SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/boat-backfire-arrestor-inboard

Which boat must have acceptable backfire flame control?

One with a gasoline inboard installed after April 25, 1940.

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  1. A boat with a diesel engine
  2. Any boat with an outboard
  3. A gasoline inboard installed after April 25, 1940 ✔

Why: Gasoline engines installed after April 25, 1940, except outboards, need acceptable backfire flame control. An arrestor helps stop an engine backfire from igniting gasoline vapors.

Huh, didn't know that: Arrestors work like a metal screen: the flame can't pass through the cool mesh. Keep it clean and secured with a flame-tight seal.

The dad joke
Why did the flame arrestor get the job? It was great at stopping trouble at the door.
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References

Answer: A gasoline inboard installed after April 25, 1940. Gasoline engines installed after April 25, 1940, except outboards, need acceptable backfire flame control. An arrestor helps stop an engine backfire from igniting gasoline vapors.

  1. U.S. Coast Guard, A Boater's Guide to the Federal Requirements for Recreational Boats www.uscgboating.org/assets/1/AssetManager/Boaters-Guide-to-Federal-Requirements-for-Receational-Boats-20231108.pdf
    Gasoline engines installed in a motorboat or motor vessel after April 25, 1940, except outboard motors, must be equipped with an acceptable means of backfire flame control.
    Checked 2026-10-09.

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Test yourself in the game

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