Wow, Check this out!!

[macojoe]

Boat fueling disaster averted in Wareham

By Kelly Fernandes, Enterprise correspondent
WAREHAM — A boater who improperly filled his boat with fuel caused a potentially dangerous situation at Onset Bay Marina on Sunday, officials said.

The owner of a 21-foot Seaswirl pulled up to the marina's fuel dock at about 5:30 p.m. and mistakenly put the fuel nozzle into the boat's rod holder instead of the gasoline filler tube.

Onset Fire Department Chief Howard Anderson said when the dock master noticed the fuel pump had reached nearly 140 gallons, he realized the fuel was going into the boat's bilge instead of the gas tank.

Most 21-foot Seaswirl boats hold up to 60 gallons of fuel.

“Marina personnel immediately moved the boat away form the fuel dock and brought it into a slip. We put in a containment boom around the boat to contain any pollution and we applied class B foam into the bilge to stop gas vapors,” said Anderson.

People in other boats nearby were ordered to leave their vessels during the emergency response.

At 6 p.m., Anderson said, tests showed no vapors were present, no gas had spilled into the water and there was no environmental hazard.

“This could've been a lot worse. I think the owner was probably just talking and not paying attention to detail. If he went to start the boat and the air and gas vapor mixed, a spark could have caused an explosion,” he said.

Sunday's incident brought back memories of an explosion in the early 1960s when a similar mistake destroyed parts of the Point Independence Yacht Club next door.

“I heard the explosion and the boater in that incident didn't have his blowers on. He started the boat and it blew up. The vapors blew the boat apart. I don't remember how many people were hurt, but it destroyed the dock and some boats,” Anderson said.

Onset Bay Marina owner Greg Glavin said the boat owner in Sunday's incident is a member of the marina and was apologetic.

“He was embarrassed and just really sorry. The firefighters responded well and there could've been an explosion or gas in the water. We're very fortunate,” Glavin said.

Meantime, members of the marina who were asked to leave their boats were not happy with the situation.

“I planned on staying the night on the boat and the dock master asked everyone to get off the dock,” said Tom Cordell, who had just returned from Provincetown on his 48-foot Ocean.

“This boater ruined everyone's Sunday evening,” Cordell said.

[phester]

.......WEEKEND BOATER......whattan idiot!

[reelapeelin]

I'm wonderin' if this guy was drunk or just stooooopid...wrong hole to begin with, but then pumps more than TWICE his boat's capacity ...

Where were gas-dock attendants?...I'd think the mgmt of the gas -dock will tighten up on that...

...and WHY did they tow it to a SLIP??...why not somewhere open...endangered and inconvienienced others and their boats...

...his membership would be in serious jeapardy if I's runnin' that dock... >:(...

[macojoe]

I know this is not the first time this has happened!!

But what rod holder has a screw on cap?? None that I know of??

Drunk or stupid for sure!

[Hammerhead]

uhhhh....this ain't easy to admit. but, BTDT. Only put in about half a gallon tho'. :-[

[phester]

HH, you're an honest man....only 1/2 gallon....., we'll let you slide on that one :)

[chesapeake724]

Proof that God watches over fools and drunks.

So, 140 gallons of gas goes into the bilge, how come the bilge pump didn't go on? Or if it did, how could you not notice that it was spewing gas? 140 gallons of liquid, you'd think that'd submerge a battery or something. One little spark and kah-BOOM!

[macojoe]

how come the bilge pump didn't go on?

Thats a good question?

[V20Twin]

It’s hard to believe but that happens more often than you think maybe not 100 + gallons but it does happen

[Pipe_Dream]

BoatU.S. July issue had a page on this, wish I could link it here. It shows a Texas sportfishing boat destroyed after a dock attendant pumped gas into a fish rod holder.

"The owner used a sponge to clean up the gasoline and then opened all of the hatches to dissipate the fumes. About two hours later he decided the fumes must be gone, started the engine, and the boat exploded. All of his crew was aboard and one was badly injured."

I typically follow all the usual fuel dock precautions, but they suggested a new one that I am going to implement: "Before fueling, get everyone off the boat except the person handling the fuel hose." Many is the time that my wife and others were on board while I fueled up. From now on I am going to fuel up alone, then pick everyone up. ;)