OAR 250-010-0125: Ventilation

Pursuant to ORS 830.240, the following ventilation system standards shall apply to all boats: (1) Powered ventilation (applicable to boats constructed after July 31, 1980 that utilize a gasoline engine for electrical generation, mechanical power or propulsion): (a) Each compartment in a boat that has a permanently installed gasoline engine with a cranking motor must: (A) Be open to the atmosphere; or (B) Be ventilated by an exhaust blower system. (b) Each exhaust blower or combination of blowers must be rated at an air flow capacity not less than that computed by the formulas given in Table 1 — Column 2. Blower rating must be determined according to AMCA Standard 210-74, Figure 12, dated 1974, or UL Standard 1128 dated August 23, 1977; (c) Each exhaust blower system required by paragraph (1)(a)(B) of this rule must exhaust air from the boat at a rate which meets the requirements of Table 1 — Column 3 when the engine is not operating; (d) Each intake duct for an exhaust blower must be in the lower one-third of the compartment and above the normal level of accumulated bilge water; (e) More than one exhaust blower may be used in combination to meet these requirements; (f) Each boat that is required to have an exhaust blower must have a label that: (A) Is located as close as practicable to each ignition switch; (B) Is in plain view of the operator; and (C) Has at least the following information: WARNING — GASOLINE VAPORS CAN EXPLODE. BEFORE STARTING ENGINE OPERATE BLOWER FOR 4 MINUTES AND CHECK ENGINE COMPARTMENT BILGE FOR GASOLINE VAPORS. (2) Natural ventilation system: (a) Except for compartments open to the atmosphere, a natural ventilation system that meets the requirements of paragraphs (2)(c)(A) and (B) of this rule must be provided for each compartment in a boat that: (A) Contains a permanently installed gasoline engine; (B) Has openings between it and a compartment that requires ventilation where the aggregate area of those openings exceeds two percent of the area between the compartments; (C) Contains a permanently installed fuel tank and an electrical component that is not ignition protected in accordance with existing U.S. Coast Guard regulations; (D) Contains a fuel tank that vents into that compartment; or (E) Contains a non-metallic fuel tank with an aggregate permeability rate of more than the greater of 1.2 grams of fuel loss in 24 hours, or 1.2 grams of fuel loss in 24 hours per cubic foot of net compartment volume (Permeability Rate — reference: fuel “C” at 40° C. plus or minus 2° C. from ASTM Standard D-241, dated April 1975). (b) Each natural ventilation system must be constructed so that: (A) Each supply opening required is forward facing and located on the exterior surface of a boat; or (B) Air flow will occur into or out of the supply or exhaust openings when the boat is in a wind flowing from bow to stern at a velocity of ten miles per hour (boat’s engine not operating). (c) For the purpose of this section “natural ventilation” means an airflow in a boat compartment achieved by having: (A) A supply opening or duct from the atmosphere or from a ventilated compartment or from a compartment that is open to the atmosphere; and (B) An exhaust opening into another ventilated compartment or an exhaust duct to the atmosphere. (d) Each exhaust opening or exhaust duct must originate in the lower third of the compartment; (e) Each supply opening or supply duct and each exhaust opening or exhaust duct in a compartment must be located above the normal accumulation of bilge water. NOTE: Except as provided in subsection (f) of this section, supply openings or supply ducts and exhaust opening or exhaust ducts must each have a minimum aggregate internal cross-sectional area calculated as follows: A = 5 in. (V/5): where: (A) “A” is the minimum aggregate internal cross-sectional area of the openings or ducts in square inches; (B) “V” is the net compartment volume in cubic feet, including the net volume of other compart-ments connected by openings that exceed two percent of the area between the compartments; and (C) In (V/5) is the natural logarithm of the quantity (V/5). (f) The minimum internal cross-sectional area of each supply opening or duct and exhaust opening or duct must exceed 3.0 square inches; (g) The minimum internal cross-sectional area of terminal fittings for flexible ventilation ducts installed to meet the requirements of subsection (2)(d) of this rule must not be less than 80 percent of the required internal cross-sectional area of the flexible ventilation duct. (3) Nothing in this rule shall apply to: (a) Boats of open construction having at least 15 square inches of open area directly exposed to the atmosphere for each cubic foot of net compartment volume; (b) An accommodation compartment above a compartment requiring ventilation that is separated from the compartment requiring ventilation by a deck or other structure. [ED. NOTE: Tables & Publications referenced are available from the agency]