Last updated Wednesday, June 08, 2005 
Alerts
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Non-serviceable unicellular foam PFD
Recently during several annual inspections of small passenger vessels, Coast Guard Marine Inspectors discovered a number of problems with Personal Flotation Devices (PFD) manufactured by Atlantic-Pacific Manufacturing Company (APCO). The following alert identifies problems associated with Type I unicellular plastic foam life preservers. PFDs from other manufacturers may have similar problems. For detailed information concerning this alert, click here. TypeIPFDAlert.pdf
Burner Tube Recall
Webasto has uncovered a potential issue with the burner tube of the DBW 2010 coolant heater manufactured from November 2002 until February 05, 2005 wherein the stainless steel walls of the burner tube, in some cases, is made out of material that is not within specification and in those cases could fail prematurely. If such a failure occurs, the surface temperature of the exhaust tube exiting from the heater can increase and could potentially ignite combustible materials in or around the installation area of the heater resulting in a fire which could cause personal injury. Occupants may notice an increase in noise relating to such an occurrence and may observe heat related discoloration of components of the heater's exhaust system.
If you are the owner of a DBW 2010 coolant heating system installed on your watercraft, Webasto urges you to contact your selling Dealer/ Distributor or Sure Marine at (206) 784-9903 to arrange to have the burner tube replaced. Please note that the burner tube is also supplied as Webasto replacement / spare part no. 26553A and may have been fitted into your DBW 2010 during routine maintenance or repairs.
Please contact us at 1-800-555-4518 with questions concerning this issue. If you call, be sure to have the serial number of the heater available.
Service Bulletin Safety Recall
Safety Recall: Champion# MC60 – Marine Carburetor
In our continuing effort to provide quality products and information to the Marine market, Champion Parts, Inc. is voluntarily issuing the following Recall of approximately 1,170 MC60 carburetors in cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard.
PRODUCT: Champion Parts, Inc. is voluntarily recalling about 1,170 carburetors, sold as CPI Marine Part# MC60.
PROBLEM: The problem may exist that the carburetor may have a fuel/fume pipe that is not drilled through to the bore/throat. A fuel/fume line on a marine designed mechanical fuel pump provides a safe fuel exit to the carburetor in the unlikely event of a rupture of the fuel pump’s double diaphragm.
If the recall condition exists and the fuel pump’s double diaphragm were to experience a catastrophic rupture, excess fuel could spill into the engine compartment and a fire could result and could cause serious personal injury and/or death.
Champion Parts, Inc. is not aware of any injuries or incidents involving these carburetors.
WHERE THIS WAS USED: Champion Carburetor# MC60 is a replacement part fitting:
1987-95 MerCruiser 200 5.0L SN# 0B525982 - 0F600999 engines
1996-97 MerCruiser 5.7L SN# 0F601000 - 0K999999 engines
1996-97 MerCruiser Ski 5.7L SN# 0F775200 - 0K999999 engines
WHAT TO DO: Only MC60 carburetors are involved in this recall. Consumers possessing the recalled carburetor are to stop using it immediately, and bring it to a service center to perform an inspection of the carburetor to determine if the recall condition exists.
WHERE TO LOOK: To determine if your carburetor is part of this recall, look for part number MC60 on the product label. If your carburetor has a fuel/fume line attached to the carburetor, it will be necessary to perform the following inspection. With the engine off and the battery disconnected, remove the flame arrestor and inspect the carburetor. Carburetors with a square notch must have a hole drilled through to the bore/throat for the fuel/fume line (see picture below).
If your MC60 Carburetor is part of the recall (without the hole drilled through) contact the service center or retailer where purchased for repair or free replacement. Call Champion Technical Service Department for warranty details.
For more information, contact Champion Technical Service Dept. toll-free at: 800-850-0846 (Monday-Friday 7:00a.m.-5:00p.m. CST)
| Do not approach within 100 yards of any U.S. naval vessel. If you need to pass within 100 yards of a U.S. naval vessel in order to ensure a safe passage in accordance with the Navigation Rules, you must contact the U.S. naval vessel or the Coast Guard escort vessel on VHF-FM channel 16. | 
| | You must operate at minimum speed within 500 yards of any U.S. naval vessel and proceed as directed by the Commanding Officer or the official patrol. | Violations of the Naval Vessel Protection Zone are a felony offense, punishable by up to 6 years in prison and/or up to $250,000 in fines |
Carbon Monoxide Advisory
Coast Guard Advisory to Recreational Boaters on Carbon Monoxide Hazard Caused by Generator Exhaust
The Coast Guard advises owners and operators of boats to turn off gasoline-powered generators with transom exhaust ports when the swim platform on the stern is in use. The Coast Guard further advises that swimmers should not enter the cavity of a boat designed with a generator emitting exhaust into the cavity between the swim platform and the transom of the vessel. The Coast Guard is concerned about the serious health risk from carbon monoxide poisoning and seeks to prevent loss of life and personal injury.
The Coast Guard was made aware of the deadly combination of generator exhaust and swim platforms through a September 2000 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) study of houseboat carbon monoxide deaths on Lake Powell in Arizona. The study showed that the particular design of the stern swim platform on certain models of houseboats created a cavity between the hull of the vessel and the swim platform where the gasoline-powered generator exhaust port is located. When the generator is running the carbon monoxide buildup in this cavity, as well as the swim platform and rear deck space, is so high that it creates an imminent danger of death for anyone who enters the cavity even for a very short period of time. The common practice of keeping generators running to power air conditioning, entertainment centers, and electronic suites while moored or anchored has exacerbated the problem.
The Coast Guard has conducted a preliminary investigation into the problem and has issued a letter to all known houseboat manufacturers informing them of this hazard and soliciting their plans for reducing the danger.
The problem may not be confined to houseboats, however, since any boat with the generator exhaust located in the transom and a swim platform could present the same lethal hazard. The Coast Guard is expanding its investigation of this problem to include all types of boats.
Previous carbon monoxide warnings and educational materials have concentrated on the hazards created by the exhaust of the main propulsion engines while underway. Although these dangers still exist, the Coast Guard will develop new educational materials to emphasize the additional hazards of using a gasoline-powered generator, especially while not underway.
The Coast Guard warns all boaters that this is an extremely dangerous matter that could result in serious injury or death and advises all boat owners to heed this warning.
Flare Gun Malfunction
A defective opening mechanism in some 12-gauge plastic flare guns manufactured by Olin (now Orion Safety Products) prior to 2000 may not open wide enough to accept a flare cartridge. Guns with a modification to correct the possible problem are marked with U.S. Coast Guard approval code 160 028//12/1. Boaters with older flare guns should check the operation of the opening mechanism now and at the start of each boating season. If the breech will not open wide enough to accept a cartridge, the gun should be sent back for a replacement. Send defective guns to: ORION SAFETY PRODUCTS, MARINE DIVISION, 3157N. 500W, PERU, IN 46970; 1-800-851-5260.
Boaters beware: Earle expands restricted zone
Published in the Asbury Park Press 7/23/03
By TOM TRONCONE
STAFF WRITER
MIDDLETOWN -- If you're driving your pleasure craft in Sandy Hook Bay and see an inflatable gray boat -- possibly with a mounted .50-cal. machine gun -- coming at you, chances are you've ventured into the forbidden zone. And you could end up in jail.
Starting Monday, the Navy takes over jurisdiction of the restricted zone around the piers of Earle Naval Weapons Station in Leonardo from the Coast Guard. In addition, it has increased the size of the forbidden area and spent about $100,000 for new buoys to warn boaters. But instead of errant boaters simply being chased away, violators of the zone restriction may face fines up to $500 or imprisonment of six months, according to Navy officials. "It's a no-no; this area is not for the curious," Lt. Ian Wexler said from aboard the Sierra II, a 10-meter, rigid-hull inflatable boat, as he pointed out the newly restricted area on the bay. "The main problem we have is that we have ships at the pier handling ordnance." The restricted zone now extends 750 yards in every direction around the pier complex, Wexler said. The bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen led the Navy to make the move, he said. The Leonardo complex is in the middle of a particularly busy area of the bay, with three marinas -- Belford, Leonardo and Atlantic Highlands -- within three miles of the base. The Navy has given notice to the marinas of the change in the restricted area, Wexler said. Yesterday, three Navy ships were docked at Earle's piers, with at least one loading ordnance for deployment overseas.
"This base is a very significant part of the Navy's forward objective," Wexler, the base's judge advocate general said. The Navy is also stepping up efforts to raise public awareness about the dangers of -- and penalties for -- driving on Normandy Road, a restricted road that connects the "mainside" of Earle in Colts Neck to the "waterfront" section here. Anyone caught driving on the road, Wexler said, will have to report to Fort Monmouth to face charges that could result in a $500 fine or 30 days in jail. The road is used to transport munitions from Colts Neck, and an accident on the road could have serious consequences, Wexler said. "It's a pet peeve," Wexler said. "We see it in court all the time. Enough is enough."
The base was built in 1943, during World War II, when the Navy felt it needed an ammunition depot in the New York area to support the war effort. The site was chosen because it provided ships with a safe port to take on ordnance and had access to rail lines coming from the West. The base was the key supplier of munitions to the troops that landed in France on D-Day, Wexler said. Top | 
