I know its an often overlooked piece of safety equipment for our boats, but necessary all the same. I was wondering if anyone could shed some light on a guideline system. IF I have a boat so many feet long with an engine some many horse power, what size extinguisher should I be looking at?

The fire extinguiser that I use for my 17' Bass tracker (50hp) is one of those smaller ones that I bought for like $15.  It mounts really nicely on the side of the steering column.  All Boats Under 26 feet in length are required to have one B-1 fire extinguisher on board.  I would say, get one that meets the standards set by the coast gaurd and get another one or a bigger one if it makes you feel more comfortable having more than one or two on board.

check you states laws,

in Pa. the state requiers a 10lb min. fire Ext.

I run 2 5lb on in the fron and one in the back. the fish comm. shecked me and said that's good as long as it adds up to 10lbs

Also, these extinguishers do not last forever. Check to see what the shelf life is on these and get rid of them once they have expired. Do not take the chance. Hopefully we will nver have to use it but make sure it is fully charged and within the alloted time it is rated for.

Some last only 2 years believe it or not. Other may last 5 years. Point is just check them to make sure yours is still good.

Also. mounting them horizontally may cause the charge to dissipate faster thus rendering your extiguisher unusable. This happened to me with my off road truck. Mounting them vertically is preferred. IMO