Carbon Monoxide Detector
 

After motoring for a couple of hours recently, I heard a beeping from the cabin and found that my carbon monoxide (CO) detector had gone off. I installed the detector as a general precaution, but did not expect the engine to set it off because I never smelled any exhaust fumes. No one was down below, but if they were they could have become sick, or worst (remember Vitas Gerulaitis?).

If CO detectors are not required on boats, they should be. Fuel stoves and heaters would be another dangerous producer in the enclosed space of the cabin. Also, the gas can drift in when running down wind through an open hatch.

I found my detector at a super mart after shopping around. It was $28 on sale. It is powered by a 9V battery I replace once or twice a year. Installation consisted of putting one screw into the wood bulkhead and hanging it up.

Marine detector
 

I just read an editors response in Boat US magazine concerning home CO detectors. It was stated that home CO detectors can react to high humidity and the chemicals used in boat manufacturing, creating a false alarm. For that reason, a marine CO detector is recommended by Boat US.

required
 

I just read in BoatUS magazine that carbon monoxide detectors are required on all new boats with enclosed cabins that use gasoline or open-flame combustion for any purpose. Note that CO is produced by burning propane stoves as well. It also said CO is lighter than gasoline fumes, which implies it may mix with the air. CO also affects the body very rapidly.

I highly recommend installing CO2 detector. In a recent rough trip on the way out of the Merrimac River, with 3 children on board down below my CO2 detector went off. I had broken exhaust pipe that was pumping exhaust straight into the cabin. The detector was a Lowe's $30 dollar detector.

We learned with a Canadian Tire CO detector how rapidly the aft cabin in a previous boat got CO contamination from the transom exhaust while under way with the aft lights open.

Hmm. CO detector
 

So, for $60, I can pick up a marine CO detector that is 9V powered.

Where should I mount it? In the quaterberth where no one hangs out and we usually just store things, or maybe up on a bulkhead near the center of the boat where we usually hang out if we are down below?

Which way does CO migrate? up? down?

I would recommend placing at least 2 CO detectors in your cabin. I have one up in the V berth and another one near the engine compartment/aft berth area. When I previously had CO problems, a couple of times the V-berth detector would go off with high readings, but the one near the aft berth didn't. Ventilation was the reason for the descrepancy. I didn't have the forward hatch open, but had the companionway hatch open. CO tends to migrate to and hang out in unventilated or poorly ventilated areas.

Shawn-
Ditto what Kurt just said.
With a 30 foot boat you should have two. V and Q Berths are the most popular...

thanks guys..I guess this was something the PO never worried about..but I know my powerboat buddies with gas motors have them...seems like an important addition....moreso after I just spent a great weekend on the boat, but we motored 8 hours each way with no wind.