Safety Reminders for Holiday Boating

Here at POP Yachts, our focus is pairing buyers with boats, so naturally we advocate good maintenance and safety practices to protect your investment and keep you and your fellow boaters out of harm's way.

In a tragic turn of events, a man and his young son in Naples, Fla., were severely burned when it appears that a wet/dry vacuum was used to clean up spilled gasoline on a 28- to 30-foot docked boat, the Naples Daily News reported over the weekend. Fire officials say the vacuum may have caused a spark that lit the boat up and injured the 59-year-old man and his 11-year-old son.

With the 4th of July holiday this week, here are a few fueling reminders for those of you planning on heading out into the water (from BoaterExam.com):

• Gasoline spills and vapors are the causes of many marine fires, and can easily accumulate in the bilge.


• When stopping at the fueling station, be sure to dock securely, turn off the engine and ask all passengers to exit the boat.


• Remove any portable gas tanks.


• Turn off all electrical equipment and do not smoke.


• Close doors, windows and hatches before fueling.


• Place the nozzle completely inside tank opening when fueling.


• Never fully fill your gas tank, so the gas has room to expand and you'll avoid gasoline sloshing out of the tank.


• Make sure all valves and vents on the gas tank are open.


• When you're done fueling, be sure to tighten the cap back on the tank to limit vapors.


• Immediately wipe up any gasoline spills with a rag.


• If you can smell gas fumes and you have an inboard engine, turn the blower on for four minutes to get rid of the fumes before you start the engine.


• If you fill portable tanks, keep them in a well-ventilated area away from the engine and anything electrical.


• Keep the bilge free of trash to avoid the risk of fire.

From all of us at POP Yachts, we hope you have a fun, safe and happy 4th of July!