Seneca Boat Fire Injures Fifteen

A Carver motor cruiser of twelve meters in length injured fifteen while it engulfed in flames and later exploded while fueling at Spring Brook Marina, Seneca, Illinois River, seventy miles to the South of Chicago at about 16:20 hours of Saturday 28 May.  Fourteen of the persons injured where onboard the boat which had seventeen passengers, while another injured person was a marina employee.  One of the persons suffered grievous injuries and was air lifted to a local hospital.  Before the fire and explosion the boat was reporting as having engine problems and returned to the marina to refuel.

The boat in this fire is a Carver 405 Aft Cabin produced from 1997 to 98 and renamed as 406 with very minor differences from 99 to 2002.  The Carver 405 Aft Cabin has a two cabins layout with a lower deck located galley, a master suite located aft, and a forward double guest cabin with offset double berth forward.  The 405/406 Aft Cabin features a modified medium-V hull shape, and was powered by twin Mercruiser 380hp gas engines and or Cummins 330 or 370hp diesel in line shafts.  Speeds where up to mid twenties with the optional Cummins diesels.  The Carver 405 Aft Cabin was a redevelopment of 1990 to 96 produced 370 Aft Cabin with integrated bathing platform and updated styling.

Sea Ray Flybridge Cruiser Sinks in Santa Maria, Cabo San Lucas

A fourteen meter Sea Ray flybridge cruiser sank in Santa Maria, Los Cabos at around 1630 hours of Friday 27 May.  The yacht had some mechanical problems and could not turn the engines on, with it drifting to the rocks, and with the impact and rubbing damage which opened the hull, making it sink.  The flybridge crew of the flybridge cruiser where rescued by Zofemat staff, with the Navy and Port Authority taking two hours to arrive.  The boat had a fuel leak during the incident with the beach closed and a black flag indicating for fuel pollution raised.

The Sea Ray in this accident is a 480 Sedan Bridge model, produced for six years from 1998 till 2004.  The 480 Sedan Bridge was a fully cored build, and offered an interior with three double cabins sleeping six.  The 480 Sedan Bridge has a medium-Vee hull shape with propeller tunnels and was powered by twin GM 535hp or optional Cats 660hp engines, with these large units giving over thirty knots.  The 480 was replaced by the 500 Sedan Bridge in 2005.

Two People Escape Boat Fire Near Moreton Island

A fourteen meter Riviera flybridge cruiser with two persons onboard went ablaze ten miles to the South of Moreton Island, off Brisbane on 0700 hours the morning of seventeen May.  The flybridge cruiser was under way and ten nautical miles from Moreton island when it took fire, with the two crew; a 62 year-old man and 57 year-old woman forced to jump into the sea.  The two crew where dispatched by another craft, which had been called by a cargo ship alerted by the fire.  The crew where first taken to the Brisbane Water Police, and later to Mater Hospital for smoke treatment.

The Riviera in this fire is a 45 Open Flybridge model produced from 2007 till 2021 in 77 units.  The Riviera 45 Open Flybridge offered an interior with three double cabins, and is powered by twin 670hp Cummins as standard, or optional Cats 715hp engine in line shafts, with the big engines good for 34 knots wide open throttle speeds.

Ten Dead in Brazil Cliff Collapse

Ten people died when a cliff collapsed on boaters on Lago de Furnas in Capitolio on Saturday eight January.  Other 32 people where injured in the accident, with Fire Fighters, Rescue Teams, and Brazilian Navy still investigating the area for other bodies.  The giant big rock collapsed from the cliff and fall on two small sized, about five meters speed boats.  In a video some minutes previous to the accident showed online on social media, a lady is heard shouting to some of the boaters telling them to keep the distance from the rock as the water is angry and dangerous.  According to initial reports the rock is believed to have collapsed due to the heavy incessant rain of recent days in the area.

Lago de Furnas is an artificial lake created to the North of Rio Grande in 1958 for a hydro electrical plant, and is a popular tourist attraction located some 250 miles to the North of Sao Paolo, which in weekend sees some 5000 visitors, and goes up to 30,000 in holiday season.

Sportfish Cruiser Sinks in White Marlin Open 2021

A ten meter Sportfish Cruiser with six men onboard sank during day one of the White Marlin Open 2021 on second August.  The sportfish cruiser sank while fighting a blue marlin, and in backing down had an exhaust fail which resulted in the boat taking water and sinking.  Lucky for them motor yacht Fishbone a sportfish yacht of nineteen meters in length heard the MayDay and went immediately for the rescue with all the 3100hp available, rescuing the six fisherman who at this stage where already to safety on the life-raft, and the Pursuit sportfish nearly all sank behind them.  

The 2021 48th edition of the White Marlin Open is located in Ocean City, Maryland being held from second to the sixth August, and is considered one of the largest Billfish Tournaments.  The 2021 edition had 444 boats entered and a prize money of just over nine million US$.

The sank sportfish cruiser is a Pursuit 3400 Express produced from 1997 till 2002.  The 3400 Express was one of the few Pursuit's with inboard powered, equipped by twin Cummins or Volvo 370hp diesels with shafts.  The Pursuit 3400 Express offered an interior sleeping four with a double berth forward and a convertible dinette.

The sportfish yacht which performed the rescue is m/y Fishbone an Island Boat Works 65ft Custom powered by twin 1600hp Cat engines giving a thirty knots cruise.  This North Carolina custom sportfish yacht was build in cold moulding and offers accommodation for six in three double cabins.

Flybridge Cruiser on Fire Near Elba Island

A fourteen meter Raffaelli motor cruiser with three guests onboard went on fire some nine miles from Isola Elba and nineteen miles from Pianosa island on the morning of Friday 16 July at around 0700 hours.  As reported the Raffaelli flybridge cruiser which had departed from Scarlino yacht harbor in the early hours of the morning, had the fire start out from the engine room.  A VHF call was made to the coast guard, with the Porto Ferrario, Isola Elba section responding immediately to the call and saving the three passengers, who in the mean time led themselves to safety onboard the tender. A fire fighting squad was deployed to save the Raffaelli flybridge cruiser, unfortunately with no success, which dominated by the fire ended in sinking.  

The flybridge motor cruiser in the fire is a Raffaelli Storm S,  a 14.50 meter flybridge cruiser presented in 1990 and produced till 1996.  The Storm S was an evolution of the Storm model launched in 1986, adding fifty centimetres in length and with this expanding the main cabin for more space in the saloon and aft deck, and now featuring a sloop stern.  The Storm S was a popular flybridge cruiser for the most part in the Italian market and a discreet success also coming in France, thanks to its three cabins layout and its seakeeping qualities, this being a Raffaelli trade mark.  The Raffaelli Storm S was powered with Cat engines; 380hp at first and newer units having the 440hp engines.  Top speed was 28 with the lower powered engines and 31 with the 440 units.  The Storm and Storm S sold over sixty units in a ten year production run, and are still popular used boats and a common sight in most Italian marinas.  Raffaelli has always been famous for producing honest boats with seakeeping and strong construction qualities, and till the entering of the CE rules in 1998 built its boats to A1 Class Nippon design standards, something rare in sub 24 meter plus yachts in that time. 

Two Persons Suffer Burns in Salisbury Boat Fire

 

A man and woman in their twenty's suffered injuries after a nine meters Carver cabin cruiser went ablaze on the Maverick River in Salisbury Bridge Marina, Massachusetts on 15:50 hours of Wednesday ninth June.  The Carver boat with seven persons onboard, was at the fuel dock when it went ablaze, with Salisbury Fire Department responding to the fire first and where later assisted by Massachusetts Environmental Police and United States Coast Guard.  The two injured man and woman suffered serious burns as a result of the incident and were transported by Atlantic Ambulance to Portsmouth Regional Hospital, while the other five persons where reported as uninjured, and  found on the pier near the burning boat. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Salisbury Fire Department and State Police assigned to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

The boat in this fire is a Carver 530 Santego model as produced from 1990 to 93.  Carver's Santego line was a popular series in the USA for its extra space and futuristic raised bridge lines, offering sport cruiser looks with flybridge boat space.  The 530 Santego came out as a replacement to the 2897 Mariner and was replaced by the 310 Santego in 1994.

Lake Lanier Boat Explosion Injures Six Persons

An eleven meter Carver motor cruiser injured six people as it exploded and went on fire after refuelling at the gas dock in Margaritaville, Port of Indecision, Lake Lanier, Georgia at about 14:30 hours of Sunday, May ninth.  Georgia game wardens and Hall County Fire Services found a devastating scene and had to airlift a 16-year-old female and a 13-year-old male to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. Hall County Fire Services also transported a 39-year-old woman to Grady by ambulance.  A nearby dock also went on fire due to a jet ski that drifted away from the area.  Hall County Fire Marshal is investigating what caused the fire and explosion to the Carver Cruiser.

The Carver motor cruiser in this fire is a 638 Santego model produced from 1990 to 92, and then renamed as the 380 and produced till 2002.  An evolution of the 3867 which introduced Carver's Santego line, the 638/380 Santego is reported to have sold a thousand units in its twelve year production run.  The Carver Santego was an evolution of the Mariner line which was introduced in the seventies featuring a semi-raised bridge station to allow for a roomier interior.

Classic Flybridge Cruiser Sinks in San Benedetto del Tronto

A thirteen meter wooden flybridge motor cruiser sank in the Tronto river just around half a nautical mile away from the coast of the Adriatic sea, on the morning of tenth April. The seventies build Italian motor cruiser was boarded by two persons who according to some reports purchased her a couple of days before and where taking delivery of the vessel.  Apparently the motor cruiser hit a tree trunk and suffered hull damage, which led to its sinking.  The two persons called an SoS and while a rescue was deployed by the coast guard, they where rescued by a pleasure vessel who was in the area at the time of the sinking.

The thirteen meter motor cruiser which sank in this accident is an Itama 145, built up until the end seventies.  The Itama 145 was the entry level model of Mario Amati wooden flybridge motor cruiser and yacht range, prior to him changing to the fiberglass open sport cruiser and yacht line in the eighties which proved to be a successful move.  The wooden custom range featured two other larger models, the 160 and 180, with the smaller 145 proving to be the most popular of the line up.  

Sarzana Flybridge Motor Cruiser Fire

In the late afternoon of December 14 at around 1700  hours a fire was seen going up in Amelia on the right side of the Magra river.  The fire involved a flybridge motor cruiser of about fourteen meters in length.  Fire extinguishing crews first from Spezia and then from Sarzana went immediately to extinguish the fire, which could also be seen from a afar.  No injuries and further damages have been reported.  

The boat in the fire is a Ferretti 44 Altura S produced from 1989 up to 92.  The Ferretti 44 Altura S in its time became a best seller for its timeless and modern lines, and three double cabins comfortable accommodation.  The model came as a redevelopment of the 44 Altura model launched in 1986 with a redesign of the super structure, and updated interior.  The 44 Altura S was designed by Antioco Pusceddu who designed all the Ferretti models up until 1990.  The Ferretti 44 Altura S sold in around forty units and was at the time only second in sales to the fifty plus sales of the 52 Altura S produced in more or less the same period with a similar design.  The 44 Altura S was replaced by the Giovanni Zuccon designed 45 Altura-145 model in 92.

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. 

Hurricane Sally

Hurricane Sally is the seventh hurricane of 2020, and the eighteenth named storm.  Sally formed as a Tropical storm on the Bahamas on September 10, and on September 14 it was classified as a Category One hurricane and in the evening reached Category Two, only to be declassified back to C1 a few hours later.  On September 16 and upon reaching Alabama state Sally surprisingly reached again Category Two.  Sally destructive power was centred between the areas of Mobile, Alabama and Pensacola, Florida. With Orange County just in the middle of this area being one of the worst hit, damaging hundred of all types of boats and yachts.  Hurricane Sally killed two persons with one missing, and the damages caused are estimated to be of at least five billion US$.  Sally is the first hurricane to have arrived in Alabama, since Ivan in 2004.  Sally landing coincided exactly sixteen years later on the same day.  Hurricane Sally ended on 18 September.

Sea Ray Sport Cruiser Lost to Fire in Porto Pozzo, Sardinia

 A Sea Ray sport cruiser was lost to fire on the afternoon of sixteen September, just outside Porto Pozzo in the North East of Sardinia.  The fire was turned off by the marina crew of Porto Pozzo harbour with an assistance from a jet ski water bike. No one was injured in the accident, tough the Sea Ray sport cruiser was totally lost to the fire, with only the hull remaining afloat.   

The boat in the fire is a Sea Ray 250 DA Sundancer 1989 to 1992 model.  The Sea Ray 250 DA Sundancer offered a four berth accommodation in an open cabin layout, with a galley and shower head opposite.  Sea Ray 250 DA Sundancer are powered by single Mercruiser 200hp, but twin engine options also existed.  The unit in the fire was powered by twin engines.  

Bertram Boat Fire in Newport, Australia

A Bertram 35 Convertible named M/Y Assasin was totalled to fire on the morning of 17th August, off the coast of Newport, in Brisbane, Australia.  Assasin was on anchor with two persons onboard at the time of the accident, and was fast assisted by the Redcliffe Coast Guard.  No injuries are reported to the persons onboard.  The fire is being reported as starting from an electrical fault.

The Bertram 35 Convertible of the fire was a 1988 powered by two diesels.  The 35 Convertible started production from 1974 till 89, the second more modern generation of Bertram's designed by Dave Napier which started to show in the early seventies by the legendary name which pioneered the Deep-V hull shape to the World in 1960 with the 31 model.  The Bertram 35 Convertible cruised at about twenty knots with the standard gas petrol engines on shaft drives, while optional diesels of twin 320hp Cummins added that by couple of knots.

Bertram Moppie Lost to Fire Outside Porto Rotondo

A Bertram 28 Moppie was lost to fire outside of Porto Rotondo, in the North East of Sardinia in the morning of sixth August 2020. The boat was reported going out of the famous Sardinia Esmeralda coast marina when the Bertram day cruiser started fuming white smoke, which in about two minutes turned into black and engulfed the whole boat.  No injuries where reported in the fire, but the boat as the picture above is totalled.

The 28 became Bertram's best seller over the years selling over 2200 boats, for a production which started in 1971 and lasted till 95.  The 28 was the Bertram's which changed designer duties, with David Napier taking over from Ray Hunt and designing all the range from there onward.  The Moppie was the day cruiser version of the 28 featured a large cockpit and a small cuddy cabin interior.  This particular 28 Moppie which was lost to fire was powered by twin Mercruiser carburettor petrol gas engines.

Two Injured Four Boats Destroyed in Gozo Marina Yacht Fire

A fire which broke out at 0400 in the morning of Thursday, 25 June, at the Mgarr Marina on the Island of Gozo, left two man injured one grievously and another in serious condition, and totaled four boats; three sailing boats and a fourteen meter size flybridge motor cruiser.  The fire is believed to have originated from the flybridge motor cruiser.

The flybridge motor cruiser of the fire was a Princess 45, a model build from 1982 up until 1991 sold in over four hundred units.  At launch the 45 was Britain's largest production boat and for three years up until 1985 was also Princess flagship model, over taken by the 55 at the end of 1985.  Designed by Bernard Olesinski the Princess 45 offered a three cabins interior layout, and a hull shape with a modified medium Vee which closed at fifteen degrees deadrise aft.  The model was powered by twin Volvo 306hp, optional 380hp, and or Cat 380hp. Early models had a two pole central mast style radar arch, which was improved to an integrated design in 1986. 

Sea Ray Boat Fire on Tennessee River

A seven meter Sea Ray sport cruiser with two persons onboard went on fire in the Tennessee River, near Downtown Knoxville at about 15:30 hours of Sunday 21 June.  Knoxville Fire Department responded to the fire, saving the two persons onboard first, and then towing the boat to safety.  There were no injuries from the fire, and the causes of the blaze are under investigation.  The Sea Ray sport cruiser became a total wrecked loss from the fire as it fully burned down.

The Sea Ray boat in this fire looks to be a 230 Weekender model, as produced from 1985 up to 1988.  The Sea Ray 230 Weekender came out as a replacement to the 225 Express Cruiser, and was replaced by the 240 Sundancer in 1989.

Sport Cruiser Fire and Sinking in Gozo

An eight meter long Sport Cruiser took fire and sank in Qala, North East part of the Gozo island, second in size and sister island of Malta, in the center of the Mediterranean on 14 June at arounf 1400 hours.  Two persons where aboard the sport cruiser and after jumping into the sea, where rescued by a neighboring boat.

The sport cruiser in the fire looks to be of Maltese origin, possible a Hi-Tec Marine 276 model build in the late nineties.

Eight Dead in Alabama Covered Dock Fire

Eight people where killed in Monday 27 January morning's boat dock fire in northeastern Alabama, four of which were children ranging in age from 7 to 16, a coroner said Tuesday.  The other four who died at Jackson County Park Marina at Guntersville Lake are presumed to be adults, county Coroner John Jordan said. The victims names have not been released, and dental records are being used to identify the remains, he said.  The preliminary investigation is focused on "one boat in particular," Scottsboro Fire Chief Gene Necklaus told reporters Tuesday. The boat was being examined off site by state and federal investigators.  Identification of remains will depend on the forensic work required, including the use of dental records and possibly even DNA, according to Necklaus.  The fire, starting not long after midnight, tore through numerous boats that were docked at the lake. Some of the boats were occupied, and the flames forced several people to jump into the water to escape.  Some of the roughly 35 destroyed vessels were houseboats where people lived full-time. Seven people swam to safety or were rescued, and were taken to a hospital for treatment, officials said.  Investigators are trying to determine what caused the fire. Paul Smith, director of the Jackson County Emergency Management, said work crews on Tuesday were recovering debris and containing and collecting fuel that spilled. Water samples were being taken.  Four boats that drifted away and sank about 250 feet from the dock have to be removed, Smith said.  There are simultaneous investigations being conducted by the US Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board as well as the State Fire Marshal and federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Thought officials were "cautiously confident" about the number of fatalities, dive teams remained on site in case other remains were found. Firefighters arrived around 12:40 a.m. local time Monday to a chaotic scene.  The fire's location on a covered dock that extended well out into the lake  made it difficult for firefighters to access.  Authorities said late Monday afternoon that it appears everyone is accounted for, although that will not be finalized until all the boats have been removed from the water and inspected. 

Hurricane Dorian

Hurricane season has arrived and it seems to have started with a blast.  Dorian was the first major hurricane of 2019, and started to form in August 24 first as Tropical storm, and then moving to Lesser Antilles in August 28 and developing as a hurricane.  On August 31 Dorian became category four, and the day after it reached category five, reaching sustained winds of 185 mph, and a low pressure of 910 millibars.  After reaching category five Dorian slowed down not little remaining nearly stationery on Abaco Islands and the Grand Bahamas island from September 1 to 3, causing extensive damage to the islands, with the high sustained winds, storm surge, and heavy rain fall.  At least thirty people are reported to be death by the havoc of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas, with thousands of homes destroyed.  Reports are also saying that every single marina in the Grand Bahamas has been destroyed.  Dorian is now directed to Florida though the hurricane has decreased to a Category two.