Click for Ocean Alexander Click for Abeking Click for Mulder Click for Burger Click for Glendinning

Another boat fire in Fort Lauderdale

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by Norseman, Oct 15, 2020.

You need to be registered and signed in to view this content.
  1. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2005
    Messages:
    3,100
    Location:
    Ft. Lauderdale
    Going on right now.
    Seems to be across the New River from Riverbend Marina (Now LMC)

    8191FB83-15F3-44CF-B01A-062D2B4B8220.jpeg
  2. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2013
    Messages:
    7,130
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    21 people on board a 41' Wellcraft. 13 with burn injuries. 7 taken to Broward Medical, 2 with serious burns, one of them in critical condition at Jackson Memorial. Witnesses said they heard an explosion first, then flames and a smaller explosion.
  3. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2008
    Messages:
    11,208
    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    Having a friend who burned in a house fire and watching what she went through in recovery and subsequent drug addiction very little scares me more. My heart and prayers go out to the victims.
  4. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2005
    Messages:
    3,100
    Location:
    Ft. Lauderdale
    Wow, that bad..?
    I thought it was just another derelict boat with a bad electrical system that caught fire at the dock.
    5 minutes from my canal, saw the news helicopter overhead and heard the sirens.
    Feel bad for the victims.:(
  5. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2005
    Messages:
    3,100
    Location:
    Ft. Lauderdale
  6. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 29, 2008
    Messages:
    8,541
    Location:
    Miami, FL
    Old gasser. Didn’t we have a discussion recently About the dangers of old gas boats?
  7. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2008
    Messages:
    11,208
    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    Thought that boat was gas. And yes we did. This is one of how many gas propelled boats? Hundreds of thousands? You talk like all gassers go on fire. Only thing wrong with this boat being a gasser is that it doesn't have enough power for its size. But given her age (I'd guess late 80's to 2000) my guess is a leaking fuel system. Most gas boats don't get that old, and yes gasoline systems need to be maintained (just like fire suppression systems which I have a feeling might not have been maintained either).
  8. Hatterized

    Hatterized Member

    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2018
    Messages:
    73
    Location:
    Annapolis & St. Pete
    wow 21 aboard, my red flag goes up immediately, prayers for the injured and Capt/owner, hopefully it wasn't an illegal day charter :(
  9. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 11, 2005
    Messages:
    14,524
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    21 people on board that boat? geez. I hope everyone is ok.
  10. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2005
    Messages:
    3,100
    Location:
    Ft. Lauderdale
    Unfortunately not.

  11. Ken Bracewell

    Ken Bracewell Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2006
    Messages:
    1,758
    Location:
    Somewhere Sunny
    Same with me.
  12. MBevins

    MBevins Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 23, 2008
    Messages:
    1,225
    Location:
    Windsor On. Canada
    21 people on what looks like a Wellcraft Portofino?
    This is an express so at least 10 people were down below.
    At the fuel dock so one has to assume they took on gasoline and ignored the number one rule of fueling a gasoline boat. All passengers off the boat until fueled, vented and finally restarted with only the Capt on board.
    I see a lawsuit headed to that fueling facility.
  13. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 11, 2005
    Messages:
    14,524
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    We don't have that rule in Florida as far as I know.
  14. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 8, 2004
    Messages:
    13,425
    Location:
    Satsuma, FL
    To the facility, owner or captain/operator.

    The sooner people are held accountable the better.
    Stupidly can not constantly be used as an excuses.
    Jail time may help remind some people that there is a level of responsibility that must be maintained.

    Somebody has to go to prison, Ben..

    Last edited: Oct 16, 2020
  15. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 8, 2004
    Messages:
    13,425
    Location:
    Satsuma, FL
    I have to look it up but the FL boating test may have had some topic on this.
  16. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2005
    Messages:
    3,100
    Location:
    Ft. Lauderdale
    The nearest fuel dock is 1 NM away. Looks like they were slowly cruising the river when this happened out of the blue.

    Never heard it either.
  17. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 29, 2008
    Messages:
    8,541
    Location:
    Miami, FL
    Did it even happen at a fuel dock?

    Yes opening the hatch after fueling and sniffing is critical but if a fuel leak happens underway, a fume detector is critical. It should be mandatory equipment on all gassers.
  18. Ken Bracewell

    Ken Bracewell Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2006
    Messages:
    1,758
    Location:
    Somewhere Sunny
    I'm pretty sure the spot the boat was tied in the video is the vacant land across from LMC, at the 90 degree bend. This is reinforced by the fact that the guy who helped rescue them was wearing a "Freedom" shirt, which is a M/Y that berths at the neighboring property. If this is the case, I don't think they have a fuel dock at that property. I sort of assumed they pulled in after the fire started?
  19. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2005
    Messages:
    3,100
    Location:
    Ft. Lauderdale
    Correct, the boat is not tied to a fuel dock, but rather it was pushed onto an empty piece of seawall where there is a lot of construction going after Summerfields Boatyard was torn down from the same place some 10 years ago.
  20. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2008
    Messages:
    11,208
    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    Why does 21 pax raise red flags? What's the capacity for this boat? (There is none except that there must be a PFD for each.) Anyone feel that in this time of Covid anyone packing 21 people together on a boat this size has any thought about safety? Fueling with passengers aboard? No regulation, just a smart and recommended practice. Use the blowers? Same. Jail time? Extremely unlikely. Lawsuits? Probably whether there's legal merit or not. Unfortunately stupidity CAN be used as an excuse. Of course if this is a charter it's a whole different story, but I haven't heard anything indicating that yet. That's why we all have an obligation to educate those who just don't understand the dangers inherent in boating, and we all need to pray for the victims. Not scream about gassers being bombs, they're not, but gasoline is dangerous and must be respected. Gassers definitely have a lifespan though. Eventually they're just more expensive to safely maintain than they're worth. However to push the idea that all gassers are bombs threatens the foundation of the boating industry. Thankfully today there's very few gassers this size being built.