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condition, you are likely to get a citation. It is not cost-effective to have a service company come down to your boat once a year for only 3 or 4 small hand-held extinguishers. It would be more efficient to take them to an approved service facility to have them checked. The average cost for this is $35-$75 per extinguisher, depending on size and type. For the small disposable units this might not be costeffective, and it might be more realistic to just replace them on a regular basis. Most companies provide a 6-year warranty and a 12-year shelf life. After 12 years, they should be disposed of. I would recommend replacing after no more than 6 years. You can tell the age of your unit by looking on the bottom; there you will find a 2- digit date number indicating its manufacture date. It is a good idea to look at this when you purchase a new unit, as you want to make sure you are not getting one that has been in stock for 2 or 3 years. Whether you take your units in for professional inspections or not, you should know how to inspect them yourself so that you can be sure you have safe working units. How should you inspect them The first thing you should do is remove them from their bracket and check the gauge. If the needle is in the red or even very close to it, you should replace it. The next thing you should do is visually inspect A well-placed extinguisher for access from the cockpit, while in the boat or leaving the cabin. the canister and nozzle. Check for rust, corrosion, and dents. Look into the nozzle to be sure it is not blocked by anything. Make sure the safety pin is intact and that the handle is not bent or broken. Check the bracket to make sure it is in good condition. Too often, I see units tossed into a locker or cabinet, unsecured. Check the label to verify it is USCG-approved. This is often in very small print. For dry chemical units, turn the fire extinguisher upside down and tap the cylinder with a rubber mallet. You should feel or hear the powder move inside. This is important as the powder tends to get packed down at the bottom. For clean agent units, you should weigh the extinguisher to verify it is within manufacturer specifications. The minimum and maximum weights will be on the label. Make sure it falls within that range. Even with these self- inspections, I stress the importance of having professionals look at all units at least once a year. Locating Extinguishers on Your Boat Lastly, you should think about the number and location of your fire extinguishers. Just because the USCG has set a minimum number to be onboard does not mean this is all you should have. A size I will only fire for about 8 to 12 seconds—not very long to put out a fire. If you only have two of these onboard, you will not have much defense from a fire. I would recommend at least doubling what is required. When installing fire extinguishers, think about likely places a fire could start. The galley, the engine compartment, battery compartments and electrical panels are all places fires can start. Place fire extinguishers near these areas and near all exits from the cabin. You want to make sure if there is a fire, you are not trapped inside so have units placed so that you can use them to clear your exit. Also, it is a good idea to have units in all sleeping spaces so that if a fire should break out at night, you will not be trapped. Lockers containing fire extinguishers should have a red label on the outside reading “Fire Extinguisher Inside.” As skipper, it is your duty to make sure your guests know where all safety equipment is kept as well. It is all too easy to forget about your firefighting system until you need it, and then it may be too late. Take the time now to inspect and upgrade your system. Make it a habit to check your equipment often and have it serviced annually. Replace the small disposable units on a regular basis. Have a fire safety plan, and strategically place your portable units in locations close to hazard areas. With luck, you will never need to use any of your firefighting equipment, but it is nice to know that it will work if you do need to. In Part II we will look at fixed engine compartment systems. Wayne Canning lives on his Irwin 40 Vayu, in Wilmington, NC. A marine professional for more than 35 years, he now is a full-time surveyor, runs a Web site for other professional marine surveyors and a site for those restoring project boats. He also provides services as project manager for boat restorations. Visit www.projectboat.info, or www.4ABetterBoat.com, for more information. 42 September 2010 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com
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Page 1 and 2: SOUTHWINDS News & Views for Souther
Page 3 and 4: TURNER MARINE YACHT SALES Mobile, A
Page 6: SOUTHWINDS NEWS & VIEWS FOR SOUTHER
Page 9 and 10: SOUTHWINDS News & Views For Souther
Page 11 and 12: Having shared the channel with outg
Page 13 and 14: By Morgan Stinemetz I was doing, be
Page 15 and 16: EVENTS & NEWS OF INTEREST TO SOUTHE
Page 17 and 18: Marine Radar Course, St. Petersburg
Page 19 and 20: Oct. 7-10. 39th Annual National Shr
Page 21 and 22: foundation. Present will be cars, t
Page 23 and 24: “Outfitting for Blue Water Cruisi
Page 25 and 26: eration under sail. The systems are
Page 27 and 28: To Advertise, call 941-795-8704 or
Page 33 and 34: 28th Annual Event can’t make the
Page 35 and 36: Around Memorial Day, numerous repor
Page 37 and 38: The Rob Roy has a pleasing shear ru
Page 39 and 40: etween 18-20 knots; we either take
Page 41 and 42: North Carolina/South Carolina MARIN
Page 43: Types of Agents—or What’s Insid
Page 47 and 48: LOA: 16’2” Beam: 7’4” Draft
Page 49 and 50: COOKING ONBOARD Tropical Salsa: Pin
Page 51 and 52: Brad with his two lieutenants, J.C.
Page 53 and 54: BOATWORK BY TOM KENNEDY Engine Raw
Page 55 and 56: Bearing placement mark on new shaft
Page 57 and 58: John Wallace (St. Petersburg Yacht
Page 59 and 60: Thirty-seven Sunfish, from Maine to
Page 61 and 62: 2-3 Sanford Fall Regatta, Lake Monr
Page 63 and 64: 27th Annual Rumgatta Regatta, Tampa
Page 65 and 66: with the Southern Yacht Club in New
Page 67: Selling your boat Call Kelly! With
Page 70 and 71: Catalina Yachts Com-Pac Yachts RS S
Page 72 and 73: CLASSIFIED ADS Ads Starting at 3 Mo
Page 74 and 75: CLASSIFIED ADS 1977 Cheoy Lee Offsh
Page 76 and 77: CLASSIFIED ADS BOAT GEAR & SUPPLIES
Page 78 and 79: CLASSIFIEDS SLIPS FOR RENT/SALE CON
Page 80: Looking pensively into the deep—

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