Firstly, I have reproduced the entire original post to show that no name has been attached to the email, just the rather anonymous email address.
Secondly I don't think anybody was seriously suggesting that petrol engines should be banned. All I was saying was that, in the hands of the wrong person, petrol is more dangerous than diesel. I also agree with your comments about the noise weight etc of diesel engines. BCNU David Crowe --- In [email protected], "bty465680" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "Les Hunt" <boater.les@> 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. >
