[LIforrelaxin]

Alright this has been a very well balanced talk about safety... And certainly all these steps are good guidelines.

However most times when these explosions happen, there is very little evidence of what really caused the explosion. In that light lets look at some things discussed here.

People disembarking the boat: Last I knew a person could not create a spark involuntarily. People can however move around the boat, causing an attitude shift in the boat potentially contributing to a spill... That is really what that specific portion of the guidelines are about. This problem is particularly an issue on smaller vessels.

Now as mentioned here, certain marine parts should not be substituted with car parts. This extends to all electrical components. For the simple issue of creating a spark.

Now separate out those two issues, the guidelines for fueling a boat are really no different then when fueling your car. With the exception of having to run the blower for a few minutes.

I think in the end most times these explosions are brought on by poor maintenance procedures. Not running your blower is a maintenance procedure prior to starting your boat. Not opening the engine compartment and checking for issues is a maintenance issue. You should be checking oil and other fluids, as well is looking for leaks and any potential issues. Installing car parts instead of marine grade parts is a maintenance issue.... I could go on but I will not.

The Bottom line is Maintain your vessel properly and the risk of an explosion is very small.