Sport Cruiser Catches Fire in Coconut Grove Marina Florida

A twelve meter sport cruiser reportedly unattended went on fire while berthed at 2550 South Bayshore Drive, Coconut Grove, Florida at about 21:30 hours of Friday 21 July.  Miami fire rescue responded to the fire, and managed to control it in less to hour.  A delicate operation also because the sport cruiser was berthed near Monty Raw Bar Restaurant.  No one was injured from the flames, with the fire fighters also controlling the fire and stopping it from spreading to other boats and the nearby restaurant.  An investigation is under way to what caused the fire what seems to have started in the engine room, and then spreading upwards.

The boat in this fire is a Cruisers 390 Sports Coupe, a model the USA boat builder produced from 2007 to 11.  The 390 Sports Cruiser offered a three part hard-top main deck, with an open plan lower deck sleeping up to six, and was powered by Yanmar's 380hp on V-drives or Volvo 370hp with IPS pod drives.  The 390 Sports Coupe came out as a replacement to the 370 Express and was replaced by the Cruisers 41 Cantius in 2011.

Two People Saved from Baja Powerboat Fire in Traverse Bay

Two people where saved when a Baja six meter powerboat went on fire and then sank in West Grand Traverse Bay, Michigan on Friday 21 July.  Nathan Greenwood the good Samaritan which saved the two boaters also filmed the event, and the moment the two crew finally decide to jump into the water.  It was an intense moment with the two boaters looking to be out of senses walking around the Baja powerboat while it is burning more each second, and finally after some shouts of encouragement by the Greenwoods decide to let it go and jump into the water.  The Baja powerboat sank in over twenty meters of water and was recovered the following Sunday by Lake Marine Services.

The Baja in this fire is a 21 Hammer model as produced from 1997 to 2000.  The Baja Hammer is powered by a single 310hp gas engine with stern drive propulsion and a cuddy cabin accommodation for two.  The 21 Hammer was the performance looking powerboat of five models sharing the same hull, including the more powerful and three foot longer H2X model.

Eight meter Sport Cruiser Burns in Rocchette Tuscany

A eight meter sports cruiser titled m/y Madimar under Italian flag with two persons on board burned down and eventually sank in front of the bay of Rocchette, in Castiglione dell Pescaia, Tuscany, Italy just after 10:00 hours of Sunday ninth July.  No injuries where sustained to the two persons onboard, assisted by two military personnel who where patrolling the whereabouts in that moment. The Guardia Costiera has later interviewed the two persons about the fire sinister, and requesting to recover the sunk wreck being it is a pollutant with fuel and resin.

The boat in this is fire is a Mano Marine 25 Sport build in the noughties.  The Mano Marine 25 Sport offered a two berth accommodation and was usually powered by twin Mercruiser 225hp petrol gas on stern drives.

Flybridge Cruiser Goes Ablaze in Gozo Marina

A fourteen meter flybridge cruiser titled m/y Tiffany went ablaze in Mgarr marina Gozo, at around 18:30 hours of Saturday eight July.  The owners had just boarded the fourteen meter flybridge cruiser when it went on fire.  Malta Civil Protection from a boat and the marina pontoon controlled and then contained the fire onboard the vessel and with the help from Mgarr Marina personnel also stopped it from spreading to other vessels, with the only Gozo island yacht harbour being particularly busy in Summer weekends, and a Saturday evening in July.   One of the fire fighters fighting the blaze was treated for injuries.  The cause of the fire are not reported, though an investigation is underway. The same Mgarr Marina had a big fire involving four boats in the early morning of June 25 2020 which unfortunately left one person dead.

The flybridge cruiser in this fire is an Enterprise Marine EM46, a popular model from the Adriatic sea based boat builder founded in 1984. Released in 1998 the EM46 offers a three double cabins interior, and is powered by twin Volvo 480hp and or 575hp engines.  The Enterprise EM46 is still in production, although Enterprise Marine does not produce much boats nowadays.

Ten Boats Burned in Marseille Marina Fire

A fire in Estaque Marina in Marseille on Tuesday 27 June at about 1430 hours burned ten small boats from five to about eight meters in length.  Fifty fire fighters, sixteen fire engines, and two fire fighting boats from Marseille rushed to the scene to control the flames which they managed to extinguish at 18:00 hours.  Of the ten boats, six are totally burned, with the other four having fire damage.  Three boons where deployed around the fire area and damaged boats in order to contain pollution.

Estaque Marina is located to North West of Marseille, about four nautical miles by sea and ten kilometres of road distance from the sea side city.

Classic Bertram Burns and Sinks in Liguria

A fourteen meter Bertram classic sportfish cruiser with five people onboard; four men and a woman went ablaze on 20:30 hours of Saturday ten June.  The Bertram was travelling from Lavagna in Eastern Liguria to Cala Medici yacht marina in Tuscany, when for an unknown reason ten nautical miles into its trip it went ablaze in front of Deiva Marina.  As soon as the boaters noticed the fire a MayDay was called, answered by the La Spezia coast guard operation, with the boaters first finding help from a passing by Rib, with the Sestri Levante coast guard later assisting in trying to stop the fire, and then taking the boaters to safety.  The five boaters where then later transported to Tigullio harbour where an ambulance was awaiting for a routine check to the five boaters, as they were unharmed with the exception for a shock. The classic Bertram was near to all engulfed by the fire, and then sank in the depths of the Ligurian sea.

The Bertram in this fire is a 46 Convertible model, also called the 46.6 because of the 46 feet six inches length.  Produced from 1971 to 87 the 46 Convertible was Dave Napier first creation for Bertram, setting a new high standard for sea keeping qualities.  The Bertram 46 Convertible was offered in two or three cabins layout, and in its sixteen years production had three versions, the latest one introduced in the fall of 1985.  Power was from twin 435hp GM and or optional 570hp from 1981 onwards.  The Bertram 46 Convertible was replaced by the 50 Convertible in 1987 with a second generation 46 coming in 1995 produced till 97.

Two Men Saved from Boat Fire Near Melbourne

Two men where saved from a thirteen meter flybridge cruiser which went up in flames just over one nautical miles from St. Kilda shoreline, Port Phillip Bay, near Melbourne on 12:10 hours of Wednesday 24 May.  Fire rescue Victoria assisted the boat with a fire suppression vessel, while the two men onboard, a 61 and a 59 year old, who tried to suppress the smoke coming from the engine room, abandoned ship, and after about fifteen minutes in the water where rescued and collected by a military rib who was conducting a training exercise in nearby Williamstown.  The fire was extinguished by about 12:45 hours although the flybridge cruiser was burned down to the waterline at this stage and sank.  The coast guard, border force, and a hospital helicopter also responded to the fire.  According to the initial investigation the fire was triggered from the engine room with a possible mechanical failure igniting it.

The flybridge cruiser in this fire is a Carver 444 Cockpit Motor Yacht which entered in production in 2001 and was produced till 2007.  Based on the 396 Motor Yacht with the addition of an aft cockpit, the 444 Cockpit Motor Yacht offered a spacious layout with two fore and aft staterooms, and is powered by twin Cummins 370hp diesels on shafts for speeds up to 25 knots.  The 444 Cockpit Motor Yacht received a visual updated to its windows in 2005 and was replaced by the Carver Sojourn 44 in 2008.

Classic Bertram Catches Fire in Biscayne Bay

A classic Bertram sixteen meter sportfish yacht with three people onboard went ablaze near the Coral Gables Waterway in Biscayne Bay, Miami on the afternoon of Saturday March eighteen.  Coral Gables Police Department spotted the smoke first and assisted the three people onboard, while Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and Miami Fire Rescue went to the scene to put out the flames.  According to reports no one was grievously injured, and the causes of the fire are unknown.  The condition of the Bertram yacht after the fire is unknown, though in the videos online the fire looks extensive, and most probably is a wreck.

The Bertram in this fire is the Dave Napier designed 54 launched in 1981 and produced till 2001 and sold in over 130 units.  A modern classic since launch the Bertram 54 had in those twenty years three versions, the first version up to 1985 is recognizable by the central pillar in the side windows, from 1997 it had a soft exterior refresh and interior by Faggoni from Italy.  The Bertram 54 was replaced by the 570 in 2002 which used the same hull with a new design outside and inside by Zuccon.  

Bertram 54 classic post here

Lake Hubbard Fire Burns Down Three Boats

A big fire at Chandler Landings marina, in Lake Ray Hubbard, Rockwall, Dallas, Texas at about 1730 hours of Monday thirtieth January is reported to have burned and totalled three boats, and extensively damage to two others.  Forty fire fighters from Rockwall and Dallas Fire-Rescue and two other agencies where dispatched to the area to control the flames, which took a few hours to take off, due to the weather and difficult location.  No one was reported injured in the fire, with an investigation being under way to establish the cause.  

Of the boats in the fire in the above picture we can spot the following from left to right; late nighties Sea Ray 400 Sundancer, Tiara 3200 Open, and a Four Winns 328 Vista.

Eighty Boats Destroyed in Marbella Boat Storage Fire

Over eighty boats from five to twelve meters in size where destroyed and or severely damaged in a boat storage facility fire which broke out at around 1900 hours of Wednesday eleven January, at La Bajdilla in Marbella, South East of Spain.  Thirty fire fighters fought the fire which was controlled in about two hours, this reported under control at 2100 hours of the same evening.  The causes of the fire are unknown, although unconfirmed reports are saying it started in an unattended warehouse workshop adjacent to the facility.

The La Bajdilla boat storage facility belongs to the Marina Marbella Group, a boat and yacht dealer with operations in Spain, United Kingdom, and Portugal, founded in 1965 by two Swede brothers Lars and Goran Sundberg. Today Marina Marbella is still owned by the Sundberg family and is distributor for the following six brands; Sea Ray, Frauscher, Wajer, Sessa, Solaris Power, and Filippetti.

Sardinia Fire Destroys Five Boats

A fire which started on a twelve meter flybridge cruiser on Eastern pontoon of the Frigiano yacht marina in Castelsardo, to the North of Sardinia at around 0430 hours of Tuesday six December destroyed and sank four other boats, and damaged two, one which has extensive damage.  The first notice of the fire was reported by a group of fisherman who immediately advised the Sassari police, which called the Civil Protection and Fire Fighting squad.  Two fire engines where called on the scene.  The acting inquiry on the case has inspected the marina cameras, which from initial investigation looks that a short circuit on a twelve meter flybridge cruiser started the fire. No one was injured in the fire.  The same marina had a similar big fire back in 2013 which destroyed eleven boats.

Some of the wrecked boats in this fire are a late eighties Ferretti 36 Altura, and a Piantoni 45 Fantasy.  The damaged boats are a Bavaria 37 Sport, and a Sciallino 40 Fly.

Sport Cruiser Explodes in Malta Marina

A nine meter sport cruiser exploded while in its berth at the Malta Creek Marina in Ta Xbiex, on Thursday November seventeen at about 1700 hours local time.  The nine meter sport cruiser was reported exploding during ignition of its petrol gas engines.  The quick intervention of the Creek Marina crew quickly controlled the fire generated from the explosion, with no injuries being reported, and zero damage to nearby boats. The Marina crew where later assisted by Malta's fire fighting crew with two fire engines, and an ambulance.

The sport cruiser in this small explosion is a Bavaria 29 Sport, produced by the German boat builder from 2003 up to 2007.  The unit which exploded is from 2006 powered by twin gas 225hp Volvo engines with stern drive propulsion. The Bavaria 29 Sport was replaced by the 30 Sport in mid 2007 with the new model extended in length and offering an aft deck with a mini sun-pad.

Sportfish Explodes After Refuelling in Bermuda

A flybridge cruiser of about nine meters in length titled m/y Woodstock with one passenger onboard, exploded and then went ablaze just after refuelling at Dowling Marina, St. Georges, Bermuda around 1330 hours of Sunday nine October.  Videos on social media show the scene of the Woodstock exploding split second just after the captain turns on the engine. With the fuel station of Dowling Marina located near The Wharf Restaurant and Bar in a packed Sunday afternoon the drama was not ended, and an evacuation of sorts could not be made, as the wind kept on pushing the on fire Woodstock to the dock.  At this stage a sportfish of eleven meters titled m/y Tenacious with two brothers onboard towed Woodstock out of the dock, to Marginal Wharf, before the flybridge cruiser burned down and eventually sank at around 1440 hours.  Ten fire fighters and officers assisted and went to extinguish Woodstock from the flames, while the lone captain owner had minor injuries to his ankle as he jumped off the boat from the flybridge.

Woodstock the sportfish cruiser in this fire is a Trojan F-32, a model the famed US builder produced from 1973 up to 1992 in 2700 units. Still popular the Trojan F-32 sleeps four in a forward double Vee-berth with a convertible saloon, and is powered by twin Chryslers 225hp or optional 260hp gas engines on shafts.

The heroic sportfish m/y Tenacious which saved further damage to happen at Dowling Marina is a Luhrs 40 Convertible, produced from 2000 up to 2003.  The Luhrs 40 Convertible is an evolution of  the 380 which was born in 1991, main recognizable difference being the side windows being more curved.  The Luhrs 40 Convertible offers an interior with two cabins sleeping four, and is powered by Cat 420hp engines.  The 40 Convertible was replaced by the Luhrs 41 Convertible in 2004.

Sport Cruiser Destroyed by Fire in Scoglitti

A sport cruiser of about eight meters in length went ablaze while in its berth in Scoglitti harbour, in the province of Vittoria, to the South of Sicily on Monday 26 September at around 1100 hours.  The boat was unattended as the fire started, and was quickly moved away to the West breakwater from the pier berthing crew to avoid damage to nearby boats.  A fire fighting crew from Vittoria was on the spot to control and extinguish the fire as the sport cruiser was fully burned down to the waterline.  The causes of the fire are not reported.

The sport cruiser in this fire is a USA made Cruisers 2670 Rogue produced from 1992 up to 1997.  The 2670 Rogue offered a four berth open plan accommodation and is powered by twin petrol gas engines of 200hp, and or single diesel 200 or twin 150hp Volvo engine with stern drive propulsion.  The 2670 Rogue in this fire is the second series introduced in the fall of 1995 with hull port holes replacing the parallel top side windows.

Pershing Yacht Fire in Dade Miami

A nineteen meter Pershing sport yacht developed a fire while berthed at the Miami River Apartments, in Dade county Miami, Florida at 1030 of twenty September.  The berthed sport yacht developed a fire and the quick intervention of the Miami Beach Fire Rescue boats and Miami-Dade fire fighters saved it from burning down, sinking and becoming totalled.  The cause of the fire are not reported, and no injuries have been reported.    

The Pershing in this fire is a 62 model produced from 2004 till 2007 in about forty units.  Designed as all Pershing by Fulvio de Simoni, the 62 featured three cabins plus a single berth crew cabin, and powered by twin Man 1550hp with Arneson surface drives give it a 45 knots top speed.  The Pershing 62 was a replacement to the 65 Limited, and was replaced by the successful and appreciated 64 model in 2008.

Sport Cruiser Explodes in Villasimius Leaves Two Injured

An eight meter sport cruiser with two persons onboard exploded while on its berth at Villasimius, Sardinia on the morning of Friday 26 August.   Both two persons where injured with a 56 year old woman being in grievous condition and taken to hospital for attention.  According to initial reports from the Italian coast guard the explosion started from a short circuit to the water pump, which coming in contact to petrol fumes generated the explosion.  The quick start of the fire fighting equipment put off the fire right away, saving the boat from further damage and it expanding more in the marina.  The sport cruiser was later in the day taken to a boat yard for further investigation and repairs.

The sport cruiser in this accident is a Regal 270 Commodore. Produced in the early nineties the 270 Commodore offered an accommodation sleeping four in an open cabin layout which included a galley and a separate shower head.  The 270 Commodore was usually powered by twin Mercruiser 205hp with stern drive propulsion.

Boats Explosion in Daytona Beach Injures Four

A ten meter sport cruiser exploded and burned injuring four at Halifax Harbor Marina, Daytona Beach on the afternoon of Sunday 21 August.  Fire fighters where called to assist to the boat fire on 1315 hours, which injured four, of which one woman age fifty in critical condition air lifted to Orlando hospital.  The sport cruiser exploded when the owner after refueling went to ignite the engine.  The explosion is reported coming from vapors build up in the engine room, a common occurrence in gas powered boats.  The owner of the boat did report of having them on before igniting the engines.

The sport cruiser in this explosion and fire is a Wellcraft 3200 St.Tropez.  A successful model from Wellcraft the 3200 St. Tropez was produced from 1984 to 1989 and offered a comfortable open layout interior sleeping four.  Usually powered by twin gas engines from 260 up to 330hp, the 3200 St.Tropez had a design update for a sloop integrated bathing platform bolted in the stern to models after 1987.

Flybridge Cruiser Goes on Fire in Hudson River

A fourteen meter Jeanneau flybridge cruiser with seven persons onboard caught fire on Saturday 20 August just before 1530 hours off West 72nd street on the Hudson River.  A nearby boat rescued the seven occupants of the flybridge cruiser before the New York Police Department boat arrived to the scene.  The  marine and lands fire fighting units arrived later to the accident trying to extinguish the fire, to no avail with the flybridge cruiser ending sinking.  According to initial reports the fire started from the lower cabin deck area.  No one was injured in the fire with the yacht being recovered three days later.

The Jeanneau in this fire is a Prestige 46 Flybridge, a model the French boat builder produced from 2002 to 2009 and designed by Garroni.  Flagship of Jeanneau Prestige range at launch the 46 offered three double cabins accommodation with an optional crew cabin aft, and was powered by twin Volvo 430hp, with optional 480hp and or Cummins 500hp coming in 2006.  The Jeanneau Prestige 46 evolved and was replaced by the Prestige 50 in the fall of 2008, although these models did make a year sharing production.

Unconscious Man Saved from Florida Boat Fire

An unconscious man was saved by two police officers in Manatee Pocket waterway near Pirates Cove in Stuart, Florida when his sportfish boat went ablaze and later exploded on the afternoon on Sunday fourteen August.  The boat allegedly caught fire and while the two officers where trying to take a man out exploded.  The police officers escaped injury while the man onboard was taken to hospital for observation. The officers Rib also had some damage in this operation with some of it melting with the heat caused by the Sportfish cruiser on fire.

The sportfish cruiser in this fire is a Wellcraft 3200 Coastal produced from 1984 to 1986.  The 3200 Coastal has an accommodation sleeping four persons in a two plus two layout.  A a modified Vee hull with a fine entry and medium fourteen degrees deadrise aft coupled to twin petrol gas Mercruiser 270hp engines and shaft line propulsion gave her a speed up to thirty knots.  The 3200 Coastal was also available in a flybridge enclosed main deck version called the Sport Bridge. 

Sport Cruiser Burns in Ponza

A sport cruiser of fourteen meters with five persons aboard went ablaze in front of the Fronzone beach in the Island of Ponza on Saturday, thirty July at around 1530 hours.  Immediate the reaction of the persons onboard who jumped in the sea, and also that of the Ponza Coast Guard who came with two vessels to turn off the fire.  Later two more fast hydrofoil ships; m/v Agostino Lauro and Sorrento Jet came helping the Coast Guard to turn off the fire.  The sport cruiser later sank in seven meter deep water, only for it to be refloated again on Sunday morning.  The fourteen meter sport cruiser was in bare boat charter, with all the persons onboard reported uninjured in the accident.

The sport cruiser in this fire is a Fiart 4 Seven Genius, launched in 2008 to much acclaim also winning Boat of the Year in that year.  The 4 Seven Genius evolved Fiart design as started with the 38 in 2005. adding the integration of an open design hard-top to the sweeping lines.  The 4 Seven offered a family interior layout of three double cabins and the usual Fiat large flash cockpit deck.  The 4 Seven Genius evolved into the 47 in 2018,  the same boat with new hull glazing and engine room air intake design.