A safety reminder to all narrowboaters; clean your mushroom vents! Ventilation on a narrowboat is vital for boat safety, without ventilation you could die of carbon monoxide poisoning. 

When a fire burns in an enclosed area, the oxygen is gradually used up and replaced with carbon dioxide. Following a build-up of carbon dioxide in the air, the fuel is prevented from burning fully and it starts to release carbon monoxide which can build up inside a small space such as a narrow boat, caravan or tent that's not properly vented. Carbon monoxide is an odourless gas and has no taste or colour and so is very hard to detect.  Even a small breath of carbon monoxide can cause loss of consciousness or death.  So for safety's sake check your mushroom vents are not blocked!

This picture illustrates my point, its a very dusty mushroom vent off one of our narrowboats.  Check your vents every few months and if they look dusty just pop them off and clean them!