Hunter Marine HUNTER 25, Owner'S Manual, Page: 15 / 128

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Safety TuneUp
At Hunter Marine, we believe that it is appropriate to highlight some very important
maintenance and safety issues to all of our boat owners. Our goal is to have all owners enjoy
safe and trouble-free boating at all times.
Although this publication is not all-inclusive, it does cover some very important responsibilities
of boat maintenance and ownership. We ask that you insert this into your owner's manual or
boat log for quick and easy reference when using your boat. In addition, please go to
http://www .huntermarine.com for archived issues of this publication. You are also
encouraged to refer to the current edition of Chapman’s Piloting, Seamanship and Small Boat
Handling, or U.S. Sailing’s Keel Boat Manual.
CarbonMonoxide Safety
Carbon Monoxide Can Kill
This section is intended to provide educational information about carbon monoxide relative to
boats and boating. Carbon monoxide accumulation is affected by boat geometry, hatch,
window and door openings, ventilation openings, proximity to other structures and boats, wind
direction, boat speed, boat maintenance and a multitude of other variables. This section
discusses many of these and enables the boat owner to better understand some of the more
predictable effects. However, this information is limited in that it cannot cover all conceivable
variables. Therefore, the boat owner is cautioned not to exclusively rely on it to prevent the
accumulation of carbon monoxide.
What Is Carbon Monoxide?
Carbon monoxide is a highly poisonous gas formed by the combination of carbon and oxygen.
Commonly referred to as CO, its chemical formula, "C" for carbon and "O" for oxygen. CO is a
colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that by itself cannot be detected by human senses. CO
diffuses in the air much more rapidly than other gases that are detectable by the human
senses. The weight of CO is about the same as air so it does not rise or fall like other gases
but will distribute itself throughout the boat. CO is produced any time a material containing
carbon is burned. In boating, these materials include, but are not limited to, gasoline, diesel
fuel and propane. All carbon based fuels produce varying amounts of CO, depending on their
carbon content. Gasoline is high in carbon and therefore produces high levels of CO. Diesel
fuel is low in carbon and therefore produces lower levels of CO. However, the exhaust of all
engines and generators as well as any open flame device produce CO and the same
precautions should be taken regardless of the type of fuel.