Boat Fire - Boston Harbor (have some pics)

Billabong · #1 (**permalink**) 10-17-2010

Headed out of Boston Harbor for a daysail today. As I was approaching the harbor entrance between Long island light and Deer Island I see al black smoke plume erupt. Within seconds there is chatter on channel 16 about a boat on fire, and a man overboard. The speed with which the boat went from smoking to a charred wreck was frightening.

I was too far away to see what sort of boat. Within what seemed like minutes harbor police, coastguard and fire fighting equipment were on the scene, but the fire was too far gone to save the boat. Apparently there was only a person on board who managed to esape the fire by juming into the water. Will try to attach a photo....

Sabreman · #2 (**permalink**) 10-17-2010

It's good that no one was hurt.

It's amazing how fast a fiberglass boat will burn. Many years ago, Was working in a boatyard and a small powerboat caught fire after fueling at a nearby marina. He jumped overboard and swam to our docks. I'm not sure if the boat had insurance or not, but our yard bought the boat while it was still burning. We salvaged the outdrive which was not damaged. Talk about a fire sale

A melted boat is not pretty to see.

Billabong · #3 (**permalink**) 10-17-2010

Just watched the news on TV. Apparently an electrical fault. Still amazes me how quick this went from smoke to wreck. I suspect you would have to be very quick with a fire extinguisher....

eherlihy · #4 (**permalink**) 10-17-2010

Looks like Nix's Mate in the background. The source of the smoke looks awfully close to it. Did the guy run aground too?

Billabong · #5 (**permalink**) 10-17-2010

From what I could see he aimed the boat at the rocks before jumping overboard. Just heard that he is OK - hope his boat was insured.

Makes me wonder about a fire-suppression system though. I think this fire would have been too quick for a hand-held extinguisher, even if you could get close enough with all that smoke.

I had to beat into the wind getting back in and the stench of smoldering fiberglass was almost overpowering from a mile away. Can't imagine how bad it must have been on the boat.

MarioG · #6 (**permalink**) 10-17-2010

Just yesterday I threw a few pieces of a C-22 I cut up on a fire and couldn't believe how fast it burnt. I plan on adding more extinguishers to my boats before I sail again.

Billabong · #7 (**permalink**) 10-17-2010

Do any of the cruising boats come with a fire suppression installed? I just saw a number of high-end yachts at Annapolis, and grabbed a bunch of price and option lists, but none mention fire suppression. Does anyone have such a system? Any ideas on cost?

Hartley18 · #8 (**permalink**) 10-17-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billabong

Do any of the cruising boats come with a fire suppression installed? I just saw a number of high-end yachts at Annapolis, and grabbed a bunch of price and option lists, but none mention fire suppression. Does anyone have such a system? Any ideas on cost?

High-end trawlers/ferries/cruise boats have to have fire suppression systems installed in their fully-sealed engine rooms just to meet Survey, but it's generally far too expensive for your average cruising boat.

...not to mention that the gas (usually CO2 or a similar oxygen-depleting substance) can, and does, kill, so it's not the sort of thing you want to have go off in the middle of the night whilst asleep at anchor.

Billabong · #9 (**permalink**) 10-17-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hartley18

High-end trawlers/ferries/cruise boats have to have fire suppression systems installed in their fully-sealed engine rooms just to meet Survey, but it's generally far too expensive for your average cruising boat.

...not to mention that the gas (usually CO2 or a similar oxygen-depleting substance) can, and does, kill, so it's not the sort of thing you want to have go off in the middle of the night whilst asleep at anchor.

Is the risk or consequences of a suppresion system going off in a trawler really that different than a cruiser? Both are live-aboards.

I did just find a suppression system (Fireboy) that supposedly leaves no powdery mess behind, and comes with either FE-241 or HFC-227ea. Don't know anything about either system but the claim is that FE-241 (Chlorotetrafluoroethane) is approved for unoccupied spaces such as engine rooms, and HFC-227ea (Heptafluoropropane) is approved for occupied spaces. Does anyone have experience with this sytem?

Fireboy Marine Fire Suppression Extinguisher Systems FE-241 & HFC-227ea Agent: Automotive Performance Products, Boat & Marine Parts & Hardware

Hartley18 · #10 (**permalink**) 10-17-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billabong

Is the risk or consequences of a suppresion system going off in a trawler really that different than a cruiser? Both are live-aboards.

One has paying passengers and/or is a "commercial vessel", the other doesn't. Hence one is highly regulated as to what safety precautions must be taken, the other... not so much so. And that's how we'd like it to stay.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billabong

I did just find a suppression system (Fireboy) that supposedly leaves no powdery mess behind, and comes with either FE-241 or HFC-227ea. Don't know anything about either system but the claim is that FE-241 (Chlorotetrafluoroethane) is approved for unoccupied spaces such as engine rooms, and HFC-227ea (Heptafluoropropane) is approved for occupied spaces. Does anyone have experience with this sytem?

Fireboy Marine Fire Suppression Extinguisher Systems FE-241 & HFC-227ea Agent: Automotive Performance Products, Boat & Marine Parts & Hardware

Yes.. I've had experience with both gases including FM-200, Halon AND the CO2 system I mentioned. None of them leave a mess and, for many reasons, personally I prefer CO2 for marine applications, but, as I posted above, all WILL AND DO kill people if not treated with respect - they are designed for "unnocupied spaces" and they mean it!

A cruising boat can never be classed as an "unoccupied space".