By Staff Writer
Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is being blamed for an increasing number of boating deaths. Boaters cannot detect CO, as it is a colourless and odourless gas. CO is produced during the incomplete combustion of fossil fuel and can cut off the oxygen supply to the body. It can cause death in minutes.
CO can be generated by idling your engine, heating your cabin, or cooking in poorly ventilated areas. Be especially careful in areas which have been modified, such as cabin extensions and areas fitted with canvas tops. Use a carbon-monoxide detector that has been designed for use in a vessel and check its batteries before every trip.
A swimmer can be overcome by CO poisoning in a few breaths and drown. Swimmers and divers are at risk of CO poisoning in areas under platforms mounted on vessels or between the pontoons of houseboats.
There is also a danger when boat engines have been left to idle in poorly ventilated areas. Watch out for the back-draft effect: a tail wind can carry CO back into the vessel.
CO can build up in vessel spaces when two vessels are tied to each other, in vessels where an improper load distribution causes the bow to ride high, and near the exhaust terminus of portable generators when the vessel is stationary and the generator is running.
For more information on CO poisoning, visit the Office of Boating Safety website at www.boatingsafety.gc.ca or phone toll-free at 1-800-267-6687.