There was a boat fire in the yard today

[bntii]

It pays I suppose to be careful around boat yards.

[hoytedow]

I hope you didn't breathe any of that stuff.

[Doug Lord]

Originally Posted by bntii

I got to the boat a couple of minutes after it had started. It appears the owner hooked up the shore power after getting the boat launched and went back to his car. Smoke was coming out the ports when he got back to the boat.

I ducked down below with a fire extinguisher thinking I might get to what we thought was a fire at the batteries or charger.
Whew- big mistake. The little puffs of smoke coming out the ports was a wall of acrid smoke below. I couldn't see a thing and beat it out of there.

The fire department got there before the thing really took off and found that the cushions stacked in the aft cabin were packed against a halogen light in the overhead. The heat lit up the cushions.
This was a fairly nice newish sailboat. I wouldn't be surprised if it is written off with the fire, water and smoke damage from this small fire.

This fire gives me pause as I frequently pack cushions into aft cabins when I need to clear a boat for work. I have a 42 footer set this way as I speak with the whole boats worth stacked up with a poly curtain across to keep the dust off...

================
Thanks for posting this-hope you didn't hurt yourself. That was a gutsy move!

[CatBuilder]

Yes, I second that concern about breathing the smoke.

Next time, never enter a boat filled with smoke without a self contained breather or positive pressure suit. The smoke produced is very *very* deadly if certain plastics are burning.

That's definitely an odd way to lose a boat. Freak accident and certainly something to be careful of... thanks for the post.

[Dirteater]

Just a thought I'd share here. (regarding children+)
I tell all children "never run to a fire"
when you here the sirens and see the
fire truck go just down the block,
and you see the smoke. don't go!

They teach it at school, I just
think its important to teach it at home too.

bntii:
you of course are an adult, and
I think what you did was "noble".
and still smart enough to know when to get out.
are all halogen lights hot?
fair question I think.
glad your well
DE

[JLIMA]

In my experience halogens get hotter then hell, well over the combustion temp of most fabrics and wood, if in direct contact with the combustible anyway

[Dirteater]

true enough.
still, you're a good neighbor.

and of course CatBuilder make a
very good point.


Elvis.

[watchkeeper]

A recent survey of fabrics and finish materials by a colleague (interiors) proposed in a superyacht fit out identified 15 items that would ignite by low flame or halogen, burn with low to medium flame and produce a gas that combined with oxygen become Cyanide gas - the effects to exposure/breathing cause immobility and muscle paralysis in 1-1.5mins, death in 2mins.

[Submarine Tom]

bntii,

There's room for you at the dock beside my boat!

-Tom

[cthippo]

When you first posted this I was going to chide you for risking your life to save a boat that was, most likely, totaled by the time the smoke started showing...

Then I realized I would have done exactly the same thing and shut up.

[CatBuilder]

I didn't want to get bntii nervous on the day,it happened, but cyanide is exactly right.

Spent some time in the hospital recently from breathing burnt foam during my build. Had to stay overnight due to cyanide poisoning. Not a pleasant experience and it doesn't take much to kill you.

Got me thinking about the relative safety of steel boats vs plastic.

[Pericles]

bntii mentioned it might be an insurance claim, but I would be suspicious that this was set up to make an insurance claim! Why leave the light on? Was it night time?