Captains Cat":2pu4dxeq said:
Looks like they did everything right with the possible exception of towing it into a "narrow channel". I have to assume it wasn't the only entrance to the marina where, Charlie
Hi Charlie, in this case it is the only entrance as Deer Harbor Marina lies at the end of a cove, so it is one way in and one way out. Additionally, other vessels are usually anchored in the cove as well thereby making an even narrower channel.
Dr. Bob, is absolutely correct about losing water pressure with distance of hose line. We call this "friction loss" and is loss that is greater as the inside diameter of the hose decreases (ie: an 1 3/4 inch line versus a 3 inch line has greater friction loss). Additionally friction loss is greater as the the length of the hose greater, any appliances attached to the hose can create loss as well.
Certainly, a pump at the dock is advantageous, but being able to effectively reach and place your hose stream where you want it on the vessel that has been moved away from the marina and other vessels to prevent further fire spread creates more of a challenge, which leaves a fireboat as the preferred option. Not many marinas have fireboats....heck look at Everett, they don't have one and it is billed as the largest marina on the West Coast. (And in today's economy they ain't getting one any day soon). (However, the Everett Marina does have standpipes at the docks and a tremendous city source of water to draw from). However, again if the flaming vessel is moved away from dock, a fireboat is nice to have.
Our Fire Rescue Boat on Lake Stevens has an 18HP Briggs and Stratton powered Hale Fire Pump (which certainly isn't large, but good for the size of vessels that cruise on the lake) mounted on it which delivers 225 GPM at 50 PSI but does throw a pretty decent stream of water and of course has an endless supply of water from the lake it sets in. (Look at the pictures of our vessel flowing water in my photo album).
From the article that Mark referred us to, the Orcas Fire Department used a floating pump that they took on board a CG Vessel (which probably was not in Deer Harbor at the time). Obviously took additional time to facilitate which caused even more time for fire spread.
I am certainly not criticizing what was done or not done because none of us were there and not in a position to "quarterback" anyone's actions. Yes, I feel marinas should have some means of suppressing fire which in the San Juan Islands ideally leaves using the water the marina is located in. How that is accomplished is varied and as has been mentioned requires frequent maintenance and near daily testing of the system. (The pump on our fireboat has water flowed through it several times a week).
I would imagine a post incident review will take place by the agencies involved, but the bottom line is, the vessel was moved to prevent damage/loss to the marina and other vessels and chances are with the speed in which fire spreads a good save would most likely been difficult.
(Perhaps someone can "encrypt" the photos of our Fire/Rescue Boat flowing water from my Sea Shift photo album over to this thread for ready visualization). (I'm still not computer savvy enough to do that...thanks).
