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Not that long ago, we had a new member join this forum with an F-25 that I thought actually looked like an F-26 because of the sloping line of the hull. We went out to our marina last Friday and to my pleasant surprise, there was one of these exact boats tied up in a slip across the marina from us with a young couple loading it up to go for a ride. They had apparently bought it last fall and spent the winter fixing it up. It looked pretty good to me.
The next day, they headed out again with 7 POB. A little while later were towed back into the marina due to some type of engine failure. A little while later after his guests left, he started working in it and got it started. I heard it start and as I turned to look, it died again. As I watched from across the marina, I saw him open the engine hatch and jump back as flames lept steadily from the engine bay to the top of his windsheild. His fire extinguisher was on the other side of the flames from him and he could not access it. Other boaters from his side of the marina gathered up some extinguishers to help him out but by the time the fire was out the floor was charred in places, the captains chair was burned, distributor was melted and I'm not sure how much other damage since by the time I got to see it, it was covered in extinguisher powder. Needless to say, this couple was pretty discouraged.
It was very sad to see flames leaping from a Trojan like that. I did offer up some of my knowledge to help if required however as they stood there looking at their boat, they wern't sure if they were going to repair it.
Paul
"Cruise Control" 1978 F-26HT
"No Control" 2012 9' Grand RIB
That's a real bummer. Fire is NEVER a good thing on a boat.
Makes you wonder what happened to cause it to catch on fire. From an experience I had 40 years ago on my '65 GTO, I know that back-firing through the carburetor will sometimes cause it to flame up and catch fire.
Very sad. Hope they decide to fix it. I wonder if the timing chain jumped a tooth while they were out. I had an engine in a pick-up truck do that once and cause a bad back fire from the carb when I tried to start it. Fortunately nothing caught fire.
I went to the marina last nite and saw that he was working on the boat so I drove around to the other side to have a look at the damage. All of the fire extinguisher media was cleaned up at this point and some of the electrical wiring on the engine had already been replaced. They decided to repair it. This is what I saw for damage. All of the coolant hoses are burned, distributor melted, carb burned, wiring harness on top of the engine and the house harness on the bulkhead are melted, engine hatch partially charred, some scorching up the helm and the new helm chair partially burned. Looking at the rest of the damage, it was easy to tell that this was definately a gasoline fire from the top of the engine. I also saw on the top of the engine something that I thought did not belong. It was an automotive style in line fuel filter with a piece of rubber hose at each end and spring clamps holding it in place. This filter was also melted and I'm sure it also fueled the fire.
I'm not sure what the standard was back in '73 when this boat was built but I believe that today's ABYC standard is that all lines from the pressure side of the pump to the carb are to be hard plumbed. On the suction side of the pump, flexible line can be used but only in short segments where required. I know that I have this info someware at home so I'll see if I can find it and post whet I find.
Either way, I'm glad to see that this boat will be repaired.
Paul
"Cruise Control" 1978 F-26HT
"No Control" 2012 9' Grand RIB
Glad to hear they're going to fix it. I installed an auto-discharge extinguisher in the engine compartment of our F-26. It's rated to handle the space and will kick off if temps gets to critical stage. It's mounted inside on the rear port corner of the engine compartment, in front of the gas tank and aimed at the engine. Thankfully it's never gone off. I'm thinking the flame arrestor, if installed might have prevented what sounds like a backfire through the carb. At any rate they are both lucky to come out of this with just some damage to the boat and not themselves.
Do you suppose E-10 might have had a roll in this, Maybe eating up carb gaskets or O-rings? BoatUS might like to hear about this with an investigation for there E-10 and E-15 battle with the government.
wowzer52 wrote:Do you suppose E-10 might have had a roll in this, Maybe eating up carb gaskets or O-rings? BoatUS might like to hear about this with an investigation for there E-10 and E-15 battle with the government.
Suppose it's possible. The theory so far was that there was a backfire through the carb. But the backfire would need to catch something else on fire. A fuel leak would potentially explain the fire outbreak. But it is all theory at this point. If there was a fuel leak, you have to ignite it somehow. The backfire is a possibility, but electrical sparks could do it also.
If they don't know what they are doing here, they need an expert marine mechanic to come in and diagnose the situation. There are too many possibilities. But it is good to hear that they want to fix it. I can understand how frustrating it would be to work on restoring a boat and have this happen.
Paul, I don't think the in-line filter you describe is standard. The type you're describing is aftermarket, probably automotive. It wasn't standard in '73, or '69 when mine was built. The originals have threaded ends on them to accept threaded fittings on metal lines. I find these filters a little harder to find and definately more expensive. So it's easy for people to take the easy way and go the cheaper automotive part route when they have to be replaced. Hope they put the correct ones on during the fix.
She was a 1969 36 ft wooden beauty with big blue 440s that we'll miss forever.
And thanks to the gang, 2012 Trojan Boater Of The Year
I dont think that E-10 played a part in this case. Apparently the carb had just been rebuilt. The automotive type fuel filter on top of the engine was also new and in my opinion was the leak that wowzer52 suggested needed to exist in order to start a fire. The worst of the burn pattern on top of the engine is directly beneath this filter. In order to have a filter in this location, which is on the pressure side of the pump, it needs to be a threaded piece like what Big D has which allows this section of fuel line to be fully hard plumbed.
The set up on mine, which is a '78 MerCruiser, has the fuel entering the water seperator/fuel filter mounted at the front of the engine on the exhaust manifold thru a short flex line. Then steel tube to the pump and steel tube from the pump directly up to the Quadrajet carb. The carb has a screen filter built into it's inlet. Personally, I can see no real reason to install another filter after the seperator/filter. These are big spin on filters and should catch anything in the system. As for the filter itself, I use a spin on Racor with a seperate spin on bowl that has a drain for occasional inspections.
Weather it's a pump, fuel line or a fillter, automotive fuel components have no place on a boat. That's my 2 cents.
Randy, is the extinguisher in your engine room a Halon system?
Paul
"Cruise Control" 1978 F-26HT
"No Control" 2012 9' Grand RIB
His fire extinguisher was on the other side of the flames from him and he could not access it. Other boaters from his side of the marina gathered up some extinguishers to help him out but by the time the fire was out the floor was charred in places, the captains chair was burned, distributor was melted and I'm not sure how much other damage since by the time I got to see it, it was covered in extinguisher powder. Needless to say, this couple was pretty discouraged. 
This is what I saw for damage. All of the coolant hoses are burned, distributor melted, carb burned, wiring harness on top of the engine and the house harness on the bulkhead are melted, engine hatch partially charred, some scorching up the helm and the new helm chair partially burned. Looking at the rest of the damage, it was easy to tell that this was definately a gasoline fire from the top of the engine. I also saw on the top of the engine something that I thought did not belong. It was an automotive style in line fuel filter with a piece of rubber hose at each end and spring clamps holding it in place. This filter was also melted and I'm sure it also fueled the fire. 
