Bill would allow 'switchable exhausts' on boats

[VtSteve]

I still think that they were anchored from the stern and fishing, a no no in those conditions offshore.

Thanks for the link APS, that was very helpful.

[NoBozo]

Water backing in through a through hull exhaust will NOT sink the boat. It will only STOP the engine. ("Look up Reversion"). A failed bellows will NOT sink the boat. After a failed bellows..the water has to get through the gimbal bearing...only a trickle. Just sayin....NB

[ApS]

Originally Posted by chipj29

you should find an article for a sail boat that sank due to running aground. It would be just as relevant.

Some interest has gathered.

Originally Posted by VtSteve

I still think that they were anchored from the stern and fishing, a no no in those conditions offshore.

1) Anchoring from the stern is a safety issue not yet addressed by SBONH-NHRBA: It cost the lives of NFL football players, who shed their PFDs to reach shore or rescue. This lack of "Common Sense" was reported widely, but only because of the NFL connection.

SBONH-NHRBA can't be blamed for being ignorant of it.

2) The family was proceeding forward according to Soundings' December issue: "Insufficient exhaust baffles" was the reason given for the 38' Fountain's disasterous capsize and near-tragedy just ½-mile from shore.

3) Including the two above articles, Soundings reports huge numbers of safety issues and is available at newstands such as "Black's Paper Store" in Wolfeboro.

Originally Posted by hazelnut

So actually thanks APS for raising the issue and helping to illustrate yet another benefit to switchable exhaust.

Me?

One individual is "trumping" an entire organization "devoted to safety on Lake Winnipesaukee"?



Actually, I expect SBONH-NHRBA to be seen eventually for the noisy, alcohol-fueled "speed-freaks" that they are: I just like to contribute where I can.

[ITD]

I don't like loud boats and think boats should be as quiet as possible at all times, I hope this bill fails.

[classic22]

ITD, Just to be clear on the intent of this bill....It would take a boat that is IN COMPLIANCE with the current State of NH laws regarding decibel levels of boat exhaust, and give the captain of the vessel the opportunity to make his boat quieter. I think most logical people would think that this option would be welcomed in NH, just like it is everywhere else in the country.

[ITD]

Originally Posted by classic22

ITD, Just to be clear on the intent of this bill....It would take a boat that is IN COMPLIANCE with the current State of NH laws regarding decibel levels of boat exhaust, and give the captain of the vessel the opportunity to make his boat quieter. I think most logical people would think that this option would be welcomed in NH, just like it is everywhere else in the country.

Thanks Classic, I get that and understand that the bill doesn't make noise above the present limit legal. But the law can also and most likely will be used to make quiet boats louder, and I think that sucks. Too much noise already, and trust me, I'm not a kayak paddling, granola crunching environmentalist here, I just hate unnecessary noise. My opinion....

[classic22]

Originally Posted by ITD

Thanks Classic, I get that and understand that the bill doesn't make noise above the present limit legal. But the law can also and most likely will be used to make quiet boats louder, and I think that sucks. Too much noise already, and trust me, I'm not a kayak paddling, granola crunching environmentalist here, I just hate unnecessary noise. My opinion....

ITD, while I appreciate your concerns, the cost of modifyng a quiet boat into a "switchable exhaust" would most likely be prohibitive with the cost to modify in the 3k range. Most of the boats you hear on the lake today that might be considered by some as offensive, actually are legal and have mufflers. Most boaters today that want some "sound" to their boat would just opt for above water line exhaust with mufflers, and be perfectly happy and legal. Alot of boats produced by manufactures today with above water line exhaust build them with a switch to quiet them even further. It seems counter intuitive that the same boat has to be modified today to remove the switch to be able to legally operate in NH waters, regardless if it is legal on the "loud" setting. This law also drives away tourists, who may choose to take their boating dollars somewhere else, because they would have to modify their boat today to be compliant with law in NH and no where else.This new proposed legislation makes sense for residents of NH and tourists alike.

[VtSteve]

Originally Posted by ITD

I don't like loud boats and think boats should be as quiet as possible at all times, I hope this bill fails.

ITD, as Classic said, I don't think you understand the bill, nor the exhaust. APS has a way of making one's eyes cross and brain twist in such a way, well, in a way that makes one very confused.

We'll have a real grown up discussion of this somewhere I guess. I don't really like loud boats either, so that's not my agenda.

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by Acres per Second

The family was proceeding forward according to Soundings' December issue: "Insufficient exhaust baffles" was the reason given for the 38' Fountain's disasterous capsize and near-tragedy just ½-mile from shore.

I'm trying to think of a way a properly operating exhaust system could cause a boat to capsize. I cannot fathom why it would make a boat take on water. My boat's exhaust is wide open and completely submerged when not on plane, yet my boat does not sink becuase the exhaust has to travel upwards, above the waterline before turning down to exit out of my stern drive. I would think that the root cause was a design flaw or poorly executed modification that affected the height of the elbows on the exhaust system, not the location of the outlets or the lack of baffles within.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by Dave R

I'm trying to think of a way a properly operating exhaust system could cause a boat to capsize. I cannot fathom why it would make a boat take on water. My boat's exhaust is wide open and completely submerged when not on plane, yet my boat does not sink becuase the exhaust has to travel upwards, above the waterline before turning down to exit out of my stern drive. I would think that the root cause was a design flaw or poorly executed modification that affected the height of the elbows on the exhaust system, not the location of the outlets or the lack of baffles within.

The article (and the investigation) consists of two 12" x 16" pages with too many paragraphs to type out, but I found a picture!



You can tell it's a Fountain "by the nose".

(I read that at www.winnipesaukee.com after a Fountain sank below Lake Winnipesaukee waters).

With their very heavy iron engines, Fountains and most other GFBLs float (and idle) "stern-down"—and very visibly. Intuition would tell us they're already prone to capsize.

Since twin 496 MerCruiser engines are heavy—and the 38' boat had so many of its crew aft I suspect that even "factory-designed" exhausts would be overwhelmed when displaced below the waterline.

The article doesn't address such a "loading-fault" by the operator, but the operator paid to have the boat raised from the bottom, and has likely omitted any data that could later prove incriminating.

(This is an insured six-year-old boat).

1) So what happens when there are two channels through which to sink a boat in this manner?

2) As hazelnut has put-forward, wouldn't real safety for New Hampshire boaters mandate that all boats have "switchable exhausts" installed—so a Captain can save his boat and crew from a capsize and sinking?

[Wolfeboro_Baja]

HB-441 passed the House and Senate and reportedly has been signed into law by Gov. Lynch today!!