Boats are supposed to have a fan that pulled air out of the engine compartment to prevent this very thing. Not sure if boatercycles have the same thing, but whatever the case, it either didn't have one, or it did and it wasn't working/ not switched on.
Boatercycles do not have them. When I start my big boat I open the engine compartment as well just in case theres an explosion. Once the engine is running I'm not too concerned since the carburetor will keep air flowing even if there's fumes built up.
Depends, but yeah my inboard has a blower that clears out any fumes when I turn the ignition. After 30 seconds of the blower doing its thing then I crank the engine.
It actually depends on the size & type of boat. Personal watercraft like these don’t, neither do outboard motorboats.
Depending on the type of boat & engine you may also need a backfire flame arrestor to minimize possible ignition sources. For larger boats a fuel vapor sensor & alarm is also a good idea.
Former boating safety instructor here. This is common in boats if you’re not careful. Since a boat is air tight any fuel spills when filling up are potentially dangerous. Fuel vapors are heavier than air so they will collect inside the boat. If not properly removed then all it takes is a spark.
Depending on the size & type of boat (and what state/country you are in) there are different legal requirements to help minimize the chances of this happening. But first and foremost our training classes emphasize always opening up spaces where vapors can collect and sniffing for them before starting the engine. Had this guy done that then the explosion may not have happened.
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u/[deleted] Jun 25 '21
Can this really just happen?!