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Daria Blackwell - 7 Jun 2022

Hi Daria,

A couple of comments to your informative post.
-Your first link goes to the same Coast Guard article as the second one.  Is there a different article you were referring to?
-In the CG article there is no mention of which lithium ion cell technology they are referring to.  The safest by far is LiFePO4.  This is not the same technology used in cell phones, computers most electric cars and probably electric surfboards.  All of which have been far more prone to causing fires than LiFePO4.
-With LiFePO4 cells, which are commonly used by cruisers, the chance of a cell by itself starting a fire is very remote for several reasons.  It is usually a poor installation or cheap equipment that causes fires.  there are many options for how to do the install and what equipment to use, so a bit of research is best.  And as we all know, once started, there are many things that can burn on a cruising boat.
-Once an electrical fire like that starts all bets are off.  It would have been useful to see a recommendation besides fire hoses for what type of extinguisher is best.  We have large Halon equivalent extinguishers aboard Soggy Paws.
-For anyone considering a LiFePO4 marine installation, we recommend looking at the two most trusted internet sites: MarineHowTo and Nordkyn.  They are excellent and provide the detail needed to make a safe install.  The FB group Lithium on a Boat is excellent for those who still have questions.  Google them.  We spent a lot of time on these sites while doing our install 2 years ago.
Dave McCampbell
SV Soggy Paws
Kai Islands, E Indonesia