The Coast Guard has new rules for disposable fire extinguishers on your boat, starting April 20. Extinguishers now must have a 12-year expiration date stamped on the bottom, and they must meet a new Underwriter Laboratory classification to be carried on certain boats, depending on the model year. Read an explanation here from BoatUS: ANNAPOLIS, Md., Feb. 15, 2022 – A rite of passage for every boater is the annual spring commissioning. Newly added to the boat owners to-do list this spring will be to check all disposable (non-rechargeable) fire extinguisher dates of manufacture, as well as the label for…

Here’s a story about on board fire extinguishers that’s important to all cruising boat owners from Practical Sailor. It tells you how many you need, where to put them, and how to care for them. By Frank Lanier While portable dry chemical fire extinguishers are a common sight aboard any sailboat, their installation, upkeep, and use is almost sinful. During marine surveys I’ve asked boat owners how long they think a typical BC-I portable unit will last when fighting a fire and have received answers ranging from “about 20 minutes” to “until the fire is put out”—scary, when you consider…