[Alberg30] Small diesel

Gordon White gewhite at crosslink.net
Tue Nov 21 18:15:33 PST 2000


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     I disagree with the idea to keep going with an Atomic Four if one
HAS to be replaced, if for safety alone. I have seen a couple of dozen
boats burn, three in my area in the last two years, one a sailboat. A
man and his daughter were aboard about this time of year and had an
electric heater that set off gas from an apparent drip. The daughter
died immediately and the father lingered, horribly burned, for two weeks
before he died. As one who once spent a month in the hospital  with
third degree burns, that's pretty bad.

    When I bought my Alberg in 1991 I looked at several boats that
smelled of gas and I never even thought of making an offer on any of
them. The old updraft carburetor is a drip just waiting to happen. The
old ternplate gas tanks are probably rusty - a bomb waiting to go off. I
bought a boat with a 21 hp Westerbeke diesel.

    Yes, if you have very good maintenance and always run the blower
maybe you won't have a problem, but leaks do happen. Most A-30 galleys
have open flame. Most bilges are places where heavy fumes collect.
Sparks do happen.

    I know in the past people did things that were considered safe
enough but aren't now, in the year 2000. The Navy once flew gasoline
powered planes off carriers.Now they won't even allow JP-4 on a ship. I
do not consider a gas powered inboard safe enough for me.

                    - Gordon White, A-275
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