Power Boat Explosion

[Loren Beach]

All this happened at about 0920 yesterday, a couple hundred feet from my boat, as I discovered when I visited later in the afternoon.
Lynn is port capt at our YC, and John moors his boat in front of ours, and was there by coincidence.
One of the staff at Rogers Marine Electronics told me later that she was standing outside and heard the blast, looked over toward the channel, and saw debris going upwards into the sky!

Whether gasoline or propane, do observe ALL the safety rules with those fuels... and all other fuels as well!

Loren


http://www.flotilla73.org/announcements/3rescuedafterboatexplosiononthecolumbiariver

 

[Loren Beach]

A bit of follow up

I just found out that a crane barge pulled up the boat this am. Hull and deck were retrieved separately, and parts of the superstructure will likely never be found. Two of the three people are still in the hospital AFAIK.
Loren

 

[Emerald]

Any word on the cause? Can't help but wonder about blowers and fuel spills.

 

[Loren Beach]

No report released, and it may be awhile.


Speculation, and that's all it is, centers on: 1) the operators being new owners, 2) they filled the gasoline tank to the max for a long trip up the Columbia, 3) the age of the boat - about 15 years.
With no past experience, perhaps this was the first time in who knows how long the tank (s?) had been filled to the top and at that age hoses and clamps often need replacing...
and maybe there was a connection problem between deck fill cap and tank top...
and with a "max fill" some amount of liquid fuel made it quickly to the bilges. Even turning on the blower switch would not cope with any significant amount of liquid fuel.

Without double-checking by sniffing the the blower exit, they turned the start key, and the rest is history.

No proof of any of this conjecture, but it seems possible.

Loren