting.

• Ensure tanks vent directly overboard and that fuel lines have a direct shut off valve that works.

After Refueling

• Secure cap tightly.

• Ensure that there is no leakage or spillage.

• Before starting the engine, first ventilate the boat throughout.

Propane & Butane

• Fit in a gas detector.

• Secure cylinder in a weatherproof container with low-level atmospheric vents.

• Use approved piping.

• Isolate cylinders when not in use.

• Ventilate thoroughly any compartment which has not been used for some time.

• Regularly hand pump bilges to remove potential low-lying vapors.

• DO NOT leave a cooker or any other appliances unattended if there is a danger of a wind draft extinguishing the flame.

• Hatches and portholes should always be opened sufficiently to maintain essential ventilation (where prevailing weather condition permits).

When changing cylinders

• Check that the valve on the empty cylinder is turned off before disconnecting.
• Do not turn on the valve of the full cylinder until it is securely connected.

General / Seasonal Inspections

Be alert for damage to your boat's fuel system. Over time, fuel fittings and fuel hoses wear out. Inspect these fittings and hoses regularly, especially near the engine where engine heat and vibration can accelerate deterioration.

• Inspect fuel tanks annually. Pay particular attention to bottom surfaces which may have been in contact with bilge water. Also check to see if any part of the tank could have rusted or been damaged due to rubbing and abrasion. Permanently installed fuel tanks and closed compartments that contain engine or fuel tanks must be vented to the outside.

• Be sure the fuel fill pipe is securely mounted, grounded, and located where spilled fuel would be directed overboard. Fuel fill hoses that are dry and cracked or soft and mushy should be replaced immediately.

• If a hose or fuel tank is leaking, replace it before using your boat.

• Use only marine-rated parts for repairs.

• On a boat with portable fuel tanks, make sure the vents can be closed and the tanks have a vapor-tight, leak-proof cap. The vent on a portable tank should be open when the motor is running, but when the tank is not in use, the vent and the cap should be tightly closed.

• Make sure any powered ventilation (a bilge blower) is operating properly.

• Be sure heating and cooking appliances on board are secured and operate properly. Refer to the appliance owner's manual for guidance on inspecting for leaks in valves and connections; NEVER USE A MATCH.

• Make sure flammable items are stowed safely and cannot come into contact with cooking or heating appliances or hot engine parts.

• Make sure fire extinguishers are Coast Guard approved and in working order - that gauges register and nozzles are clear.

• Take a boating safety course and learn the correct use of a fire extinguisher aboard a boat.

• Repair all bare wires and loose electrical connections; they might cause a short in your boat's electrical system, which could start a fire.

• Do not store disposable propane cylinders or charcoal lighting fluid on board.

• Conduct a bow to stern inspection checking for fuel leaks.

Before Casting Off
Get in the habit of performing these brief steps

• "Sniff" your bilges. Usually your nose is the best fuel/vapor detector. It will mean getting down on your hands and knees, but it's the best way to do it.

• Operate the bilge blower for AT LEAST FOUR MINUTES before starting an inboard engine. If you still smell fumes, try to locate the source and make repairs before starting the engine.

• Make sure the location of your fire extinguishers is known to all passengers and they know how to operate them.

• When refueling, close all hatches, ports and other openings; shut off all engines and motors; and refrain from smoking. Fill all portable tanks on the dock.

• After refueling, wipe up or wash off any excess or spilled fuel; open all hatches and ports; and let the boat air out. "Sniff" your bilges. Operate the bilge blower for at least four minutes before starting an inboard engine.