| What to do_when you hear...

ire aboard s

If a fire is blazing
around you there isn’t

much time. _
'. Everything happens within
seconds. By thé time you find
a line and a bucket and try to
tie a bowline with trembling
hands, your boat might have
turned into a fireball. I-hhad a
first hand experience!

It was one of those perfect
summer evenings: 80° and a
light refreshing breeze. The
boat was. leaning . gently
against a logboom. I had set
up a barbeque. on the logs

-and prepared salmon’ steaks
for the crew. The breeze did
cause problems lighting the
charcoal, and after several
frustrating tries I moved the
whole settp into the
sheltered cockpit. It worked.

‘The steaks were coming
along nicely and I was so
proud of my idea.

Meanwhile, the crew pre-
pared a delicious salad in the
galley and I slipped below to
‘supervise’ and steal a piece
of cheese.

Suddenly, - ‘I smell:

smoke, what’s . burning?’’
“‘Gee, I smell it too. It’s
outside - I think.’’ ‘‘The
steaks. Damn, if forgot about
the steaks.’’ I leaped out of
the galley and up through the
hatch. Hot air hit my face.
The whole cockpit was on
‘fire.

My first reaction,was to
get a bucket of water. But
how? It was inside the
cockpit seat - and that was
covered with flames. The fire
extinguisher hung safely in
the galley too far away to
reach. The flames licked the
boom above the cockpit. The
main sail might be on fire at
any second.

Remember, ’ these
thoughts flashed through my
mind within a couple of
seconds. A blanket in the
pilot’s berth caught my
glance. Without
twice I grabbed it and threw
it over the flames. At the
same time I yelled out
‘*FIRE”’ as loud as I could.
_ The blanket caught fire. Out
of nowhere a second blanket
flew into the cockpit. Thank
God, one of my crew was on
the ball. It worked. The
greedy flames were under
control.

Much later I thought the
whole incident over and over
again. Why didn’t I have a
fire extinguisher handy?

A couple of weeks ago the
Power Squadrons arganised
a marine fire safety lecture at
the Windsor High School on
Seymour Parkway and Fire
Chief Don Tardiff showed an
. interesting display of fire
extinguishers and other dev-
ices for fire protection. 1 was
surprised that only 14 people
were present.

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Does everyone know what
to ‘do when there is a fire:on.

board? Do you know how to
usé a fire extinguisher? Have
you. ever read the instruc-
tions? Did you know. that

‘indoor/outdoor carpets are a

fire hazard, since the_syn-
thetic fibre is flammable?
How do you remove spilled
gasoline from the bilge of
your pleasure boat? This has’
always been a touchy situa-
tion. ,

It, involves sending some-
one into an area saturated
with gasoline fumes, often
well. above the explosive
limit. And to-complicate the
problem, very little protec-
tion can be offered to the fire
fighter below deck, who has
no means of easy escape in
case of an explosion.

The Dow Chemical Com- - :

pany has finally found a
chemical that neutralizes and
absorbs gasoline. They are
hydrocarbon imbiber beads.
These beads absorb many
times their own volunie. It’s
primarily used for cleaning
up major oil spills on land or
sea, but I was informed that
it is also sold in 6x6 inch
packets. All you do is throw
them into your bilge. The
absorb at least a .quart of
gasoline.

' Handling the gasoline
after it has been absorbed by
the beads is much less
hazardous because of the
change in the physical
characteristics of the gaso-

line after being imbibed in |

the material.

There is a _ new fire
extinguisher on the market
which is in my opinion a
gteat invention for large
motor yachts with saloons as
large as an ordinary living
room. Instead of keeping an
extinguisher in each corner
of the room, a ‘‘Thermatic’’
unit can be installed between
the deck beams.

We all know about the
battery operated smoke
alarm unit. Don’t think they
are only good for your house
or apartment. If you sleep in
the forepeak of a 50 footer,
your aft cabin might burn out
without your noticing it.

‘Don Tardiff from the fire
department intends to give
another lecture on _ fire
protection before spring ar-
rives, and he promised to let
me know the exact date, so
you'll know about it. He'll
explain various fire exting-
uishers for different fires,
show visual aids like films
and explain the latest pro-
tection methods. By the way,
if you don’t believe in all
this, the sure way to
extinguish your fire is by
pulling the plug. Makes
sense, there’s so much water
around,

Ensures Your

ERELULELTEYEDUE EET EEEDELECEESTUEO ITER ELT EEL

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poe
ame

= ee eee Td

‘

Come get a taste of.the sea,
without getting your feet wet.

= Rah PR AL ES ;

&

Page 17, March 18, 1979 - Sunday News

Visit one of the Marine Trades Association member
dealers listed below and get all the poop on

boating. Before the boating season starts. _

Take the wheel, man the lifeboats, study the charts,
play with the controls, learn the ropes, and above

all, ask lots of questions.

That way, if and when you decide to buy your own

boat, you won't feel all at sea.

And that makes the good boating life even better.

So take the time to talk to an expert, your local

marine dealer.

Come aboard for Good Times ’79.

And find out what you’re getting into, before you get

- into it.

E.Z. Loader - the Original Self-Adjusting All-Roller
Boat Trailers at your Marine Trades Association
dealer.

Bank of British Cotumbia, Canada’s Western Bank.

See your Marine Trades Association Johnson
Outboard dealer.

See your Marine Trades Association Evinrude
Outboard dealer.

See your Marine Trades Association OMC Stern
Drive dealer.

See your closet Mercury Outboard and Mercrulser
Stern Drive dealer.

Bayshore Yacht Sales, foot of Cardero at the
Bayshore inn. Your Bayliner yacht dealer.

Speciality Yacht Sales, False Creek Marina. .
Featuring Sun, Alberg and Whitby sailboats.

Marineland Yacht Sales, Delta's River inn Hotel,
Richmond. Sliverline, Reinell, Fairline boat dealer.

Compass Polnt Yachts, Vancouver Marina, Rich-
mond, B.C. Silverton, Trojan, Bertram Yacht Dealer.

Kite Marine Ltd., 1502 West 2nd Ave., Vancouver.
Your one-stop yachting supply centre.

ee |
Marine Trades
Association

OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

Pennant Marina Ltd., 335 North:'Road, Coquitiam.
Your dealer for Sangster boats, Johnson Outboards
end Roadrunner trailers.

Meridian Yacht Sales, 415 West Esplanade at
Mosquito Creek Marina, North Vancouver. Your
North Shore dealer for Catalina, Seabird and power
and sailboat brokerage.

Harbour Yacht Sales Ltd., 5908 Marine Drive at
Fisherman’s Cove, West Vancouver. Your deater for
Bayfield, Mirage and power and sallboat brokerage.

The Jib Set Cruising Club, your downtown Van-
couver sailing centre. Lessons, rentals and charters.

Blue Water Yachts Ltd., 1000 Taylor Street. We sell
sailing.

Capstan Marine, 8120 Westminster Highway at

Number 3 Road. Your Richmond Mercury Outboard
dealer.

Thunderbird Yacht Sales, at Thunderbird Marina,

West Vancouver. Your Bayliner power and sailboat
dealera.

Coal Harbour Yacht Sales. Coal Harbour Whart on
Cardero Street.

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