--- In [email protected], "Les Hunt" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "David Crowe" <member@> wrote: > > > > I remember seeing the reconstruction of the boater who refueled his > > outboard engine while in a lock. The petrol fumes wafted into the > > cabin where there was a gas fridge (lit of coure, and no balanced > > flue). Very dramatic and no, I wouldn't have wanted to be in the > > lock with him. > > > > I think anybody who uses petrol on a boat should be required to > take > > an intelligence test, to prove they are not so stupid. > > > > BCNU > > David Crowe > > > > > > Then there's the story of the couple who arrived at their narrowboat > one cold friday evening for a weekend's cruise. They attempted to > light the Squirrel, with no success, and finding there were no > firelighters on board decided to pour a small quantity of petrol into > the Squirrel. > > Goodbye Squirrel, goodbye personal posessions, goodbye narrowboat, > goodbye neighbouring boats! I believe that the two occupants escaped, > badly burned. > > Les >
ALL the power driven boats I have owned (the last 35 years or so) have been petrol powered. Mainly as two stroke petrol boats were the norm up until recently and also the power to weight ratio is still far superior. I couldn't even contemplate the cost of owning anything even inboard powered, let alone diesel. Some friends of mine have a narrow boat and the cost of repairs to their engine have been totally frightening; each repair coating more than I've ever spent on a whole engine. Yes it is true that petrol (and it's fumes) explodes rather than burns, hence it's ability to produce so much power from such a small engine, therefore making it more necessary to be careful and aware of how to handle and treat it within a boating environment (or any environment for that matter); but, and it's a big but: 1) It is considerabley more environmentally friendly if spilt (it evaporates in a few minutes), especially in to the water. 2) It will be cheaper after November when Red Diesel is banned from the waterways. 3) The cost of repairs to petrol engines seems much lower than to inboard diesels. 4) For smaller boats it is the only option as diesel outboards never took off and were ridiculously heavy. 5) On boats that I didn't use in the winter, or for servicing, a petrol outboard can be lifted from the boat to be taken in to be serviced or home to be kept indoors during cold snaps. 6) Petrol engines are smoother, quieter, and much less smokey. The down sides are: 1) The inherrant danger (overcome by cautious use) 2) Lack of electrical system should theoretically make it more reliable, but most diesels have some electronics these days anyway so this advantage has been lost. 3) Availability of fuel, which has become worse in recent years as more smaller garages close. Overall, I couls never afford to buy, let alone maintain a diesel engined boat, so there are those of us for whom petrol is the only option. I am sorry to sound harsh, but it is comments that provoke the removal of the right to use petrol that further promote the use of canals by the very rich only, driving us minimum wagers off the canals. I used to earn a lot more than I do now, in fact three times what I earn now, but a series of events has left me in this position and my health now dictates that pressure typr jobs or any kind of promotion is no longer an option, and I am already forced to explore our canals by means of day boats only, so I find it quite offensive to suggest that I am denied the right to use the canals due to cost. A day licence has already increased by 500% in the last ten years which I think is a little above inflation, and be warned, those of you on high incomes could suddenly find themselves on minimum wage very quickly and without warning due to no fault of your own, so do not assume anything. Petrol is a most suitable method of propulsion for canal boats provided it is treated with respect, and I agree that anyone who refuels a petrol boat in the boat is behaving badly whether they have a fridge lit or not, but as long as everything is done correctly, there should be no problems. Petrol driven speed boats (very common in the seventies) always had bilge blowers fitted to remove unwanted fumes safely from the engine compartment, and with the cost of diesel about to rocket for boats, an LPG converted petrol engine has to be a good solution. In my opinion, anyway.
