Journal · 2026-07-28
The Four-Minute Rule
Every marine guy who's been doing this longer than you knows the rule and still checks the clock. Four minutes on the blower before you turn the key. Not three. Not 'it's probably fine.' Gasoline vapor is heavier than air, it settles in the bilge, and a spark down there doesn't ask permission first. The flame arrestor on your carb is doing the same job from a different angle — catching what shouldn't get out. Neither one is optional. Neither one is negotiable. That's not paranoia, that's just what it costs to run gas on the water.
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