Fire on the Conception

[sweatloaf]

https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/cal...ire/index.html

Does not sound good in any way. Crew rescued but most passengers missing?

[Jolinedaniel]

Hopefully more are found safe

[bruce_s]

Must have been asleep below.What an awful thing

[SLOfisher]

Yes, let's hope so.

[Narced_up]

Damn I’ve spend many a night in SoCal dive charter boats.
The bunks are below deck, narrow and cramped-with pretty much only one way out.
This is terrible.
Seriously hoping the divers are found.

[Pfish]

So sorry to hear about the loss of life. What gets me is that diesel is usually a hard to catch on fire energy source. Propane maybe? It is hard to imagine that if it catches on fire, people would not have the time to get out. Thoughts and prayers to the families and friends of people lost.

[Bob Ballew]

...Updated info shows it to be a massive propane explosion that blew the galley up, trapping the divers below and so intense, the crew members in the forward uptop area could only jump off into the water..They were possibly awake at the time, which probably saved their lives if true..Eight bodies recovered so far...appears to be a total wipeout of the 28 passengers..At present, the 75' boat has sank except for the bow showing above water...Some mention of too many cell phone chargers plugged in as a possible ignition source...I yell at my kids when they leave and don't disconnect their cell phone chargers...cheap Chinese wiring! a short and your home could burn down..
...Another lesson on ocean mishaps if propane was the issue...some boat owners have five to 10 gallon propane tanks on their small boats, a recipe for trouble if there is a mishap...I only carry 2 one quart bottles on board for my stove and replace as needed...Doesn't seem like anything the crew could have done except save themselves..apparently the only exit was the stairway going up into the galley...tough situation to live with as a survivor...
...All rubber type hoses (fuel lines, gas line from fuel cap to fuel tank, gas vent lines, etc, should be replaced every 10 years at minimum and double hose clamps used where possible to increase the safety margin where salt corrosion can occur...The cheap steel clamps at auto stores should be avoided. Buy high grade stainless from West Marine or similar suppliers..
...Even stainless corrodes and needs to be tightened regularly and replaced when substantial corrosion is visible..Over time, engine vibration and hose flexing will cause clamps to become loose, thus the need for regular inspection and tightening...a crack or split in hoses near clamps is not uncommon due to overtightening the clamps or just plain old age...also, offset the slotted clamp screws (by placing clamps opposite each other) so that if salt water drips corrode one screw, it may miss the other, keeping the system secure...

[sweatloaf]

Originally Posted by Bob Ballew

...Appears to be a massive propane explosion that blew the top off, blasting the crew members in the forward uptop area off into the water..Four bodies recovered so far...probably will be a total wipeout of the passengers..
...Another lesson on ocean mishaps if propane was the issue...some boat owners have five to 10 gallon propane tanks on their small boats, a recipe for trouble if there is a mishap...I only carry 2 one quart bottles on board for my stove and replace as needed...Doesn't seem like anything the crew could have done except save themselves..tough situation to live with as a survivor...
...All rubber type hoses (fuel lines, gas line from fuel cap to fuel tank, gas vent lines, etc, should be replaced every 10 years at minimum and double hose clamps used where possible to increase the safety margin where salt corrosion can occur...The cheap steel clamps at auto stores should be avoided. Buy high grade stainless from West Marine or similar suppliers..Even stainless corrodes and needs to be tightened regularly and replaced when substantial corrosion is visible..

Probably right from top to bottom, Bob, as always.

Caution about double hose clamps though. If they're closer together than a couple of hose wall thicknesses, they decrease each others' clamping pressure and increase likelihood of a leak.

[FOWLER2673]

Prayers for the families of the lost.... Sad deal;I can only hope it was a quick death.

[Huntersmoon]

I think propane is not allowed on USCG inspected vessels, with exception to outside bbq. Still, a 5 gal tank or two is enough. I hope at least one crewmember was awake and on watch.

[joshrau]

Originally Posted by Bob Ballew

...Another lesson on ocean mishaps if propane was the issue...some boat owners have five to 10 gallon propane tanks on their small boats, a recipe for trouble if there is a mishap...I only carry 2 one quart bottles on board for my stove and replace as needed...

I hesitate to hijack this thread, since it is about a horrible tragedy on a boat many of us have been on with previous trips, and some here probably know people involved or even who lost their lives yesterday. The mods should delete my post if it seems inappropriate.


But just to exand on what Bob wrote above: understanding that propane is heavier than air helps to understand the practices to how it is to be installed on recreational boats. Here is a link covering the basics of how propane should be set up on a permanent system (so on larger boats with a galley and stove connected to a larger propane tank):

https://www.boattrader.com/resources...afety-boats-2/


Most people here diving off of a personal boat probably have a relatively small boat with no galley or propane locker. They're probably doing what Bob is doing and bringing along a camp stove and small propane bottle. These small bottles absolutely have enough propane to create a massive explosion and uncontrollable fire in the event of a leak. It is crucial they figure out a way to store everything where any leaks can "drain" overboard somewhere above the water line and dissipate rather than settle in the bilge. On some boats, that might mean getting creative, strapping it to a swim step or something.

Even a bottle attached to a rail mounted bbq has the potential to pool leaked propane into your bilge, with certain boat designs. Think twice about leaving that bottle attached to the bbq and store it properly between uses. This article speaks to the risk of on-deck propane storage potentially leaking and pooling in the bilge or other low points inside the boat:


http://www.boatus.com/boattech/casey...ne-systems.asp



Bob also mentions hose clamps. Just for any body who might misinterpret him, he is referring to hose clamps on other boat systems and the need to keep them maintained. Hose clamps dont belong on propane systems.

[joshrau]

Originally Posted by Huntersmoon

I think propane is not allowed on USCG inspected vessels, with exception to outside bbq. Still, a 5 gal tank or two is enough. I hope at least one crewmember was awake and on watch.

Unless this link is outdated, it is one of the explicitly allowed fuels on passenger vessels. I couldn't find a more up to date link, but this is from last year, so I assume still matches current requirements. Storage requirements match the recommendations in the links I made above:

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/...ol1-part25.xml

[Pfish]

BTW, not to really mess up a thread, but there is a good chance California Politicians being what/who they are, will now have a new law that will take effect in 2021. The law will deal with how to properly store propane on a boat. The fine for not having proper storage? $720...give or take. That is California for ya.....

[batt]

Not sure if this would have helped the victims with an explosion but a CO2 monitor will be next to my bunk from now on.

[Huntersmoon]

Originally Posted by joshrau

Unless this link is outdated, it is one of the explicitly allowed fuels on passenger vessels. I couldn't find a more up to date link, but this is from last year, so I assume still matches current requirements. Storage requirements match the recommendations in the links I made above:

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/...ol1-part25.xml

At the top of the link it states “uninspected vessels”
Im assuming this charter boat was required to follow USCG inspection rules.
Personally, propane on any size boat is a recipe for disaster just by the nature and flammability of the gas. The cockpit of my boat has 120 gallons of gas tanks underneath, with fill ports, vents, fuel filters and fuel lines. Mounting a bbq 36” above on the rail with open flame...not worth it.