Tragic deaths at Port Hamble Marina

[Scubadoo]

I have two different makes which show the ppm concentration too, one in the cockpit and the other in the cabin. The one thing I noticed on my Sealine, under the bathing platform are the cockpit drain holes which on some occasions the initial engine startup smoke can back feed into the cockpit if the wind is blowing in the right direction and on the odd occasion it smokes on start up, just makes you think if it was a petrol with an enclosed cockpit.

 

[ontheplane]

Is CO lighter or heavier than air -

I.e. where do you mount a detector - high up, low down or head height......?

 

[Martxer]

There’s a myth that carbon monoxide alarms should be installed lower on the wall because carbon monoxide is heavier than air. In fact, carbon monoxide is slightly lighter than air and diffuses evenly throughout the room.

According to carbon monoxide experts, carbon monoxide alarms should be located outside of each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms, and each alarm should be installed on the wall, ceiling or other location as specified by the alarm’s instruction manual.

 

[Elessar]

Is CO lighter or heavier than air -

I.e. where do you mount a detector - high up, low down or head height......?

About the same. But it’s tends to be warm making it lighter. All my detectors are combined CO/smoke so are necessarily on the ceiling.

 

[ontheplane]

Given in the great scheme of things they cost buttons - I would install them in any enclosed living area (and the cockpit now I've seen this!)

 

[Alicatt]

CO detectors were originally developed by joint venture between Aberdeen University and the R&D department of Thorn Security back in the 1990s, I was on contract to Thorn back then and part of my brief then was to "sell" the idea of them to local authorities and fire brigades, initially there was a lot of push back about them as just another gimmick from a fire security company.
Carbon Monoxide is slightly lighter than air but it diffuses through the air rather than just rising to the top, it is odourless, colourless, tasteless and a concentration of 0.15% to 0.2% can be fatal.

 

[BSS Office]

Diesels don't generate much CO, you'd choke on the other stinky fumes generated long before succumbing.

We have recorded the death of five boaters from CO poisoning in four incidents linked to diesel exhaust fumes since the mid-noughties. One was caused by a diesel generator, the other three incidents were linked to faults in exhaust systems of oil-fired 'diesel' heaters. The last one was also a double fatality of two men enjoying a day on a boat in York in 2019. The detailed report is here Carbon monoxide poisoning on motor cruiser Diversion with loss of 2 lives


The MAIB report into the tragic events on the Hamble indicates circumstances recreated by the Branch in its investigation of the double fatality caused by petrol engine exhaust fumes on the boat moored at Wroxham on the Broads Carbon monoxide poisoning on board the motor cruiser Love for Lydia with the loss of 2 lives . The investigation using the casualty boat and another similar aft cockpit cruiser found that very deadly densities of CO entered both boats when moored aft-to-aft. Indeed, when the engine was struck up, fatal levels of CO were reached on the quay heading. On the typical battery powered CO alarms suitable for boats (BS EN 50291-2) 100ppm of CO causes an alarm activation after 10 minutes and 300ppm will create an immediate alert.
We urge all boaters if they have a boat with a cabin, to ensure that it has a working CO alarm that is tested routinely. www.boatsafetyscheme.org/co

 

[BlueJasper]

Excellent advice. We were sat in our cockpit a couple of weeks ago and the guy next door fired up his very new 300hp outboards and let them run for at least 10 minutes. If we had an alarm on board it would have gone off (we have now) as I felt the effects after he had left.

Why he felt the need to do this, I have no idea. Same with ragging, why do some run their engines for 1/2 hour before leaving?!

 

[Parabolica]

Excellent advice. We were sat in our cockpit a couple of weeks ago and the guy next door fired up his very new 300hp outboards and let them run for at least 10 minutes. If we had an alarm on board it would have gone off (we have now) as I felt the effects after he had left.

Why he felt the need to do this, I have no idea. Same with ragging, why do some run their engines for 1/2 hour before leaving?!

Like all, i would always start my cars engine and then head straight off except for winter when like many, i allow everything to warm up and defrost.

With a boat, i have always run the engines up for at least 10mins or so before leaving the berth just incase there was an issue as should this be the case, losing power soon after leaving a berth could result with being pushed onto the rocks just outside the marina.

Two sides of the conundrum i suppose but certainly, detectors need to be fitted and now i’m more aware, i’ll consider my location and neighbours more on first start up.

 

[SC35]

Excellent advice. We were sat in our cockpit a couple of weeks ago and the guy next door fired up his very new 300hp outboards and let them run for at least 10 minutes. If we had an alarm on board it would have gone off (we have now) as I felt the effects after he had left.

Why he felt the need to do this, I have no idea. Same with ragging, why do some run their engines for 1/2 hour before leaving?!

I have no idea.
If I am running my engines at the dock continuously it is because the weather is rubbish and I need to warm up the oil for changing.

Otherwise, start engines: they run for a couple of minutes whilst Mrs SC35 flaps around, release lines, and off we go.