Mild CO poisoning?

I hesitate to report this but think it may help someone else if you read about  my recent mishap. 

After arriving at Ely for a couple of nights away, I decided to put my feet up for a few minutes while the Webasto heated up for the first time this year. As I dozed, it sounded OK as it went through its lighting up process and I thought no more about it as I slipped effortlessly into Dozyplonkland.

I was then suddenly woken from my peaceful slumber by the Smoke/Carbon Monocide alarm bleeping loudly above my head and calling out CARBON MONOCIDE! CARBON MONOCIDE!

I took one giant leap off the bed like a startled gazelle, switched off the Webasto and headed for the nearest door at a fast rate of knots just as the instructions state in no uncertain terms. CO is not to be taken lightly as it's very harmful to the health and comes without sight, smell  or taste. 

After a few minutes standing on the jetty, I went around to the front end of the boat (AKA the bow) and opened that door and went inside to open a few portholes to get more ventilation through. As the alarm was still going I went outside again asap. When the alarm finally stopped, I went back inside. Not being able to see or smell any problem, I wondered if the alarm was working properly so I took out the batteries and started it again. Nothing. Was it a false alarm or the real thing I wondered? Was I thinking straight? Come on, work it out! It can't be that difficult.

Anyway, I decided to opt for what I thought was the sensible route and not put the Webasto on again until it had been serviced and tested, but I would also work through the other possible causes in the morning like the gas stove and coal fire. I settled down again for a quiet evening in but gradually started to get an upset stomach. Was this the big meal I had indulged in or something else?

By 9.30pm I was feeling a bit grotty in the mid drift department so headed for bed. The belly got worse and worse and in about 45 minutes I was violently sick. This was repeated about 4 or 5 times until I finally got to sleep at about 2.00 am. When I got up about 9.00 am next morning, I looked at the alarm information again, and it looked like I had had a mild bout of CO poisoning; nausea and vomiting being the main symptoms. This was bad enough so I dread to think what the more serious bouts are like. The middle one apparently involves delirium and convulsions but, the worse one, I understand, involves some additional excruciating pain which is only relieved by the onset of your premature death. Quite serious really!

So, what have I learnt?

1. I have fitted a good quality Smoke and CO Alarm that works well. (That's a good thing).

2. I test it nearly every week as the manufacturer recommends. (That's another good thing).

2. I must remember to replace the batteries annually, even if I think they don't need it. (Mmmmm).

3. I've been on many training courses about what to do when I see or smell smoke, or a smoke/fire alarm goes off, but I don't remember them mentioning what to do when a CO alarm goes off (I'm not really blaming the instructors), but when there's no acrid smoke, no smell or taste and there are no crowds of people rushing to the rendezvous point in the car park, while my first reaction was to make a bolt for the door (that's a good thing), my second reaction was to question whether the alarm was faulty (that was wrong!).

4. So my CO alarm plan is to get out asap and open the doors and windows as I go (unlike a fire, when I would try to close as many as I can) and not go back in until it's safe, especially if the alarm is still blaring out its warnings. 

Dickie Boy, you have learnt an important lesson; now go and have your boiler serviced and check everywhere for embarrassing leaks.