The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-07-19
FOSTERING LITTLE MOTOR BOATS.

/, FOSTERING LITTLE MOTOR BOATS.
The W Real Sources OF danger All he.
| You'd the Laws Fteach.
There is only one opinion held by the
owners Of small private gasdlene launches
and yacht tenders, regarding the attention
paid to them this seaso by the Govern
ment authorities. A man who has been
using boats Of this class. since the first
employment Of gasolene marine motors
said tho other day:
This Fostering OF the users of little
private motor boats on the bays.and rivers
Ia an annoyance for which there lie no rea-
sonable excuse. 1t does not contribute in
any degree toward the safety OF the lives
or Of any one else. On the other hand
1t detraots from the enjoyment of their
outing days by many persons Of limited
thes, little boats for needed recreation
but cannot afford to supply them with the
outfits which the .aw designed for larger
boats Of different classes and, uses.
For example. al acquaintance Of mine
has q FATTY about seventeen feet long that
he built himself. It has a motor Of about
2 horsepower. In this boat he and one
or two friends 60 fishing in Gravesend Bay.
One day he was hailed by a Government
vessel with:
whats the name Of that boat2'
.'She has no name answered the owner.
well, look up the regulations as to
name.' commanded the officer. and see
that they are followed
with q name on her bows and stern
in letters Of regulation sire the little cy-
press box would have looked like some
body's Gignboard adrift.
" where are your life preservers2' the
officer demanded.
"The owner pointed to a ri ng buoy.
THAT won't do; get life preservers.
Got a whistle and sailing lights2'
"No.'
well. don't let me catch you again
without them
Now. that little boat couldn't carry
sailing lights in the manner prescribed
by law for larger craft without erecting
s%tanchions on her sides; she couldn't pos
sibly carry a whistle that would come up
to the legal requirements, and the ring
buoy was all that the three swimmers
would have needed II he boat had sunk
beneath them-whioh she couldn't have
QOn6, DeGdub0 INC DuOyduCy OF n0T nun
would have hoated the motor and the men
with the boat full of water.
THAT mans enjoyment of his little
boat on Saturday afternoons and Sundays
will be considerably curtailed for the rest
Of the season by his keeping In shoal water
where the Government craft can't get
near him or his being on the lookout ready
to run inshore II he should see a Govern
ment boat while he is fishing of Coney
Island Point.
THE fect Is that most Of the little motor
boats can't comply with the regulations
made for larger craft. Their users must
be violators Of the law as it Ia now con-
strued or must give up their favorite
recreation.
period during which easolene boats have
been used on these waters, there has never
been a mishap that suggested the need of
such regulations as the Federal authorities
are nov trying TO enforce, save only the
matter Of the life pr,eseryers. And most
selves with ring buoys or life preservers,
even when they know that their boats will,
float when filed with water.
4The greatest danger in a small gasolene
boat is from the careless use Of matches.
A flying match head or a lighted match
dropped In the engine nit is very likely to
ignite the cylinder oil tSld grease floating
on the bilge water and act the boat on fire.
Sometimes, but not always, the flame
reaches Tue VaDOr al the vent OF tne RaS0-
lene tank and causes an explosion. If the
heat should melt the solder Of the pipe from
the tank the Rasolene would flow out and
burn fieroely with a yellow flame.
"A Federal law against lighting a match
in a gasolene boat would do more for the
safety Of those on board II 1t could be en-
forced (Which, OF course, II couldn't) than
all the existing regulations.
There is one other danger that makes
little motor boats less safe than sailboats
at times, and that 10 carrying cans of gaso-
lene In the boats. There Is no danger from
the gasolene in the tank unless q flame
or a piece OF incandescent substance or an
electric spark Is applied to the mixture Of
gasolene and air at the vent. When the
gasolene enters the engine II is many de-
grees colder than tho air, made 80 by the
rooess OF IMPORTATION. A gasolene engine
cannot blow up
III the Government could-but II can't |
prevent the carrying OF gasolene In cans
in boats. that would be a good thing: but
all this Fostering Of little private motor
boats with the regulations applicable to
larger, and different craft is useless and
ridiculous.
The larger gasolene boats and sail
craft that carry passengers or fishing
parties need all OF the safeguards pre- |
scribed by the aw. But in this case too, |
as well as In the case OF the little craft, |
the greatest danger 10 from matches and
gasolene In cans.
FRUGAL Scotch Htudcntk.