Vessel Safety Inspection Passed in spite of low pressure

H

hardee

New member
Just finished getting my Vessel Safety Inspection done today. Really good experience and as usual, learned something new again.

My USCG approved fire extinguisher (ABC type powder) was checked on Thursday, powder was loose, and could be felt shifting when the device was tilted in my hands and the gauge showed the needle well in the green. When I pulled it today for the check, not even looking at the gauge, I handed it to Bob who promptly advised me it needed to be replaced, the needle was way down into the red.... there was some powdery residue in the nozzle. A quick look revealed there was no powder under the sink or anywhere in the area, but the pressure was gone. I had a spare for backup, so passed the inspection.

For anyone in the Sequim, Port Angeles area, I have contact info for a local, USCG Aux vessel inspector who is acquainted with C-Dory's, and is a small boat boater himself. He is a pretty good fisherman, and also a pilot, and has done my boat for the last 4 years.

Anyone interested please contact:
Bob at 360 six eight one 4168
or PM me.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
Brent, BINGO! Thank you. It was KIDDE and it was in the recall.

I am passing the info on to Bob, the USCGAux Inspector for his FYI too.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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As one who has had an on board fire (BW 22 Revenge) in the wiring tunnel...can't support enough the need for these extinguishers to be current, working and available on board. We had battery cables laid over each other and rubbed thru after 15 plus years almost sending us up in flames. FYI...fiberglass gets very hot when burning!

Shrimping not so much fun with black electrical smoke pouring out under your feet (next to the gas tank) and 80 year old parents on board.

I will add, what a heart warming feeling to have 5 boats around us within minutes to assist (when I was able to get my head out of the smoke after firing extinguisher down the tunnel and my eyes cleared).

All worked out fine and we worked our way home 7 miles with the kicker! Had to pull the floor and run all new wiring, but no issues since and my cousin now runs it without issue
 
One thing to keep in mind - if an extinguisher is even momentarily discharged accidentally it must be recharged(even if the gauge still shows full pressure) because once any powder is expelled it will no longer allow the seal to seat properly and pressure will creep out over time - it may not show any signs of powder leakage.

Regards, Rob
 
When I moved back to Canada I was reminded that I had to have two extinguishers on board and that they had to be inspected by a certified service facility and a tag attached to that effect every year. When I have been boarded by the RCMP for inspections it's one of the first things requested. Never regretted having two extinguishers on board.
 
I agree that 2 fire extinguishers are good. (Goes back to my duplicit redundancy beliefs). I care the dry powder and also a 4 pound CO2. the CO2 would be my first go to, because it will evaporate and go away, so all you have to clean is burn remains, not a pound of white caustic powder.

It is getting time to get the inspections done again, so need to get the FE's spiffed up too.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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Bringing this one back as a reminder that it is time to check the on-board fire extinguishers and have them ready for the upcoming season (up coming for some of us anyway).

The Dry powder (Kidde) types need to have the needle in the green, and you should be able to feel the powder move inside as you tilt the FE from right side up to bottoms up. If you don't feel that, try bumping it "gently" on a hard surface. ( a carpet on a concrete floor or onto a lightly padded workbench tabletop) should work. Bump a few times then do the tilt to see if you can feel the powder motion. It should feel almost like water running inside. Also, check the nozzle to be sure there is no white powder residue there.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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Interesting that this would be resurrected and it is certainly a good time to check these things, thanks.

One thing that has changed since my 2015 post on the subject, it is no longer necessary, in Canada, to have the annual testing tags affixed. The extinguishers must be easily accessible and maintained as per manufacturer's instructions. That includes shaking every month and being in the 'green'. I was talking to the guy who trains our marine patrol police at a boat show recently and he told me the cops stress the easily accessible. If you have to fumble for the extinguisher you are likely to get a ticket. Same with life jackets being accessible. The cops will do the tilt test to check whether the powder is free flowing. If it's not, you haven't been maintaining. He suggested inverting and a bump with a rubber mallet works wonders.

FYI, I changed the 5BC units I used to have on the Venture for 10BC.
 
It's not widely known, but the year of manufacture (last 2 digits) is stamped on the bottom of each fire extinguisher. The 'full' wgt is on the label.

Mariners with way more experience than me advise replacing any FE that is over 10 years from mfg date, even if it passes all other parameters.

Also a good idea to weigh it and ensure pounds/oz current wgt is not far from the fill wgt on the label. We record the new wgt and date on it with a Sharpie (don't use a red sharpie on a red FE) at the start of each boating season Jan 1 (arbitrary date, yours may differ by several months).

We usually learn something from the courtesy inspection. At Hontoon we learned that if you provide a copy of the last VSC checklist signed by your inspector, he/she may use a more abbreviated checklist. Thanks again Tom for making the arrangements for the VSC's!

Happy Firefighting!
John
 
John, thanks for tips. I have never weighed mine but have used the rubber hammer bumper trick a few times.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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