Ross

Aqualarm makes an exhaust alarm. I just installed one on the boat i captain. it's supposed to go off at 200 deg. It will go off if you loose water flow before the coolant over heats.

a few months ago, I picked up some stuff and lost some flow on of the engines (1400hp Cat 3412Es). engine or tranny temp didnt' move at all, not even 1 deg. but i noticed some steam out the exhaust so i stopped and cleaned the strainer. That was enough to affect the Trident blue high temp hose. no visible damage just a smell. I replaced it as a precaution (10" diameter but a short section to the fiberglass tubes). there was a small delaminated area inside. that's when i deceided to add the aqualarm... under $100.. too cheap not to have.

In this instance, who knows what happened. if anything, i'd bet electrical fire which can often be worst since the ER halon system may not do anything about it if the fire starts behind a panel or something.

On addition to the ER halon system, I keep two extra bottles near the ER door.

oh, and i keep a pack of PFD in the anchor locker as well as in a transom locker in case the primary PFDs become un reachable.

a year or two ago, a buddy davis caught fire off Key biscayne. Sistership to, and owned by the same people as the infamous Joe Cool. The electrical fire was put out, the passengers picked up, and the boat towed to my marina. you could smell it for days 100 yards away. these things make you think about "WHAT IF".... can you get to the fire? can you get to PFDs?