It can happen on any boat, but back drafting is more common on larger vessels. This circular airflow pattern of exhaust back towards your boat is referred to as the station wagon or back-draft effect. If you’re driving at a high-bow angle, which can be caused by overloading or improperly-loading your boat, it can draw exhaust fumes back towards your boat. When possible, run the boat so that prevailing winds will help dissipate exhaust. Wind coming from the aft or rear of a boat can increase the buildup of CO on board. Traveling at slow speeds or idling in the water can cause CO to build up on board and on the water’s surface nearby. Operating a boat in a way that creates fresh air circulation at all times is the best preventative. This can even happen within 20 feet of other boats. That can cause CO to accumulate in the cabin or cockpit of larger boats and on the water’s surface nearby. Plus, when several boats are tied together or docked with generators or engines running, sometimes ventilation louvers and exhaust outlets may become blocked. It’s popular on lakes and rivers to raft boats together and you don’t know if others have properly maintained their engines or exhaust systems. Schedule regular engine and exhaust system maintenance inspections by experienced and trained technicians. Make sure all exhaust clamps are in place and secure. Replace exhaust hoses if any evidence of cracking, charring, or deterioration is found. An improperly-tuned engine is more likely to produce elevated levels of CO and this is more common on older boats. Exhaust leaks are the leading cause of death by CO. Properly maintaining gasoline-powered engines and generators are critical to preventing CO poisoning. Besides wearing a properly-fitted life jacket when playing in the water around boats, these are some other things that you need to know about CO poisoning when boating. In high enough concentrations of CO, only a few breaths can cause someone to pass out, and if they’re in the water, and not wearing a properly-fitted life jacket, they drown quickly and silently. This puts people in the water around boats at greater risk because their mouth is typically at the same level that CO sits on top of the water. When you’re playing in the water around boats, especially if it’s a calm day without any wind blowing, CO can sit on top of the water’s surface. However, you’re more likely to be able to identify these symptoms when the victim is on the boat and not in the water. They include headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, seizures, chest pain, confusion, and loss of consciousness. The symptoms of someone suffering from CO poisoning are very similar, and often confused with, seasickness or alcohol intoxication. They were able to get the little girl to fresh air immediately and get emergency help for her and she recovered. The aunt recognized what was happening when the girl’s eyes rolled back in her head and she began to pass out. Fortunately, her aunt was on board and she was a nurse. Coast Guard, if you can smell exhaust, then CO is present.Īt a lake near me, a 5-year old sitting in the back of a rental pontoon boat became overcome by CO. It’s a colorless, odorless, gas that can poison or kill someone who breathes too much of it. The first thing to know is CO is created by gasoline-powered engines, including onboard generators. If you or someone you know enjoys going boating or playing in the water around boats, these are things you should know in order to stop any further injuries or deaths from this silent killer. Sadly, every year people are injured or killed from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning either on or near boats.
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