Yacht Burned to Water Line in Marina

[grantmc]

Sad news from Napier, New Zealand where a 12 mtr yacht was pretty much reduced to ashes whilst in a slip. Fortunately no one was injured and the boats moored either side were very lucky not to have been engulfed too. So far no cause has been made public.

It does, in my own mind raise the issue of insurance. The marina in question, I know from personal experience, don't enforce the requirement. And the area of the marina where this occurred is home to mostly live-a-boards.

https://cdn.hbapp.co.nz/news/news/fi...-napier-marina

[s/v Jedi]

I think it’s a motorboat…

[Fore and Aft]

Jedi, she is ready for centre console conversion now!
Cheers

[Mickeyrouse]

A sad situation indeed. Non-enforcement of liability insurance means the marina is assuming the themselves for the uninsured's. Which, usually, really translates to no coverage for anybody in the marina. We’ve all seen our share of so-called marinas that are really a collection crowded, shabby, small docks with zero amenities. There are usually a lot of reasons for inertia, but the neighbors of the burnt boat should heed the signs and move as absolutely soon as possible

[Wotname]

I'm surprised the fireys manage to contain the blaze to the extent they did.

[mbianka]

It's one of the reasons I like to be on a mooring. Always a danger that a rummy neighbor neglects or decides to rewire their boat.

[Kettlewell]

And the area of the marina where this occurred is home to mostly live-a-boards.

If I'm in a marina I would rather have plenty of liveaboards around to keep an eye on things. As a former fulltime liveaboard I have personally saved a boatyard from burning down because I was there to call the fire department in the middle of the night, and I have personally pulled people out of the water who fell in, retied boats, fixed problem power cords, chased thieves away, saved sinking boats, etc. Liveaboard are your friends if you are in a marina!

[leecea]

I sometimes wonder how something like this plays out. Our marina enforces insurance coverage but I imagine most people's liability coverage would be exhausted pretty quickly if the fire spread, especially in a marina with higher end boats.

[Thomas1985]

I feel like there’s a natural intersection somewhere between this thread and the yacht eviction thread��

[Kettlewell]

I don't know the details in this case, but I know that most boat fires are caused by electrical problems. I wonder if 230/240 volt electrical systems are worse in this regard? https://www.boatus.com/expert-advice...%209%20percent.

[desodave]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

If I'm in a marina I would rather have plenty of liveaboards around to keep an eye on things. As a former fulltime liveaboard I have personally saved a boatyard from burning down because I was there to call the fire department in the middle of the night, and I have personally pulled people out of the water who fell in, retied boats, fixed problem power cords, chased thieves away, saved sinking boats, etc. Liveaboard are your friends if you are in a marina!

Precisely how I look at it in our marina. But the downside is the electrical demands from those livaboards when it gets cold. We had a fire starting 3 boats away from ours caused by the heavy electrical demands from a liveaboard's boat, and its inadequate wiring. Our boat might have been involved if the wind had been in its usual direction. But its impact was limited because 2 other liveaboards called the fire department right away and turned the dock hoses on it until the fireboys arrived.

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

I don't know the details in this case, but I know that most boat fires are caused by electrical problems. I wonder if 230/240 volt electrical systems are worse in this regard? https://www.boatus.com/expert-advice...%209%20percent.

Doubt it. It's the current flow which generates the heat and the power equation dictates that in the service of any electrical load similar power requirements require higher currents for lower voltages.

[Kettlewell]

Doubt it. It's the current flow which generates the heat and the power equation dictates that in the service of any electrical load similar power requirements require higher currents for lower voltages.

I was thinking about this recent thread on arc fault fires.
https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ne-283026.html

[sinnerman]

Originally Posted by Fore and Aft

Cheers

From this picture, this boat looks poorly maintained.

More of a floating tent/camper than a boat.

Having a boat like this go unattended with shore power connected to it is asking for trouble.

Unfortunately I see this in most marinas..

My two cents

[Jimmyhenry]

110 volt systems require much higher amps. So I don’t think 230 volts is an issue.