Stay Nice And Cozy - With Care!
Published: Tuesday, November 19, 2019
By: Pantaenius America Ltd
Naturally, every owner prefers a comforting temperature on board of one’s vessel. During wintertime, this is not only cozy, but also keeps the boat dry. When using heaters and fans, however, caution is advised, as they are a regular source of danger that can lead to damages and losses in winter storage facilities, or whenever left running unattended.
"In principle, diesel or gas heaters, as they are frequently found on sailing and motor yachts, are unproblematic – provided they are properly operated and installed. Unfortunately, this is not always the case," states John Bishara, Sales Manager at the yacht insurance specialist, Pantaenius.
During wintertime, the insurance expert regularly witnesses cases in which the cause of the damage lies in the heating system. As so often, the devil is in the details. Even small inattentions, such as a carelessly placed dry bag in front of the hot air outlet or a bend in the ventilation hose, can turn into a serious fire hazard by creating a jam of hot air.
Actually, an automatic ventilation system to prevent such air jams, is a standard today. However, Bishara has often experienced that heaters are only equipped with closable outlets, so that accumulated air cannot escape by other means when all outlets are shut. Bishara further expresses that, "It is therefore essential to ensure that the ventilation system works properly".
Electrical heating systems, such as oil radiators, should also not be underestimated. In this case, care must be taken to ensure that they are specially designed for humid rooms and have appropriate residual current protection against short circuits. In any case, such electrical heating systems should not be operated unattended in continuous operation, for example in winter storage. The devices are generally not approved for such use anyway.
According to Bishara, however, the greatest risk potential is still offered by fan heaters and continues by stating that, "It only takes one feather from the down sleeping bag, which is sucked in by the fan heater and blown out again as a spark".
Fan heaters are often used in winter storage to quickly get the moisture out of the ship. "Basically, the dryer a ship, the slower the aging process," asserts John Bishara. However, that doesn't mean that a fan heater should be kept running all the time.
"We have witnessed cases where four or five fan heaters were connected to one socket in continuous operation. No wonder that the power line would be overloaded and a cable fire would break out,” says Bishara.
These represent only a few cases of the many possible scenarios that support that fan heaters can only be used for short periods of time. It is better to ensure adequate ventilation and air circulation instead. As an alternative, many specialist dealers recommend so-called ceramic heating fans, which are intended to offer increased operational reliability due to non-glowing ceramic heating elements.
One should always seek expert advice when purchasing and operating heating systems and fans, because in the worst case, insurance coverage can be lost in the event of damage to systems installed unprofessionally, inadequately, defectively, etc.
Do I really need insurance while my boat is in winter storage?
Some owners believe that since their boat is not navigating, there is little to no risk while the boat is in winter storage. Especially in winter storage, the Pantaenius Claims department is disproportionately exposed to total losses. These unfortunate occurrences are mainly due to repeated indoor fires.
If such a fire occurs while the vessel is in winter storage, the result is usually devastating for the owner; little can be saved. Anyone without comprehensive coverage has little chance of being compensated.
Conversely, the risk of liability also exists. Third Party Liability insurance should also be a standard component in your plans to winterize your boat. For example, carelessness with antifouling paint or unqualified welding workmanship is enough to ruin the teak deck of your neighbor, for which you may be liable for and, without appropriate coverage, you will have to pay for those expenses on your own, which can be quite costly.
This article first appeared in the Year End Issue (Nov/Dec) 2019 of Great Lakes Scuttlebutt magazine.
tags: Insurance, safety, Winterization
