Portable stoves should be used ashore and not on board, the Boat Safety Scheme has warned following an explosion at Westview Marina
Boatowners have been warned about the dangers of using portable stoves on board, after a gas cooker exploded at Westview Marina (pictured above).
The incident in Cambridgeshire caused burns to a mother and daughter who needed treatment from the Ambulance service.
However, even without exploding, portable stoves can be dangerous due to the risk of poisoning by carbon monoxide – a colourless and odourless gas that is created by incomplete combustion.
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Graham Watts, manager of the Boat Safety Scheme, said: “Even portable gas equipment can cause a powerful explosion, easily big enough to send people to hospital and wreck a boat.”
He explained that liquefied fuel escaping from a gas canister expands 250 times, which releases a huge amount of energy.
Alternatives suggested by the Boat Safety Scheme include marine spirit stoves or simply using a vacuum flask to store hot drinks.
Those using gas on board should store any spare canisters in a self-draining gas locker or on a well-ventilated deck area.
