Quote:
Originally Posted by jetskier
The fuel system for PWCs is essentially sealed and there should not be an accumulation of fumes in the bilge. It is not clear why there were fumes in the bilge of this particular PWC. It is possible that the technician was negligent, there was a leak of some sort in the fuel system, or fuel was spilled into the bilge.
That all being said, opening up the engine compartment and doing a quick inspection prior to riding is always a good idea. Personally, I have never smelled fumes in the bilge of any of my PWCs.
Jetskier  |
I agree that the system should be closed. But gaskets, hoses etc. do all age... With a new Jet Ski I would worry much about this type of issue. But with an older Jet Ski, you do have to exercise some caution... just like you do with any motorized vehicle..... My need to inspect things, is simply that, maintaining the Jet Ski and doing periodic inspections looking for problems, before they get bad enough to be an issue..
Now back to the topic of this thread... Could Irwin have been negligent, certainly.... could the owner have been more diligent possibly, but there really isn't enough information in the article to be sure. Maybe this guy did check the Jet-Ski out before using, and through out the day the situation and conditions built up... in that cause where is the liability... I may inspect my jetski once a weekend... I wouldn't check it constantly, as I am not supposed to need to do so, because of the closed system.
The question this threads posses for me, is when is an accident just an accident... in this day and age attys get involved a look for an avenue to get the victim money. Occasionally this is justified, sometimes it is not... and most often there is a huge grey area.... This case seems to have a lot of grey area too me... time will tell.....