Raleigh, NC – RALEIGH Do you have a carbon monoxide detector on your boat? I’ll bet that most of you do not. I would also be willing to wager that most of you are wondering what the carbon monoxide risks are? Did you hear of the several deaths that occurred on two boats rafted up on the Lake of the Ozarks last year as a result of this gas?Have I got your attention yet?
Carbon monoxide is a gas (vapor) that mixes evenly with the air. Carbon monoxide (CO) has no color, taste or odor, and is slightly lighter than air. It is produced any time a carbon-based fuel is burned. Such fuels include gasoline, charcoal, propane and oil.
Four carbon-based fuels are commonly used on boats. Many mariners use propane fired galley stoves and ovens. They use charcoal fired grilles in the cockpit. Gasoline driven engines and generators are all over the marina or anchorage. Also, it is not uncommon for sailors to have oil lamps in their salons (the types of oil can vary from lamp to lamp).
Given the amount of carbon-based fuels that we burn onboard, it should not be surprising to any of us that carbon monoxide may accumulate from time to time. However, given CO’s colorless, odorless and tasteless nature, we are rarely aware of its presence. In fact, we should be concerned as to how much of a deadly threat to health and life exists and can sneak up on us.
Carbon monoxide works its mischief through your blood stream. As you breath CO into your lungs, your blood supply is contaminated. The carbon monoxide in your blood is distributed throughout your body and displaces the oxygen that your body requires for normal functioning.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are weakness, dizziness, nausea, irritated eyes and headaches. On a vessel, those symptoms can easily be confused with sea sickness or drinking. In reality, the victim may be experiencing something that can lead to death if the exposure is long enough.
Some of the sources of carbon monoxide are exhaust leaks and blocked exhaust systems. Cold, poorly tuned gasoline engines produce more CO than warm properly tuned engines. These causes are all maintenance items. Letting regular maintenance slip by can increase the risk of this deadly gas.
Even if all of your equipment is in perfect working condition, you can still accumulate dangerous levels of CO inside your vessel. One way is by the exhaust of your engine or generator curling up and into an open window, door, or air intake on the A/C unit. In much the same way exhaust can come into an open car trunk or SUV rear door, it can find its way into your vessel.
Exhaust from neighboring boats in your marina or anchorage can work its way into your vessel under certain conditions. When generators are run overnight, a breeze from the right direction can push unwanted fumes your way. The results are often fatal.
Once carbon monoxide is accumulating inside your vessel from any of the sources mentioned, you may be overcome before you know it- especially while asleep. An obvious remedy would be to ventilate the interior of your vessel. While that is good advice, the effect of the CO on you may be so gradual that even if you are awake, it might not be apparent to you in time.
Just as smoke detectors in our homes have proven invaluable, CO detectors are a great benefit and potential lifesaver on your boat. I highly recommend that you get one and properly mount the unit on board.
God Speed!