Loaded with gas canisters?

[HissyFit]

They make it sound like the gas equivalent of toilet roll panic buying.

Flames engulf boat laden with gas canisters close to Portsmouth Harbour (msn.com)

Anyone know any more?

 

[lustyd]

1800l of fuel on that?

 

[KevinV]

6 minute response time - on the water - impressive!

 

[rjandhl]

News item with footage on BBC News, local news Southampton
Also news on Gosport and Fareham Inshore Rescue website under news

 

[Martin_J]

More detail and follow up in a thread in the Motor Boat forum...

Very Scary Fire Aquastar 38

 

[Juan Twothree]

Sorry to digress slightly, (as I often do on this forum), but maybe food for thought.

I've been called out to a few boat fires. With one exception (a steel charter angling boat with 12 on board), in each case the fire took hold very quickly and the boat was pretty much, or totally, destroyed.

Causes have included a gas leak resulting in an explosion then fire, an outboard that burst into flames destroying the boat, plus a couple where we'll never know.

Only observation I would make, from one of these jobs, is that whilst lots of yotties keep their lifejackets hanging up somewhere forward, this can make them rather difficult to get to if your cabin is on fire. You might be wishing you were wearing one when you lower yourself into the sea and swim away from your burning vessel. Several miles offshore. In the dark.

 

[lustyd]

Of course if they are in the cockpit ready to use, they could well be on fire when you need them since that’s usually next to the engine, gas, fuel. The bow is often the last place to burn as it was in this instance, and usually has a hatch to escape through.

 

[Stemar]

The only sensible thing to do with LJs is to wear them. Like the seat belt in your car, when you really, really need it, it's too late to go looking for it.

Do I? No, I'm not always sensible, but I do try, and this fire is a good reminder to try harder.

I don't know about anyone else, but no way am I going below if I have a fire on board. Yes, we have hatches forward, but they're small; we'd probably fit through them, but probably just isn't good enough in those circumstances, especially as we both have limited mobility.

 

[lustyd]

Virtue signalling always jumps in where lifejackets and rescues come up. There are many reasons you'd already be below when a fire breaks out, and many more reasons you wouldn't be wearing a life jacket on board. Sleeping, eating and shitting are three quite good examples. Just be sensible and do the best you can in the situation when it arises, as the people in this instance clearly did.

 

[Stemar]

Virtue signalling always jumps in where lifejackets and rescues come up. There are many reasons you'd already be below when a fire breaks out, and many more reasons you wouldn't be wearing a life jacket on board. Sleeping, eating and shitting are three quite good examples. Just be sensible and do the best you can in the situation when it arises, as the people in this instance clearly did.

If what I said was virtue signalling, then I apologise - it really wasn't my intention. You are, of course, quite right. I don't wear my LJ at anchor - I'm far more likely to have a glass in my hand . As for when asleep, below, well, you have to deal with what you find when you find it.

 

[PhillM]

I always were my life jacket. Except when I don’t. From when I start to prep the boat until she is tied up or anchored. Except for aforementioned ablutions. And sleep. And sunbathing. And sometimes just because I forget to wear it. Although, that tends to be when sailing with others and not when single handed as I am all too aware that the LJ and PLB on it might be my one and only chance should I go over.

 

[R.Ems]

Eating, sleeping and sh1tting, my l/j is within arm's reach, and although not at the forefront of my consciousness, I (or my arm) instinctively knows where to find it.
Each crew has their own l/j which they must have within arm's reach.
Any skipper who stores them all in one place has not thought it through.

As to the fire, has one possible cause been discussed: Too many bottles of gin in a confined space?

 

[Stemar]

As to the fire, has one possible cause been discussed: Too many bottles of gin in a confined space?

Not what I'd call a gin palace, though - a rather nice motorboat. to my mind a gin palace is something like this:

or this