Practical Boat Owner May 2022

To receive the editor’s monthly email newsletter, go to our website: www.pbo.co.uk A float at last, I’d envisaged champagne and euphoria as we sailed Maximus triumphantly around the Solent in our ‘finished boat’. But she’s far from complete. Will she ever be? While she looked smart from below, on the water you can no longer see the gleaming antifouling, but the faded hull stripe, the missing rubbing strake and running rigging green with algae. But I couldn’t be happier. She’s watertight, with a working engine and plenty of fun projects ahead of her. Sleeping on board that first night in Chichester Marina was magical and now I get to enjoy Part 2 – above decks, taking inspiration from PBO’s contributors. This issue I met Alfie and Ceylan Moore, who graduated from renovating a…

Very cheap exhausts bought online and fitted to marine diesel heaters risk fires and fatal fumes, warns a marine surveyor and former boatbuilder. PBO’s forum, hosted on YBW.com, is full of comments about budget diesel heaters and systems available online. “Personally I’d not put anything on my yacht that hasn’t got the correct CE or new UK mark.” warns Ben of Ben Sutcliffe Marine. “There are reports every year about carbon monoxide poisoning in the news and on the Marine Accident Investigation Branch website that should be heeded. One of the problems apart from poor quality and lack of proper safe installation instructions are most are sold with a ‘truck’ exhaust and not a marine quality sealed unit. “Even if you are tempted to buy one please don’t fit one of these lethal exhausts.” After…

To receive the editor’s monthly email newsletter, go to our website: www.pbo.co.uk A float at last, I’d envisaged champagne and euphoria as we sailed Maximus triumphantly around the Solent in our ‘finished boat’. But she’s far from complete. Will she ever be? While she looked smart from below, on the water you can no longer see the gleaming antifouling, but the faded hull stripe, the missing rubbing strake and running rigging green with algae. But I couldn’t be happier. She’s watertight, with a working engine and plenty of fun projects ahead of her. Sleeping on board that first night in Chichester Marina was magical and now I get to enjoy Part 2 – above decks, taking inspiration from PBO’s contributors. This issue I met Alfie and Ceylan Moore, who graduated…

Very cheap exhausts bought online and fitted to marine diesel heaters risk fires and fatal fumes, warns a marine surveyor and former boatbuilder. PBO’s forum, hosted on YBW.com, is full of comments about budget diesel heaters and systems available online. “Personally I’d not put anything on my yacht that hasn’t got the correct CE or new UK mark.” warns Ben of Ben Sutcliffe Marine. “There are reports every year about carbon monoxide poisoning in the news and on the Marine Accident Investigation Branch website that should be heeded. One of the problems apart from poor quality and lack of proper safe installation instructions are most are sold with a ‘truck’ exhaust and not a marine quality sealed unit. “Even if you are tempted to buy one please don’t fit one…

Check your diesel heater exhaust system – if a cheap exhaust is fitted, get rid of it Buy a stainless steel tube exhaust marked for marine use – look for the CE or UK mark Ensure everything from the diesel heater to the exhaust discharge has an insulated fitting, plus an aluminium conduit to make it doubly insulated The heater must be secured on a metal or non-flammable bracket or mount, away from anything flammable The fuel line should be an ISO marked 7840 diesel line Ensure there’s a stop tap at the tank Watch Ben’s YouTube video at: youtu.be/4ul5UljPPiM The CO Research Trust warns there is a ‘lack of awareness of CO among boat users’. coresearchtrust.org/our-research/london-fire-brigade…

■ Check your diesel heater exhaust system – if a cheap exhaust is fitted, get rid of it ■ Buy a stainless steel tube exhaust marked for marine use – look for the CE or UK mark ■ Ensure everything from the diesel heater to the exhaust discharge has an insulated fitting, plus an aluminium conduit to make it doubly insulated ■ The heater must be secured on a metal or non-flammable bracket or mount, away from anything flammable ■ The fuel line should be an ISO marked 7840 diesel line ■ Ensure there’s a stop tap at the tank ■ Watch Ben’s YouTube video at: youtu.be/4ul5UljPPiM ■ The CO Research Trust warns there is a ‘lack of awareness of CO among boat users’. coresearchtrust.org/our-research/london-fire-brigade…