SSL657 ~ RUNAWAY DIESEL sank the BOAT in MINUTES.!!

[@donbeckham]

Runaways happen more often than you think. My Detroit 872 had a latched spring loaded butterfly over the air intake. The latch was released via a cable that went to the helm. Before buying the boat I didn't know about the possibility of a runaway. Fortunately, I never had a runaway but I learned how important it is to have a shutoff valve and I only learned because the boat builder installed them at the factory. Just to see how well it functioned., I ran the RPMs up high and pulled cable. The motor came to a stop almost INSTANTLY. THEY SHOULD BE ON EVERY DIESEL BOAT.

[@michaelbrown6241]

The air intake flaps are a good idea but they are not always able to prevent a run away, they will by time though.

[@stevet647]

A runaway needs two things air and fuel. I had a 4wd that ran away and it could not be stopped in high gear on the brake and I flopped it in the river we were in to try drown it with the intake under water (I flopped it that side under water). What happened is the turbo oil seal failed into the intake side of the engine and at high rpm it pulled all the oil from the sump and air from the sump. In a run away situation the engine is in critical failure state and you have no idea when or how it will fail (blow off the head, blow the sump, hole in the block. better to stay away and live to claim insurance. Always have a go bag and an EPIRB. My engine was more likely to not run and the electrics well permanent state of repair.

[@jimanderson2518]

That is very much like a fire damper in duct work there is a lead clip that melts at a low temperature thus shutting off the air supply

[@larsge]

The dudes dynoing diesels like to have a CO2 extinguisher in hand in case of a runaway... Of course you need to vbe able to get to the intake some how...

[@Not_Sure-i6o]

Sounds like this guy's engine compartment was already on fire, when he started messing with the melted throttle it got stuck on full

[@ewavideo7440]

We were on a boat that had a runaway engine but the man in charge, Peter Ellis, was an experienced mechanic, he knew to take off the compression. Thankfully! Crises averted, we found the governor was the problem, and were able to get parts to fix it, a 33 hp yanmar diesel 3 cylinder motor. The problem only became evident when we put the gearbox into neutral, as it didn't have load anymore. Thanks Rick, for this informative episode. Many lives could be saved due to this.

[@paullandreville5394]

Capt. Fred. You showed true leadership qualities, saving the cew and yourself first. I'm a retired fireman. Fires grow in size at an amazing rate. People always think they have time once the fire or smoke is detected. They don't. You were correct it putting yourself is a safe place on the boat, calling for help, having a plan to abandon ship, then thinking firefighting. Good job Captain.

[@fredvanvogt59]

Gosh sir, thank you for your wonderful comments and from a professional. Means alot Sir.

[@fritz3388]

The engine wasn't burning until it overheated! The smoke was probably oil mist. Next time, just close the air intake with the "fire blanked" every responsible captain keeps among his firefighting stuff. As long as the engine just accelerated to high rpm, one can sit without any danger directly on the motor! There is NO DANGER whatsoever! STOP/CLOSE the AIR INTAKE, don't bother fiddling with the diesel fuel intake as the diesel engine could be burning motor oil or oil mist which reach the burning chamber through the air intake, from outside or inside the engine. Inside from the oil sump, for example or some other gases like propane from an outside source. Acquaint yourself where to find the air intake of your specific diesel engine, that way you can go right to work in case of an emergence. And, where did you place your fire blanket?

[@steveshoemaker6347]

Damn what a deal.....Thanks Cap for having Fred on your channel telling and showing his Boat burning down.....Sure glad Fred is OK...... Thanks again Captain Rick Moore....You are a fine fellow my friend..... Shoe🇺🇸

[@marcostreet3169]

I have an 8 cyl Detroit diesel front end loader with a butterfly valve on top of the intake connected to a cable than cuts the air supply and shuts the engine down immediately. Perhaps something similar could be implemented below the air filter on boat engines. Great story Rick. Thanks for sharing.

[@marcostreet3169]

@CaptainRickMoore1 Hey Rick, I don't have or use Telegram or any social media to be ableconnect with you just email.

[@wrenchin0178]

Thanks for sharing your experience with us, as a diesel technician for 30 years that extinguisher pointed at the intake would have stopped the engine, but unless you there experiencing it first hand its truly difficult to remain calm , that is your home and its floating in the ocean, and you have passengers you are responsible for. So, captain congratulations for saving everyone and sacrificing your boat to do so.

[@wrenchin0178]

@CaptainRickMoore1 what you got Rick?

[@drew6116]

Thanks, great info. >

[@svthebayviewcafe7675]

SEE MY COMMENT ABOVE PLEASE. Where would I point the fire extinguisher on my perkins? Please.

[@wrenchin0178]

@@svthebayviewcafe7675 at the intake where the air breather is, but is is not good for the engine so if you have to its a last resort because it will require you to tear down your engine and possibly rebuild. So its only in a runaway senerio.

[@Farmnflyin]

@@svthebayviewcafe7675 most newer and larger sailboats should have designated ports in the engine bay to put a fire extinguisher nozzle. You should familiarize yourself with these. DO NOT open the engine bay covers if your engine is on fire. The rush of oxygen can cause an explosive fireball to meet you. Know you boat. Know where your electrical and fuel shit offs are. Remove any source of fuel you can. Do not pour water onto burning oil/ gas etc. it can cause an explosive reaction

[@GS-kx1ys]

So glad Fred and passengers are ok. Thanks for sharing. Hind sight is always 20/20 but we all become aware of other's issues and hopefully learn from them. Make plans and practice practice practice folks. Emergencies do happen and if you must think about it you are already seconds behind. Practice! Thanks to Fred and Rick for sharing!

[@joecat101]

Runaways are also caused by fuel rail return spring failure. At the shop we kept an old clip board handy on the first start up after a rebuild so it could be snuffed out if it runs away. Best part no one was hurt Thanks Capt. Rick for helping spread the word on safety, be well.

[@jimturpin6503]

Thank you. What is the best/fastest way to identify a runaway condition? I am thinking rpm, but I am not an expert and have never seen a runaway diesel except on videos and they are usually train engines.

[@VincentNajger1]

@@jimturpin6503 the revs will suddenly shoot up...and up....and up. There are lots of examples of small diesel engines running away on KZbin, usually by people making them run away on purpose. If you just search 'runaway diesel' in the YT search bar, you'll get a heap of examples.

[@jimturpin6503]

@@VincentNajger1 Thank you.

[@wadeprice67]

I was situation and can tell you that diesel engines don't run away but the people around them do .

[@jamesaleando2529]

@fladave99 get yourself a cheap car reversing camera and fit it in engine bay. Grate for small work boats who cover hatches with gear.

[@CravinMorehead420]

Was a beautiful boat. Glad everyone was safe..

[@SailingSophisticatedLady]

Yep, that's the important part!

[@TheMowjo]

Hi Rick! Over here in the UK, we had quite a few cases of run on, on our inland waterways, (Norfolk Broads) I had it happen on my last boat, ours all started when they changed over to bio diesel, apparently it rots the oil seals in the pump, most of our hire fleets had the pumps fitted with a newer type seal which if I remember could be neoprene, from what I was told the fuel somehow feds back into the oil sump, mixes with the oil making a fuel supply to the engine that causes the run on, on older boats with the old seals, they recommend keeping a good eye on you oil level as it rises when the fuel is feeding into the sump so any rise, don't start the engine or turn it off, as pointed out if it happens the only way to stop it is block the filter, on any boat older than ten years I'd get the oil seals changed, when it happened to me it was a change of underpants job, luckily I somehow stalled the engine,

[@basdouma8458]

Thanks for sharing guys. It seems obvious to be aware and prepared but I’m sure that it’s one of those things where a lot of us think it only happens to the other sailor instead of themselves.

[@nuffsaid7952]

2 easily installed emergency items that I consider a must have on any ocean going vessel for the engine and engine compartment. The first is a CO2 fire suppression system for the engine compartment that can be activated easily. These are easy to install and also maintain. The second one is an emergency air shut off fitted to the air intake after the air filter housing. These are similar to a butterfly valve in most cases but in some cases are similar to a knife valve, both are spring loaded and can be activated manually from outside of the engine compartment. Emergency air shut offs are standard on the larger Diesel engines but are available for the smaller engines and can be installed fairly easily. The runaway engine sounds like it was being fed oil into the air inlet, possibly from a failed turbo oil seal or a completely failed turbo cartridge. Believe it or not, this problem of runaway Diesel engines is more common than people think, but can be prevented by simple proper maintenance and also by having the emergency air shut offs installed.

[@phildoller6836]

I agree with the CO2. USCG inspected vessels require a air supply shut off or a CO2 system installed in an engine room. CO2 is very deadly, but will kill an engine fire or runaway and will not hurt the electronics around the engine room. A simple "fire port" installed in the engine box will allow you to use a portable CO2 extinguisher .

[@johnbenker1347]

Agreed. Glad everyone is safe.

[@10lauset]

An engrossing and terrifying experience to pass on as another file in our knowledgebase of oddball stuff. Happy everyone was safe. Cheers to you.

[@gregcoombs5327]

Biggest worry on a yacht, fire, we have 10 fire extinguishers, a fire boy fire suppression system, fingers crossed we never need use them, great interview Rick 👍

[@SailingSophisticatedLady]

Good on you Greg, and welcome back!

[@zzzxxzzz3248]

If you have lithium batteries , the only way to put the fire out on them is to totally submerge them in water ! A fire extinguisher won't work ! Rick doesn't even plan for that !

[@philipmackin1025]

@@zzzxxzzz3248 Incorrect. The original lithium chemistries did suffer from overheat/over-charge fires. The Li-Po, Lithium Phosphate, chemistry that has been out for five years or so are very safe. Li-Po will NOT catch fire. This is what most RV'ers and sailors are using now, including Rick's boat.

[@wadeprice67]

A $50 sump (utility) pump is the best to have onboard if you have power a 2000 inverter runs it well. Only a discharge hose is needed good for emergency bilge pump anchor wash down and fires. I have 3 of them onboard they pump 30 gallons per minute. An important fact diesel engines don't run away but the people around them do.

[@zzzxxzzz3248]

@@philipmackin1025 Li-Po do catch fire ! Let that boat get struck by lightning ! Oh don't you say boats won't get struck by lightning now !

[@randyholly2594]

How sad. Horrifying to to watch. Puts us all on our toes. Thanks for the video Capt Rick.

[@garyevans5905]

Thanks for a really informative video Rick. Lessons can be learnt by even the most experienced sailors.

[@stardustandgolden1]

Thank you so much for posting this, it is exactly what sailors need, MORE INFO as to avoid having this happen to them, it is a tragedy and a horrible loss for the owner of the boat but may we all learn from it, . This is one of the main reasons for carrying a medium co2 fire extinguisher, ( it will work every time by cooling it NOT smothering it) dry powder will NOT DO MUCH unless you can be close and spray a lot directly in intake ,at least in my 45 plus years of working in this field. You spray Co2 the in the intake or even just spraying the cylinder head (not the valve cover) will cool it so fast that the hot spots in the cylinder that are responsible for igniting the fuel become too cold to run., this was a very common problem with the old 2 stroke outboard gasoline engines and the old motorcycles, ( turning off the ignition did nothing for the ignition was no longer igniting the fuel) we used to just spray the head with a co2 (instantly cooling it) and instant stop. this same phenomenon will and does happen in the similar manner with diesels (mostly 2 stroke diesels like Detroit's and turbo diesels) and if your engine does not have a air cutoff have one made or fitted to the intake (NOT electric but cable or linkage operated, in the event of an emergency extreme heat or fire will disable most electronics, so do not rely on them.). Thanks so much for sharing this, If you do not mind I would like to lightly mention this event on my sail fail series that other sailors may avoid this tragedy.

[@fredvanvogt59]

Thanks for the I fo. Wish I knew this prior as I'm sure many are being aware now! We need to speak of things the ones that know think we all know. Yes use . story

[@stardustandgolden1]

@@fredvanvogt59 Thanks Fred, sorry for the loss will you be sailing again?

[@fredvanvogt59]

I'm sailing on boat 2 in BCs gulf islands but sure miss the Caribbean so I'm thinking on it. Hard to find a boat like I had. Loved her!

[@johnmajewski1065]

I'm 77 and have sailed for 40 years, still sailing...wow wee, I just learned something new and life-saving. Thanks, Rick, it is a shame it cost Fred his boat to learn what if... Many Thanks to both of you and others that gave constructive comments. SV Skoiern IV ,

[@fredvanvogt59]

Thanks man.

[@johnmajewski1065]

@@fredvanvogt59 as a fellow Canadian living in Sydney Australia. I hope you are able to keep sailing with a new boat. SV Skoiern IV.

[@fredvanvogt59]

You bet Sir

[@ericdelevinquiere9902]

I had this happening on a large dozier , stalled it but kept burning until we were able to extinguish the fire. I can’t imagine this happening on a boat where your actions are rather limited!

[@SailingSophisticatedLady]

That's for sure!

[@RedwonMactamhais]

@@SailingSophisticatedLady hey Captain Rick. There is a newly created KZbin channel responding to comments using your name and picture trying to get your followers to connect with them on telegram. I got one such response, saw it was a brand new account that was sending the exact same message out to a bunch of comments on your videos. I am assuming it's the same scammers that have been making their way through the other sailing KZbin channels. I hope you can get them reported to KZbin and stopped before they con anyone into giving out their info or sending money. If I can be of any help for instance by also reporting them to KZbin for impersonating you drop me a quick response. I'd be happy to do so. The channel is set up under your name. @ CaptainRickMoore but without the space between the @ and the R. .

[@sailingattitude]

I got one too .. scum of the earth these scammers.

[@elinicfurniture6860]

Thank you guys! I will definitely make a few preparations on my Perkins after this video.

[@ClydeBRoe]

One critical item for fire emergencies was not mentioned in the video: A smoke alarm. Is there a reason no smoke dector was installed in the engine compartment or in the cabin next to the engine compartment? A secondary alarm consisting of a flame detector would also be recommended. This might have given enough warning that a fuel coutoff valve could have been closed before the runaway process could have started.

[@Not_Sure-i6o]

There was no runaway from what he describes. It sounds like the engine compartment was already on fire before the 'runaway' which was probably governed top RPMS in neutral. When he tried to move accelerator it was all melted down there getting stuck on full power

[@sailinglatis]

Thank you to both of you for sharing. Next to learn how to set up the boat and equipment to help give you chance.

[@pbear6251]

Hi Rick GREAT video !! I wasn't aware something like this could happen. I do know if the diesel engine doesn't start properly that it will run backwards and if you find exhaust coming out of your air cleaner that is what is causing it. I am used to big truck engines with lots of room to access the engine unlike boats of your type where the engine is under the floor and sometimes very inaccessible. I remember your last video of Thomas with his head in in bottom of the cabinet trying to fix his motor. thanks for this Captain

[@johnhirtle4300]

Sincere condolences to Fred and family for the heartbreaking loss of your home on the water. Thank God and a cool head for getting away uninjured. 🙏🙏🙏

[@fredvanvogt59]

Thank you. Great for all to be unhurt and healthy. Boats can be replaced

[@gamlemann53]

Poor man! I am sorry for him. Thank's for the video Captain Rick.

[@danielclint1033]

I have sailed and been around sailboats most of my life and I never heard of a runaway diesel. I’m so sorry this happened.

[@nalle475]

Seen runaway Volvo diesels. They had over filling the lubricant oil. It’s scary but usually short time. At the dock it’s not life threatening but dangerous anyway. Nice to hear you guys are safe!

[@nooneanybodyknows1321]

Harrowing experience. Thank God you and those aboard are safe. Sorry for the loss of your beautiful sailboat. Thank the two of you for sharing. I'm looking forward to the follow-up review. 👏

[@stevenplancich6449]

Scary Stuff..Thanks for Sharing Fred & Happy No Injuries

[@roncarcamo5785]

Oh my god this brought back memories of a similar incident that happen to me 35 years ago while stationed in Germany. I was in a M113 armored personnel carrier that suddenly experienced a diesel runway. The engine revs overpowered the brakes so we could not stop. We drove around the base in circles trying to find ways to kill the engine. I remembered turning off the fuel valve that is located away from the engine thinking it would take a minute or two to shutdown. To my amazement that did not work it kept running . It was like a Zombie- nothing could stop it. I told the driver to drive by the mechanics bay so we can try to get more knowledgeable help. We were able to get a mechanic onboard by slowing down just enough with the brake lever. He essentially strangled the engine air intake hose and finally killed the beast. It was one of the most stressful times in my life ever. My advice to all diesel operators -have a F-ing plan. Don’t count on Lady Luck 😮

[@VintageVehicleAdventures]

Positive air shut off valve is what I installed on my 5.9 Cummins in my bus. It’s just a switch that activates a valve to cut off all air. They are required in the oil patch up north in Canada as a engine can runaway if there is a gas leak. I also had a friend have a runaway on his cat semi motor a month ago as the turbo blew a seal out and took off….the difference with that compared to a boat is you can put in high gear and brake it to a stop usually but kinda hard to apply brakes on a boat. I personally would never have a diesel without one as a runaway is non existent with one !!

[@howardfletcher3124]

Good on you Captain for broadcasting this. I bet there are a lot of sailors out there now wondering where the engine is located let alone plug the air intake. I hope Fred is able to get back on the water and enjoy the caribbean.

[@ratwynd]

I am extremely happy there were no injuries or loss of life. Burns are horrific, worked in a burn unit when an RN for a time and have seen too much. Saw a lot in ERs too. If all you know is where to put in fuel and where the key goes, you have no business being further off shore than you can swim or paddle. I have been advised that any diesel engine can have a piston oil ring fail. Heat and compression will then go down into the oil pan and the oil will vaporize and get sucked into the cylinder past the pistons on the intake stroke. High pressure builds in the crankcase and pushes vaporized engine oil up into the pistons. You can shut down the fuel/injector system and it will still pull oil from the crankcase to burn in greater and greater amount (hence the runaway state) until the crankcase runs dry and the engine seizes. The system does not have the ability to shed the heat and lights up. PS: NEVER, NEVER, NEVER put your body parts in front of a diesel engine intake. The suction can rip off flesh and be lethal from blood loss. Make a heavy canvas bag that will close off your air filter intake entirely and stop air inflow if you don't have a shutoff.

[@fredvanvogt59]

Thanks!! Appreciate your thoughts

[@DaveAppleton]

Sorry to hear this guy lost his boat.☹️ I've been down the rabbit hole on KZbin watching runaway diesel engines before, there's quite a lot on there. As others have said block the air intake, either with a rag or board or you can use a powder extinguisher to gam up the filter. A truck driver on one vid said he's had 3 and always carries a powder extinguisher to spray into the air box and it works.

[@bobmckenzie386]

That is a scary story. As a First Responder I use to Demo/ Teach members of a group of boaters every year. about fire Prevention and Extinguishers. The one common thing that amazed me was they had a boat valued at $35K- $100K and the owners would have a $30 Fire Ext.. I believe the name of the fixed Fire System is called FIREX. Years ago the company I worked for built a batch of boats that had this in them. I live near Kingston On. and look fwd to watching your VLOG.

[@mariotavaresdasilva6993]

What a story. It's the nightmare of any sailor. WIth a lot of water around, and yet so difficult to extinguish a fire. Anyway, I would like to add a few comments to help others in the event that a runaway occurs. This is very common in diesel cars, specially older ones. And I have seen a few engines die like this and I've prevented some from dying a few times. In a manual geared car it is easy: you gear it in the top gear, (5th, normally) apply the foot brakes fully and release the clutch. It will stall the engine and stop it. In a boat, (or an automatic car), it's more complicated. Then, you have to block the air intake. Sometimes meaning removing the air filter, etc. However, two things need to be clear from the beginning: 1. The engine will NOT blow-up! Although touching a revving engine is dangerous, you can do a few things to try to stop it if you don't touch the moving parts. It will "die" by lack of lubrication and internal parts melt together 2. The engine itself does not get fire. Diesel fuel will not burn freely, unless at high pressure and temperature, which don't happen outside the cylinders. (Although it can happen if there is a leak in modern "Common-Rail" engines. But these are not very common in older marine engines. The smoke may appear due to overreving and bad combustion and wrong (oil) fuel. But initially nothing is burning outside the engine So, in this case, what probably happened was that since it was left alone too long, something else overheated, (overruning alternator, electric wire, exhaust, or a turbo-charger, if so equipped, etc,) and then the fire began. So, the facts to take into account, if this happens, is: Don't be affraid to act on the engine. Act as soon as possible. If in a boat, immediately close the air intake or shoot a fire extinguisher into the air intake. (it will destroy the engine, though). If you manage to stop the engine quickly, just by closing the air intake, you can let the engine cool down, inspect if no other stuff is damaged, check the oil level and re-start it. It can be usefull on a boat if you need to enter a harbour later on by yourself. Try do use it at idle, only, and be prepared to stop it again immediately, if it shows the will to increase revs. Most of the reasons for a diesel runaway are: - Oil level too high. Sometimes together with oil viscosity to low. (New synthetical multigraded oils are not good for marine engines). This leads to oil rising through the vent into the intake port. - Low compression on cylinders eases this, by creating positive pressure in the sump. - On recently rehauled engines, sometimes oil is left on the ducts, intercoolers, etc. This also can lead to runaways. - All these things may happen together In this case, however, another thing could have also happened: an electric component might have gone glow burning, (the initial smoke before the engine malfunction), and that burning started the fire and caused some plastic pipe or valve to melt, which caused additional fuel (or oil) to enter the engine and accelerate it to death. It depends on the "smell" of the initial smoke: was it "electric" smell, or "fuel" smell? I hope this can help people understand how this issue happens so you can prevent it and solve it if necessary. Please feel free to comment if you have doubts or questions on what I mentioned.

[@fredvanvogt59]

More great info

[@rickczainski9856]

We see this occasionally in the oil and gas industry. Any welding Rig that comes on a site must have a Positive Air Intake Shut off valve which automatically shuts the fuel source off (the air). A must on diesels. A good investment for sailboats.

[@DarwinianUniversal]

Thank you. I'm setting off on an ocean adventure and I paid close attention to your story. Run away diesel, what a nightmare. I'm going to see what I can do with my air intake. Thanks again

[@zavats]

I'm often surprised how many people know so little about systems they relay upon. Sad story but completely preventable.

[@fredvanvogt59]

Interestingly, I attended a 2 day course on Diesels just prior to going to my boat. No mention of this. Also had many mechanics on boat and no mention. I have a few friends that are diesel me hanics and no mention. You don't know what you don't know. And don't know what's missing to ask? That's why I did this vid with Rick

[@zavats]

@@fredvanvogt59 Forgive the bluntness . I'm commenting on the fact that basic knowledge is often missing. Case where 2 separate courses did not mention one of the basic dangers and characteristics of diesel engines is simply unforgivable. I would go back to people running these classes and ask for the "money back" - to put it gently. I cant even imagine what they were teaching an "environmental impact" instead of one of the basic characteristics of diesel engines ? This is definitely mentioned in in "Marine Diesel Engines" book and "Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual "

[@fredvanvogt59]

It's hard to know what the actual issue was. And making choices . First was to call crew back from the bow. Get him back safe and we tackle the issue. We both went below once. The smoke got thick very fast and very toxic. On my way back up out of cabin a huge huff came from engine and blew by me. I felt the blast. At that point I decided not to risk lives. My call

[@BoatingJourney]

So scary! So glad they escaped, but so sad they lost the vessel. Thanks for sharing with us.

[@jhaedtler]

I am speechless! Rick, Thanks so much for sharing this with all of us!

[@taffythegreat1986]

Decades ago I was on one of the research vessels off the coast of Scotland. We went to a distress call of a fishing trawler on fire. Half of the crew died on board her. Including the cook’s young son. His first trip to sea. Half the crew were asleep in they’re cabins and the smoke got the better of them. You’re right it is a sailor’s worse nightmare

[@richardrumplik7023]

Thanks for Sharing Freds horrible Experience! Thank God he was Not hurt 🙏 NC USA

[@fredvanvogt59]

Thanks

[@heaven-is-real]

Runaway diesel??? never heard of that one!!! engine fire suppression systems ...air intake butterfly valve strangler.... emergency engine shutdown system???? wow scary, rags in air intake???wow...Excellent advice on doing fire drill practice for this and having a water pump handy thank-you. You Fred and you Capn Rick may have saved lives with this testimony.

[@fredvanvogt59]

Thanks my friend, I sure hope this helps.

[@stevedavis1017]

Hey Rick , just watched 657 on the boat fire . I had a runaway motor several years ago . The cause was a clogged water intake . Motor over heated and caused pre detonation in a cylinder that made motor run backwards then it sucked up oil causing the runaway . Lucky I got it stopped fast by a rag covering the intake . Scary as hell ! Definitely a nightmare 😫

[@fulltimber]

Hey Fred if your reading . Sorry to hear about your yacht. That must have been heart breaking mate. Hope you can get another boat soon and get back on the water. Fair winds mate 👌

[@fredvanvogt59]

Thanks mate, looking around! I'll never replace that boat. Loved her!!

[@jmheket]

There is a device that can be fitted known as a “Rig Saver”. They’re commonly installed on larger Diesel engines, and widely used in the offshore oil & gas industry. They are simply a butterfly valve that is installed in the air intake line and is normally in the open position, when activated they simply snap closed and block of the air supply to the engine. Not sure if they’re available for smaller marine engines……

[@joecat101]

Some of the older 2 stroke's had it built in from the factory.

[@theoldman8877]

I have worked on engines with a manual valve on the air filter housing that was easily closed by flipping a lever, it cut off all air to intake . I worry more about battery system with out enough fussing. In the stuck starter caused fire an Amp meter will show a big draw when the starter stays engaged.

[@FatDaddyG]

I had a runaway Yanmar 1GM10 on a little 27 foot sailboat once. Can’t imagine how loud that big Perkins was before it blew that head gasket. Wonder how many hours were on it?

[@mark211257]

I have a yanmar 66 hp with5984 hrs on, have been aware of diesel runaway , after seeing this I will purchasing a CO2 fire extinguisher

[@tamar5261]

Some boats I have worked on have a light on the bridge console to say when the starting Motor is engaged. Also all have engine room air shut off valves

[@1960jammy]

Hi captain What a important video!! I don’t have a boat, but the video make you think! WHAT IF!!🤔 Thanks again captain Rick , stay safe 🥰

[@ronniehdable]

Would have, should have,could have. Install a good flapper valve on the next one and thank God you are alive to tell the story. Ty for sharing. Rom

[@loosescrew9438]

Thank you Fred, happy you are safe.

[@fredvanvogt59]

Thanks

[@7ofmine258]

Wow. A runaway on the water. Glad the crew made it off safely. A 3" ball valve on the intake runner. Hard shielded, dedicated linkage 5' away will choke it without smothering with Halon. Thanx Rick.

[@shannonlee3671]

Beautiful vessel. You can see she was very well loved and cared after. Glad everyone made it out safe but always sad to see a fire like that.

[@CaribooMiner]

Wow! This is scary! Thanks for sharing Fred!

[@SailingSophisticatedLady]

Yes, and hopefully we can all learn something to help avoid future occurrences on our own boats!

[@CaribooMiner]

@@SailingSophisticatedLady looking into it further you can get a piece of tech called Positive Air Shutoff.

[@CaribooMiner]

It will turn off incoming air and save the engine from dire consequences. Might be a great addition….

[@zackworrell]

Thanks captain RIck. This video is really good stuff. I'm sorry for Fred and his family but boats are replaceable, people aren't. I suppose as a boat owner of a similar boat, Jeanneau 439, I am grateful to hear this story. Other people's stories are good to hear. I am trying to think about such a situation and how I would deal with it. I will totally make sure I am prepared after seeing this. So grateful, but again so sorry for Fred. Recently I had a loss of all power at sea with 1 hour of light left and 4 miles off shore and blowing 12-14 knots. We had a battery charger failure upon retrospect. I hustled and loaded up the main and jib and got us moving quickly to get in before dark to a safe anchorage but the people on my boat were really worried. I felt fine but remained calm and that alone made the entire thing manageable and not feel like a scary event even though it could have easily gotten sticky and caused some to loose confidence. Calm is the key!!!

[@fredvanvogt59]

Yup calm is key. Which my crew and I were. A screaming diesel does get ones attention. It did stop but the smoke was thick.

[@loosescrew9438]

Being a Navy sailor that would be my worst fear is sinking or fire, but thankful for all the training I received for that reason.

[@billhanna8838]

What a sad tail , Beautiful sea boats those Jeanneau 50s of that vintage , I took one up to Tonga , Loved the whole feeling of design & Motion at sea , Sad he didn't realise about shutting down the air to the motor , It would have been scary as hell but if he knew ? possibly point the fire extinguishers into the air filter could have slowed it down maybe stopped it .Great eye opener Thanks Rick very good post .

[@CesarGonzalez-kt7vp]

Electrical short first, run away after. Glad everyone is safe!!! I'm a land lover and live in a old home, electrical has always been my greatest fear so I had electricians come out upgraded my service and check out the house. It was costly but now I have peace of mind and know my family is safe. The main take away from this episode is Prevention. Where to Start? Hit the major and work your way down from there. 🖖

[@jkonet1]

I cannot even imagine being in his situation. Just glad no one was hurt.Someone was looking over his family's shoulder .

[@fredvanvogt59]

Thanks Sir

[@errolG68]

Thanks Fred & Rick hell what an experience Fred, be prepared it happen to you.

[@mikefrancis9707]

thanks for airing this. fyi: ; early 1970s and earlier diesels in trucks had a manually operated ( by a solid cable linkage ) butterfly valve in the air intake. it was to smother the engine and shut it down. pre electronic engine this a common occurance

[@johnrathbun2943]

I listened to the whole story and I thought about it for awhile and I came up with a conspiracy theory about the fire. He never mentioned anything about a boom. And the reason I bring that up is because most sailors have propane stoves. I bet he had a leak in the propane line to the stove and the gas fumes flowed to the engine. And when the engine quit I bet he ran out of propane. By that time it had already done it's damage and the engine was so hot it caused a fire or burnt the remaining propane fumes. You would think the heat from the fire would have caused the tanks to explode. This is something that worries me about owning a boat. I know that some sailors have a shut off valve that is electrically controlled by a switch. So before and after they use the stove they must switch the propane on or off. I'm glad that the gentleman and his crew were okay. And also I'm glad that you showed this video, it gives me something to think about when I get my sailboat. Okay thank you again and happy sailing.

[@fredvanvogt59]

The solenoid switch to propane was off as was manual valve. As mentioned there was a strong swoosh from engine. My propane tank is in cockpit area with a drain. But hose to stove could be involved but no propane smell. Also once fire reached tank it burned it self out for awhile.

[@walterdavis4808]

Fiberglass burns very hot , hard to put out. Glad everyone stayed safe

[@cbpaton53]

.... condolences, but thank you for the information.

[@sailingcapedissappointment2012]

Gotta love these maintenance oriented videos that rick does Captain Rick always has something worth watching, he even offered me a free laptop thanks Rick! .. and that reminds me I had a bizzar electrical meltdown awhile back where the engine would not shut down but luckily it was at idle and smoke started coming from the starter and it would not disengage and about all I could do was watch the engine slowly grind the starter to a schreeching halt while the shut off is fully closed with nothing I can do about it .. the cause was a piece inside the switch had jammed and the plastic housing on the switch itself started melting while the starter was burning up so I couldn't turn the switch off. That was a fun repair job and to add to that there were't any starters to be had for an Izuzu diesel where I am as you can get parts for an Izuzu anywhere in the world but here. My plan to make sure I don't have to watch my starter meltdown like that again ( like when I'm waaaay out in the Ocean ) is that I put a simple cut off switch right at the starter. I hadn't had that starter very long and I got to use it less than a hundred times. Another thing to think about and most people don't know is that you don't want to have to keep grinding on a starter if the engine won't start, that will heat up a starter really fast and meltdown the dielectric in the windings as it doesn't take long, in fact entries should be made about these things in the ships log IE anytime a diesel didn't just imideatly start up and why so that the starter's health can be kept track of otherwise when you buy a boat you won't know what to expect and might want to put in a fresh starter or at least have another one ready.

[@gsgill649]

Thank you for this story captains. Regarding the comments on the coast guard and budgets "We focus on lives and rescue." A lot more is involved then just providing the coast guard with a pump. The budget has to include other equipment such as breathing apparatus and extensive training on an ongoing basis. Becomes expensive. This is why larger vessels have designated crew who respond to fight fire. They have drills frequently. I have seen this on cruise ships (drills). Larger ports have a plan for fighting boat or ship fires within their jurisdiction that comes from a local budet. Be better prepared to fight fire on your own vessel. Capt Rick is on to something with a better method of shutting down the run away diesel.. .

[@robinevans3979]

It sounds like you were able to stay level-headed, despite the prospect of losing your sailing home. I'm always sad to see a boat go down and I'm so sorry for your loss. I hope insurance will help to buy another boat.

[@fredvanvogt59]

Thank you

[@captainrehab2047]

We were in Clarke’s Court Bay when this happened. We were happy that the skipper was rescued

[@stoneskipper7625]

Good one Rick, very good one. Thank you.

[@michaelbrown6241]

I highly recomend everyone does a fire exstinguisher course. In an emergency is not the time to learn how to use them efectively. As far as a diesel runaway, firstly shut the fuel inlet tap off or grab a hammer and knock the fuel inlet pipe or filter off (the fuel will not spray as it is not under pressure). Keep in mind that supplying full fuel via the injectors to an unloaded engine is enough for it to over run but at this point it is still fuel limited, this could be caused by a mechanical or electrical fault depending on the age and design of the engine. Secondly block the air intake, of course you have an air filter so a wet towel over the intake of the filter will slow things down, again buying time. If damage occurs you could get diesel or oil feeding the cylinders indirectly via sump, valves turbo seals etc, this is an uncontrolled run away there is no fuel limit and the engine will simply rev faster until it starts flying to pieces, the only way to stop this is to have a piece of ply handy that is cut to the size of the intake aftercthe filter, kick the filter pipe off and jam the board down on it, keep your hands and body away from the intake, I've seen 2 inch thick books and towels pulled down through the intake, air flaps turned inside out etc, remember you have seconds to take action not minutes.

[@masdpeder]

On large offshore oil rigs we have a thing called a rig saver or strangler which shuts the air intake off if an engine over speeds, a simple device would be some kind of line pulled choke with a butterfly valve fitted to the air intake, with more than 30 years offshore the most scary thing is a fire at sea. Cheers Rob

[@scrapdaddyservicesniagara]

run aways are some scary shit indeed. Glad Fred and crew are OK. I know older Detroit's were susceptible to this, the fuels racks would sometimes stick open and off she goes either stop the fuel or the air or get away.

[@SailingSophisticatedLady]

Yes, even with the fuel shut off this one still continued to run

[@scrapdaddyservicesniagara]

@@SailingSophisticatedLady i think it's like what you said Rick, it'll burn the oil. Fred was very smart to get to safety. A hard decision to make in the moment I'm sure. Looking forward to your research on the device sir.

[@miked1102]

Old Detroit engines with fuel rail unit injectors were notorious for runaways when tuning them. The top thing to do on the initial start up was having something ready to cover up the air intake in the event of a run away situation. Knowing this for over 40 years, this story is making me rethink my own personal situation on my boat. This almost sounds like a failed governor or like what Rick mentioned, a broken valve stem causing oil to enter the combustion chamber.

[@kinkong1961]

the trouble is when a diesel engine runs away with itself people think its the diesel pump which in very few instances it is but most pick up the engine oil and run's until it either consumes all the oil but most times it revs so high the con rods let go or it will seize with so much heat which would start a fire I have seen many engines do this in my career and trying to stop it is very hard even putting rags into the intake it will just costume them there are two ways to stop it one is to have a thick piece of wood and cover the inlet manifold the other way is to throw water in which can be dangerous as the engine will hydraulic blowing the con rods out the block then put the fire out with a fire extinguisher it will make a mess but will save your boat using water is absolutely the last resort as it could cause bodily harm the oil gets through the valve guides or the turbo seals blow which is normally the problem throwing rags in it won't work it will eat the towel or rags the filters wont make a difference by removing them your just waisting time you must either block like I said above with a flat piece of wood thick wood or steel. now the reason it revs so fast is that engine oil has no governer so the diesel will still be pumping in but engine oil will be flowing in either through the inlet manifold through the turbo or the seals on the valve guides were worn also if you overfill the engine with oil it will pump so much oil to the top of the engine the valve guides can't cope. You can make a device onto the inlet manifold it's just a piece of steel that you can slide onto the entrance of the inlet manifold in case of a runaway engine you would have to put a quick-release hose clamp so the hose can be removed from the manifold so you can either slide or swing the piece of flat steel into the entrance of the manifold the engine will then shudder to a stop if this happens in your car and its a manual gearbox select high gear 5th and dump the clutch with the other foot onto the brake and that will kill it if its an automatic then its the same as a boat block the manifold. hope this helps you.

[@PlainStraightShooter]

That is very scary and I am just glad everyone is safe. I never dreamed of this on a boat. We had issues at times with run away's in the oilfield coming into a low lying gas field. We had Emergency Air intake valves on our trucks, I believe made by Powerhalt. Being said you have to recognize the runaway pretty fast and hit that shut off switch or take on possible engine damage. Second I will add. Working on farm equipment and rebuilding diesel engines we kept a heavy plate with a handle ready at all times when firing the engine with intake tube not connected to the turbo. Over the turbo the plate would go if we could not shut this engine down for any reason other then a runaway. Now, trucking many years I realized the fuel shut off valve at the pump on the older cummins was not to bad but I added a second one for back up. Also a tank valve to the pickup for shut off would all be great, especially on a boat. If I was out there after this or for anyone reading, I would put the Emergency Air shut down unit on. Set it up where the DC power keeps it open also. Not just the switch overriding to shut it down manual. Also add a secondary shut off to the fuel, manual if possible or same as Air, must have DC current to keep it open. Sorry this happened to you Fred. Glad all is safe, and the dinghy made it. Maybe look into a fire fighting device to mount a the engines that will foam them down fast. Don't know how I would set it up on your boat Rick or most since I do not boat or sail.

[@markberger5739]

a few ideas - fit an external shutoff for both air & fuel & carry a construction sump pump & fire hose on deck

[@DIYWellcraft196]

He's still smiling so all is not lost, that was a nice boat.

[@fredvanvogt59]

Thanks. Loved that boat

[@allied1394]

I’ve seen a couple runaway diesels in big rigs scary for sure

[@joesambrano7634]

wow, makes me remember my navy days, having halon away, diw drills , thank god all got out, blessings, 🖐😎💙⚓

[@scottg6799]

Great video,thanks for the information.

[@SailingSophisticatedLady]

Thanks Scott, glad you found it useful!

[@U20E27]

Maintained engine like this won’t runaway without something helping it. My first thought when he described the early smoke was alternator failure or wiring fire. Which case a engine compartment fire could trigger the behavior he was seeing/ experiencing. The rough gear / throttle cable feel -> heat fire damage to the cable. The super heated air fed into the intake can definitely contribute to a runaway diesel. I know my old 1986 28footer has a 5lb extinguisher with a flame / heat trigger type nozzle on it about 2ft from the engine in the compartment. I doubt it could kill a runaway diesel but probably could knock down a fire temporarily but to trigger that extinguisher it’s probably too established to put out without serious fire fighting equipment

[@andyconn4085]

In the army everyone is a rifleman first,.... I was Navy and EVERYONE was trained to be a firefighter. first. Besides knowing mechanical stuff, it would be to your advantage to seek out a local firefighter maybe for some light training, knowing the type of fires, even more actually facing one,.....panic kills.... I'm not a firefighter but put out many whilst everyone else was running around freaking. In the Navy we had a saying "how long can you tread water".... I guess that could be tacked on to any decisions you make in y'alls lifestyle of living aboard as well.....love the pocasts Keep up the good work ~Andy~

[@fredvanvogt59]

My thoughts exactly

[@Topmodd]

Likely Running on, they call it Oiling, basically it's running on it's own oil, very rare, only way to stop it is to stall it

[@SailingSophisticatedLady]

Yes, and only way to stall it is cut off the air intake

[@1crustyoldmsgtretired870]

Wow! I'm sure glad Fred and his crew came out OK. A lot of times a diesel will run away using the oil from the engine. Either from worn rings, valve guides or a failed oil seal in the turbo. It won't stop until it either destroys itself or its O2 supply gets cut off. I've used a hardcover book to stop an old 290 Cummins and it took the back cover and about 20 pages before all was quiet again. I guess what I'm saying is don't use your hand. I think the best way would be to dump some AFFF (fire fighting foam) in the intake. But the AFF systems I know of would be next level complex for a family cruiser sailboat. If you were to use something like a handheld CO2 or Halon fire extinguisher it may wind up choking you out as well. I suppose the automatic ones could work if they're big enough and the engine compartment is sealed well enough.

[@sailadirondacks3499]

Such a great video. Thanks so much.

[@compass270]

Positive air shut-off should be a standard on ALL Diesel engines. Simple & effective system to starve the engine of air.

[@lzh3131]

Thank you to both you & Fred for sharing. Happy that he & crew escaped. Very sad to see that beautiful yatch burn. I’m shopping for a new larger boat, this has been very educational. Also thanks to all of the others who commented. I’m definitely going to have to do a little more thinking and planning. Best wishes to both you & Fred.

[@NeilPBrady]

Sad tale, glad you are here to teach the lesson

[@craigkaschan4822]

That explains what happened to me once but in my car’s petrol engine. It overheated so I left it running to put water in the radiator. I tried switching it off but it kept running,I pulled the ignition leads off to no avail. In the end I had to stall it to get it to turn off. So it’s not just Diesel engines that run away. Thanks for sharing this and very sorry about your boat. You were lucky you were close to help.

[@nautichunt84]

Definitely up there in the fear chart, there have been a few times I have seen smoke in the direction of our boat when heading back from dingy missions and thought oh no my dog and boat. The old heart sinks and stomach knots up till you see it's not coming from your boat. it's usually just Cane farmer's burning of after harvest but gives me a fright

[@roypoe1865]

You can put in a air baffle valve on the air intake line between the air filter and the engine. Its activated by a pull cable in the cockpit

[@damonottaway3648]

Wow! What a complete bummer to have to lose such a beautiful sail boat. Fred had some good points on what he would do next time for precautions. I myself for one, (being that losing identification and money/credit cards) would have the whole crew onboard store those things in a wet bag and in the cockpit area for easy access in case the fire is down below, which it’s going to be in almost any circumstance. Second, as he said, the fire extinguishers were inaccessible due to their placement. Seems like a few forward and definitely a few stored aft in the cockpit area would be advisable for easy access. Well, I hope Fred regroups and gets back underway at some point. 🤙😉

[@rosewood1]

Once you had smoke in a fibreglass boat your in deep shit. You have literally seconds before you have deadly toxic fire. Once had a galley fire when the methlated spirits in the base of the stove lit. I fortunately had a fire extinguisher and destroyed dinner... cook wasn't happy... But it singed the overhead cabin liner! And I got this out in seconds! Thanks for sharing

[@fredvanvogt59]

Seconds is all you've got

[@georgefoster1468]

I have had a runaway Yanmar on my boat, It pegged the rpm off scale. turned off fuel at raccor, no joy then used a sleeping bag over the engine intake, engine stopped quickly. Engine was running on the crankcase oil. former firefighter and strongly advise all boat owners to take a fire extinguisher course. When used properly people will be suprised how big a fire they can extinguish rapidly. A mini access panel into engine compt. will allow you to discharge an extinguisher into the compt. without opening it completely allowing more oxygen to fuel the fire.

[@fredvanvogt59]

Thanks, totally agree

[@demian7567]

The thought occurs, if you were to put the engine into drive, the load of powering the boat is going to give you more time to fight the runaway before the engine genades itself. But not many people know about a diesel runaway.

[@ds7mediaproductions]

Runaway engine happened to my boat because the marina I asked to prep my boat for the summer in Boston, MA overfilled the engine… too much oil. Thank God and many $ later along with 4 mechanics all came back to normal.

[@lrmorrison999]

Been there and helped with the aftermath. 50 ft rebuilt cabin cruiser. A work of art. Twin diesels. Maiden voyage from Santa Barbara to the south end of Santa Cruze Island. Anchored nearby my sloop on a calm Saturday evening in the southern anchorage. The captain and his wife were ashore in their dingy when I spotted smoke coming from the big cabin cruiser. The fire spread rapidly into a complete inferno. I called the Coast Guard and reported the situation. The nylon anchor line burned through and the boat drifted past my sloop and it was really hot and tanks were exploding! It burned to the waterline and drifted 1/4 mile off shore and sank in deep water. The captain and his wife sought safety from on my sloop. A Coast Guard cutter arrived about 2 hours later and picked up the survivors. He told me he had just finished the boat rehab and had $40-$60 k in repairs and parts. He had not yet gotten insurance. He thought it may have been the result of a cigarette ash setting his Naugahyde cushions ablaze.

[@jst4curiosity704]

Your candid explanation of the situation is very helpful. I believe you made the right choice - that must've been both an extremely frustrating one and scary at the same time. Did insurance reimburse you or are those types of events at sea not covered?

[@fredvanvogt59]

All good

[@ryanfroese24]

Working in the Canadian oil patch, we had to have shut off valves on all intakes on all diesel engines. We test them every month and it kills the engine fast... That would be something to think of. *E kill switch

[@jascan1489]

Another commen cause of a runaway diesel, is a blown up turbo. The engine runs on the oil supplied to the turbo.

[@clarisd]

Seasons Greetings Capt Rick! Missing Maddie and baby Ricc! Hugs and kisses all round! THIS IS Why I watch Capt Rick!!! He truly sets out to be of aid wherever he finds himself! So important that for the very new persons to this lifestyle need to know of emergency tactics!!!! Much food for thought and that Capt Fred took the wise decissions of leadership to get all aboard off safely, DRILLS, Set up, go bag etc...! As everyone heard there are the mere moments of life or death, as well to share this story aids us all to examine the systems in place to suppress fires!!! Rick, Maddie is the absolute best at bring all your excellent qualities out to their maximum!!!! Much Gratitude to you Sir, 🙏 for all you do!!! You are epic!!! Don't get cocky LOLOL

[@jamescarid3448]

Glad everyone was OK. Is a fire alarm/smoke detector required in sailboat engine compartments?

[@jamesgraham6122]

During my career as a professional yacht skipper I suffered a similar event, though with a60 yr old, classic teak-built motor yacht, a little under 80ft, around 02:00 hrs, 130 miles from land, mid-Mediterranean. Fire began in the engine room. We've all had it hammered into us about just how fast a fire will spread.. believe me, that doesn't state the half of it. Just one crew and myself on board, the fire extinguishing system based in the engine room had been overhauled in Cannes just six weeks prior, but it failed completely having been wrongly installed. The boat became totally untenable in less than 30 min.. and we tried Very, Very hard to deal with it..It's a terrible thing to sit in a life-raft watching a beautiful yacht burn down to the keel and then disappear. At the first suspicion of a fire, move fast, Bully anyone out of the way, you can apologise later..think of an impending fire rather like a tiger that's prowling toward you.. he's moving slowly but in a second or two he's on you.. that's a fire. I wrote an article on the event, this is the final paragraph, I would suggest it's read and remembered. 'The fact is that the difference between an incident and a disaster almost certainly will be the reaction of the crew within the first minute of a fire breaking out. It may well take some time to deal fully with the fire but the first minute may well be the deciding factor on the result, it’s that critical. Putting it another way, from the time of that one minute count-down commencing, you may have only seconds to save the boat'.

[@fredvanvogt59]

I agree. A Mgr at marina told me, a fireman said. If you don't have it under control in 5 mins it's out of control!