Paul45c
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2006
- Messages
- 947
- Status
- OWNER - I own a Hatteras Yacht
- Hatteras Model
- Not Currently A Hatteras Owner
Yow. Just got finished paying $1200 for a new fire bottle in "101." The old one didn't pass spec, which is no great surprise. I saw that one coming for a couple of years, now. I think a good part of the problem for how it rusted so badly was the layers of what appeared to be marine ply, jigsawed out to conform around the shape of the bottle's foot. That wood of course got totally waterlogged and rotten. Nothing that some new starboard and a better design couldn't cure, which is what I did. I also ended up elevating the bottle another couple of inches to get it further from that center bilge splash.
I was jawing with the tech as he was wrapping up, and shared with him what I believe Karl (Genesis) had said about the risk of a fatigued bottle bottom blowing a hole through the bottom of the boat. He thought for a second and said that it's possible. Generally, he said, you'll get just enough rust in one area that the CO2 will leak out kind of gradually, but it all depends on when that moment of fatigue becomes critical. If it happened while the engine room was up to its normal high operating temp, he said the pressure in the bottle becomes enormous and it could explode. Something to think about for you other convertible guys with wet bottle locations.
One other interesting idea he brought up. You ever hear the horror stories of mechanics and fire techs working in a really tight inaccessible part of the engine room when the auto fire system goes off? Whether it's CO2 or Halon, you can die if you can't get out soon enough. This guy said many fire bottles he deals with are located outboard of the engines, and he's definitely got that issue. What a simple safety plan he came up with -- don't know why I didn't think of it. He totes one of those small scuba pony bottles with a fixed regulator on it in his toolbag. That's a great idea, and for someone in his line of work, it's just what the doctor ordered. Still, for many boatowners, they wouldn't go to that length. So, I got to thinking...maybe just a simple Mark 1 Mod 0 3/4 or 1" hose run outside the boat (say, through an ER vent) within easy reach would do just as well. You'd just have to remember to string it before you get in one of those @#$* places.
I was jawing with the tech as he was wrapping up, and shared with him what I believe Karl (Genesis) had said about the risk of a fatigued bottle bottom blowing a hole through the bottom of the boat. He thought for a second and said that it's possible. Generally, he said, you'll get just enough rust in one area that the CO2 will leak out kind of gradually, but it all depends on when that moment of fatigue becomes critical. If it happened while the engine room was up to its normal high operating temp, he said the pressure in the bottle becomes enormous and it could explode. Something to think about for you other convertible guys with wet bottle locations.
One other interesting idea he brought up. You ever hear the horror stories of mechanics and fire techs working in a really tight inaccessible part of the engine room when the auto fire system goes off? Whether it's CO2 or Halon, you can die if you can't get out soon enough. This guy said many fire bottles he deals with are located outboard of the engines, and he's definitely got that issue. What a simple safety plan he came up with -- don't know why I didn't think of it. He totes one of those small scuba pony bottles with a fixed regulator on it in his toolbag. That's a great idea, and for someone in his line of work, it's just what the doctor ordered. Still, for many boatowners, they wouldn't go to that length. So, I got to thinking...maybe just a simple Mark 1 Mod 0 3/4 or 1" hose run outside the boat (say, through an ER vent) within easy reach would do just as well. You'd just have to remember to string it before you get in one of those @#$* places.
