Subject:Fire safety aboard

Date:01/24/2000

SO when you bought your sailboat you equipped it with USCG approved fire extinguishers in USCG approved marine fire extinguisher brackets-- right???--- (what year was that??)   On an inspected vessel you are required to have the extinguishers examined and certified on a yearly basis.   On a recreational vessel it is likely your fire extinguishers have been sitting in their brackets for years....sure you look at the gauge every few months to see it is still holding a charge or press the button to see it spring back indicating it is holding pressure.  BUT you should do more on those occasions---- for the dry chemical fire extinguishers commonly found on small boats it is recommended that every six months you should remove the fire extinguisher from its bracket, hold it upside down and shake it to insure the dry chemical inside has not caked together. (you can feel the chemical inside shift)   One of my clients insurance surveys required he (I) certify the boats fire extinguishers.  Only one of the three passed, the two that failed were portable Halon charged extinguishers and they were just over 12 years old.  Because of their age they required hydrostatic testing  (the gauges read full charge). The $60 fee for hydrostatic testing seems a bit high when a new fire extinguisher can be bought for +/- $20.       if you have a sharp surveyor doing an insurance survey  you may be asked to get your extinguishers certified if they are over a year old, dry chemical extinguishers need hydro's after only 5 years, it would probably be cheaper to buy new than get hydros..
    Also keep in mind the USCG requirements are _minimum_ requirements,   please read:  

http ://www.boatus.com/boattech/firex.htm

  if you have those old halon _portable_ extinguishers on your vessel keep in mind halon is odorless and colorless (should not be used in confined space) ---- The extinguisher service felt that the _portable_ halons were an inappropriate choice for a small sailboat-- Halon systems were more commonly installed in vessels as fixed systems (vs portable) for use in remote or self activated uninhabited enclosed spaces (small engine rooms).