Note
Fire Extinguisher Cabinets for Boat Docks and Marinas
Salt air kills painted steel on a dock. Which Cato cabinets have no metal in them, and why the red cover is the one to order outdoors.
A dock is the hardest wall in the fire protection business. Salt spray, permanent humidity, direct sun off the water, and a walkway where somebody eventually swings a cooler into whatever is mounted at hip height. Painted steel does not last, and the failure is not cosmetic — a corroded hinge is a cabinet nobody can open.
Take the metal out
The material answer is molded plastic. Cato's tubs and trims are injection molded high-impact polystyrene in .110 thickness with ultra-violet inhibitors, so there is no substrate under a coating and nothing to corrode. Cato describes the line as a dent and rust proof alternative to metal, and on a dock that is the whole argument.
What varies is how much metal is left in the assembly:
- Warrior — none. Two pieces: a tub, and a .100 crystal polystyrene cover with a bottom pull handle and an etched "PULL" legend, held shut by a plastic locking seal. No padlock, no key, no hinge.
- Island Chief — none. A .030 PETG panel with an oval notch that works as a hand pull, plus an ABS hexagonal lock and keys for inspection access.
- Chief — a break hammer or a stainless steel break bar on a nylon-coated stainless cable. Specify the -B stainless bar rather than the hammer if the cabinet will live in spray.
- Chief Pull to Open — stainless hinges and a zinc-plated roller catch, and currently on production hold at Activar. Ask us to quote lead time before you plan around it.
Order red
Cato specifies red acrylic on the Chief and a red cover on the Warrior for the best outdoor UV resistance. On a south-facing dock that matters more than the aesthetics. The trade-off is that a clear front lets an inspector read the gauge without opening the cabinet — on a slip you walk past daily, that may still be worth having.
Sizes worth knowing
| Model | Tub I.D. (W x H x D) | Ship weight |
|---|---|---|
| Warrior 95-5 | 8" x 19" x 6-3/8" | 5 lb |
| Warrior 95-10 | 9" x 23" x 7" | 6 lb |
| Chief / Island Chief 105-5 | 6" x 16-3/4" x 5-3/8" | 3.5 lb |
| Chief / Island Chief 105-10 | 6-3/4" x 20-1/2" x 6" | 4.5 lb |
| Chief / Island Chief 105-20 | 9" x 26" x 8" | 6 lb |
A 5 lb ABC — Strike First SF-ABC310, Amerex B402 or B500, JL Cosmic 5E — fits every one of these. A 10 lb ABC such as the Strike First SF-ABC680, Amerex B456 or B441, or JL Cosmic 10E needs the 105-10, the Warrior 95-10 or the 105-20.
Add the tray
Cato's rust prevention tray, part 10300, sits flat side up and balls side down in the bottom of the cabinet with its long axis across the width, so air can flow under the cylinder and relieve corrosion caused by condensation. On a dock this is the single cheapest thing you can add to the order. It is available for the 5 and 10 lb sizes only.
Mount it into something
Cato's guide 14I-120 asks for at least four attachment points, two of which land in framing members, drilled at 1/4 in. On a dock structure that may mean a backing board rather than a stud. Fasteners are not supplied — pick them for the wall and for the environment.
And the pull station
If there is a manual alarm pull station on the same dock, it has the same problem. Cato's 220 covers are injection molded high-density polypropylene in red, surface mount or recessed, with an optional gasket — 22011B surface pull-to-open with gasket, 22001C recessed with gasket, 22012B surface with a break panel and gasket. They arrive fully assembled with mounting hardware and anchors.