Author Topic: School of the Boat 7Oct2008 - Some Basics - part 2  (Read 13800 times)

Offline JTheotonio

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School of the Boat 7Oct2008 - Some Basics - part 2
« on: October 07, 2008, 03:01:09 PM »
Mark was so fast on the first question I have hardly time to come up with the next one.  But, I do have this question, still talking about fires.

What are the components of a fire? That is what is needed to sustain fire?  This one should come right out of your Boy Scouting books.

When you stop and think about the answer to this one, you can see the importance of general housekeeping on a boat.  Certain things just beg for starting fires.  Good damage control actually starts before an emergency.  In this case we can prevent fires by keeping house clean
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Offline Mark Sarsfield

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Re: School of the Boat 7Oct2008 - Some Basics - part 2
« Reply #1 on: October 07, 2008, 03:56:41 PM »
It's the Oxygen-Fuel-Heat triangle.  If you remove one, the fire will go out.

Regards,
Mark Sarsfield
USS Batfish reenactor



"If you have one bucket that can hold 5 gallons and one bucket that can hold 2 gallons, how many buckets do you have?" - IQ test from Idiocracy

Offline JTheotonio

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Re: School of the Boat 7Oct2008 - Some Basics - part 2
« Reply #2 on: October 07, 2008, 07:37:50 PM »
Are you a closet fireman Mark? Right again - very good.

Now let's see what we can do with this.  Let's list all the hypothetical places that a fire can start.  Don't just list compartments because that is not the point - any compartment can have a fire.  But where - can we have a fire in a torpedo tube?  In this exercise we just want to list possible spots on board that may be candidates for fires. No right answers on this one - OK
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Offline Lance Dean

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Re: School of the Boat 7Oct2008 - Some Basics - part 2
« Reply #3 on: October 07, 2008, 08:20:05 PM »
The oily mess in a lower level engine room, combined with the wind blowing through the sub, seems like a dangerous combination.

Offline JTheotonio

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Re: School of the Boat 7Oct2008 - Some Basics - part 2
« Reply #4 on: October 07, 2008, 09:43:20 PM »
Yes we have a flow of wind when surfaced, but that may not be enough - oily area on engine room counts Lance.   So we have one possible source for fires.

Remember this only had two sides of the triangle.  I still give Lance a point.
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Offline Lance Dean

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Re: School of the Boat 7Oct2008 - Some Basics - part 2
« Reply #5 on: October 07, 2008, 09:55:45 PM »
Ok ok ok, oily rags in lower engine room, flow of air through the sub, frayed and overheated extension cord.  Put them all together.

 ;D

Offline Mark Sarsfield

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Re: School of the Boat 7Oct2008 - Some Basics - part 2
« Reply #6 on: October 08, 2008, 10:09:21 AM »
Any place that electrical equipment or wires run.  If a fuse fails to blow and too much current is drawn (i.e. a short), a fire will result.  Also, frayed wiring can arc and cause other nearby items to ignite.  Motors can overheat and burn up.  Anywhere that there is a torpedo fuel leak is a fire hazard, since a lot of guys smoked on the boat back then.  Motor oil and diesel fuel have high flash points.  it would take an incredible amount of heat to set them ablaze.  Clothing and matresses burn easily if they come into contact with an open flame/heat source like a cigarette or lighter.  Grease in the galley and especially in the vent duct work could be dangerous if it ever ignited.  Hydrogen gas from batteries would end a boat and crew's career pretty quickly.

Regards,
Mark Sarsfield
USS Batfish reenactor



"If you have one bucket that can hold 5 gallons and one bucket that can hold 2 gallons, how many buckets do you have?" - IQ test from Idiocracy

Offline JTheotonio

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Re: School of the Boat 7Oct2008 - Some Basics - part 2
« Reply #7 on: October 08, 2008, 06:19:10 PM »
you caught the sneaking one - oily galley vents were trouble and something many people forget.  "Fat Eddie" our cook striker was always flaring up a  well burnt steak on the grill.  So we always had a fire extinguisher near him.  And "Scrotum Doyle"  was grease from head to toe so his clothes and fart sack could ignite with almost any flame (Scrotum was a MM, so don't ask).  So you got a lot of the good ones Mark. If Darrin hasn't moved you to the head of the class I will.

When we loaded for stores for a long patrol (nothing like in WWII), we had provisions stuffed, stacked and crammed ever where. Torpedo Rooms were a great place for crates of food.  We also seemed to be the place to store ice cream cones.  They fit well up on the cable and pipe runs.  Besides tripping and walking hazards all of these stores created problems of fire hazards.

Now what abut Maneuvering Room, or the sonar and radio rooms?  And one big one - that storage area under the galley for stores.  Each place meant fighting a potential fire in a very confined space and possibly having to fight a fire from above it.

Museum boats most likely have many of these hazards, but also consider that you probably store paint and paint thinner in tucked away places.  So be aware of what you have stored, where it is stored and have the proper extinguisher on hand.
« Last Edit: October 08, 2008, 06:20:51 PM by JTheotonio »
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