October 15, 2020

Fort Lauderdale Sport Cruiser Fire Injures Thirteen Persons

A twelve meter Wellcraft Sport Cruiser with 21 people on board exploded while berthed in a Fort Lauderdale Marina on October 15 at around 1400 hours.  The sport cruiser was side docked in the canals adjacent to the Fort Lauderdale Marine Centre in the area of Southwest street.  Out of the 21 people on board, thirteen have injuries, with seven of these having been taken to the hospital and two being in critical condition. 
The exploded boat in the fire is a Wellcraft 43 Portofino, a model the North American boat builder produced from 1988 up to about 97.  The Wellcraft 43 Portofino was initially produced with an open plan one stateroom layout, and then evolved into a two cabin version.  With line shaft propulsion the standard power was twin Crusaders 340hp gas engines, with optional Cat 375hp diesel power.  Top speed was about 25 knots in both power choices though the diesel option should offer a knot or two more of top end and more important a better constant cruising speed. 

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