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View Full Version : Everybody please use your engine blower!!



Clamcakes
09-03-2012, 10:01 PM
I will admit i've only used the blower in my boat a couple times since i bought it last year. But after what I witnessed a Lake Texoma on Saturday at Pappys Marina, I'll be turning it on everytime before starting.

As we were leaving Pappys Marina with some friends, I hear a loud pop. I turned immediately around and see a boat exploding at the dock!! We immediately turned around and see a man, girl and dog in the water. They had been blown off the boat by the explosion. Probably the rear third of the boat had been blown to bits. We had heard that 2 guys were standing on the back when it exploded. Sent one guy as high as the roof of the marina!!

We heard later that the owner was having carb issues and had just filled up at the marina. Went to start it and it exploded. Guessing by the size of the boat, probably had at least a 100 gallon tank (don't know if they topped it off). Soon as the flames started up, the fiberglass went up like it was straw. We could see the boat melting before us. A few of the dock workers jumped in a boat and were able to toss a line with an anchor on it and pulled it out to deeper water and out of the marina.

Luckily nobody died but a few of the folks were seriously injured.

My wife managed to get video seconds after it exploded. (I have to chop the video down, youtube rejected it said it was to long. But will post as soon as I shrink it down)

I took a pic of the boat that tried to push it out into the marina. That boat immediately caught on fire as he tried to push the flaming boat out. And I got a pic of whats left of the boat.

1599115992

loudsubz
09-03-2012, 10:04 PM
Everytime we get in the boat the blower goes on and stays on till we shut her down.

jmvotto
09-03-2012, 10:12 PM
We in the blower all the time as well. Sad story...

rdlangston13
09-04-2012, 07:14 AM
What's the manufacturer recommend as far as blower usage? Run all day or just prior to starting or what? Mine sends feedback through the speakers on the boat so I only run my before I start the engine and then shut it off once I'm up an running.


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Clamcakes
09-04-2012, 07:34 AM
Here is the video


http://youtu.be/qQGWj7AJehw

wolfeman131
09-04-2012, 08:15 AM
WOW! That is crazy and you were way too close for comfort. Glad to see you got the heck out of there when you did.

ga-lsv05
09-04-2012, 08:28 AM
What's the manufacturer recommend as far as blower usage? Run all day or just prior to starting or what? Mine sends feedback through the speakers on the boat so I only run my before I start the engine and then shut it off once I'm up an running.


Sent from my iPhone newtys droid killer using Tapatalk

Before starting and any speed below cruising

2005 mobius lsv 2900lbs ballast

chawk610
09-04-2012, 08:49 AM
That is seriously scary... jeez. We use ours before starting, but maybe not long enough. Nice wake up call.

Worlds22SSV
09-04-2012, 08:53 AM
minimum of 15 seconds prior to starting is what my manual says and than what ga said always at slow speeds, only for safety never allow fumes to build up. Usually if i have been sitting for awhile i will use blower and lift up the engine hatch to be sure.

kaneboats
09-04-2012, 11:37 AM
Great advice. Thanks for sharing this. Keeping the hatch open when you are parked lets it vent and also cool, which is also good for preventing the dreaded vapor lock situation.

skiyaker
09-04-2012, 12:43 PM
anybody heard of this happening to a fuel injected boat?

Clamcakes
09-04-2012, 12:59 PM
I called up Brandon (service mgr) at Dallas Skiboats and he recommended turning on the blower for a couple of minutes and lifting up the engine cover upon putting into the water and after sitting for a while on the lake.

After witnessing this on saturday I was pretty nervous the next morning when I went to start the boat up. I turned the blower on, let it run for a couple of minutes but the hair stood up on the back of my neck when I turned the ignition!!

jester
09-04-2012, 01:42 PM
Another thing to do is check your Backfire Flame Control a few times a year. for the 325 is it on top right under the plastic cover. Run your finger across the vent fins. If your finger comes out with black on it it is time to clean it.

zabooda
09-04-2012, 01:51 PM
The older boats like mine have the blower in the engine compartment that need to be checked to ensure there is no sparking. The newer boats moved the blower out of the engine compartment eliminating that hazard.

dusty2221
09-04-2012, 05:47 PM
This is crazy! A client of mine just called that actually has a slip in Granpappy. Some friends of theirs have a slip a few down from where that boat stays. They were told that they fueled up and it wouldn't start. One guy went down in to the engine area, did something, came back, cranked and boom. The boat had already been untied prior to it not starting. She said there were 6 people on board and 4 were blown off. The dog had to be taken to an emergency clinic but is fine. One of the guys was sitting on the motor hatch and it blew him off and he was unconscious between the boat and the dock!

Nuts....evidently sometimes a blower isn't enough!

Clamcakes
09-04-2012, 10:12 PM
Look back at the video I posted and as we're pulling up you can make out the teenager and dog swimming to the right. You'll see her get pulled out. If you look at the boat thats on fire, you can see them fish the other guy out that was caught between the boat and dock.

Also, the boat was still tied up. It had been there for a while. Once it caught on fire it was untied and it was let loose into the lake. It started drifting towards the slips and thats when they got the radio station boat and pushed it further into the no wake zone of the marina.

moombahighrider
09-05-2012, 01:14 AM
The video is not showing up for me. Are you guys getting a link?

kaneboats
09-05-2012, 10:09 AM
Vid works fine for me. Try this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQGWj7AJehw&feature=player_embedded