Boat fire.. RiB to the rescue

[Shaggy]

Not sure if any of you saw the pictures on www.ospreyrib.com, pretty scary stuff and very brave RiB skipper.

"Peder Smith, owner of Shell gas station at Karlslund and Bullbåtarna had to make a rescue mission in one of his Osprey Viper 7m (also called Bullbåtarna) when a boat exploded after they been fueling at the station, Peder tugged the boat out to open water so the gas station and other boats didnt take fire, the Coastguard, Firedepartment and SSRS came also to rescue after the boat been tugged out from the harbour."

Shaggy

< Edit: Please don't attach photos unless they are yours, as it almost certainly breaches the owner's copyright. See the link above for the photos on the Grand RIB web site. JK >

[craigdavis]

Wow thats some brave rib handling there

[Petrov]

Peder told me after that it was pretty hot
Unfortunetly the wife was sitting on the engine bay and flew some meters up in the air and landed on the bridge and brooke both legs and she is not able to walk today, the owner didnt get a scratch.

[Jizm]

What caused the explosion then?

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Jizm

What caused the explosion then?

I don't know, but worth remembering that petrol fumes are heavier than air. In a car filling up with petrol not a problem as the fumes dissipate. However with a boat they can sink down into the hull and build up without poeple knowing. All it would take is a hot exhaust, spark from alternator or starter and .....

[RESCUE1]

The RYA have been warning us safteyboat drivers for some time about static electricity and to remove the fuel tank and refuel on the jetty and NOT in the boat

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by Pete7

I don't know, but worth remembering that petrol fumes are heavier than air. In a car filling up with petrol not a problem as the fumes dissipate. However with a boat they can sink down into the hull and build up without poeple knowing. All it would take is a hot exhaust, spark from alternator or starter and .....

Actually it would take more than a hot exhaust - petrol has a much higher flashpoint than oil or diesel.....

[Petrov]

The driver didnt put the fan on before starting the engine, there was to much diesel gas in the engine room.

[Jono]

Off topic slightly... has anyone else tried the trick of putting out a match in a cup of petrol? With a cup half full, the vapours fill the rest of the cup and exclude Oxygen... so the match goes out.... well it did when it was demonstrated to me...... not quite the same result when I tried... interesting... but not the same...ho-hum...

[ashbypower]

Originally Posted by codprawn

Actually it would take more than a hot exhaust - petrol has a much higher flashpoint than oil or diesel.....

I Think you'll find that the flash point of petrol is <45 Deg C and for Diesel it is <62 deg C

Regards

Brian