31 Bert... FIRE!

[marlineer]

We had a nasty storm pass through last nite in S. Jersey. When a severe storm is predicted We "Man" the firehouse and wait. Sure enough, right at the peak We get a call for a boat fire behind a house on 96th st. Upon arrival We find a 31 Bert (newly renovated) with heavy smoke showing from the stbd side and engine box. The cabin was fully charged with heavy black smoke as well. Our first due truck with compressed air foam was on scene in minutes as was Our FireBoat Marine 13-2. I was summoned from the boat to the dock to try and locate a way to shut off the RUNNING stbd motor. I scrambled up to the helm and found the engine switches OFF and NO emergency fuel shut-offs on the bridge. Plan B...scurry down and locat the batteries between the now fully engulfed stbd engine box. The battery cables were cut , the engine stopped but water was pouring from every raw water hose on the motor. Uh-oh...no power for the pumps! She was leaking and in danger of sinking. The fire was put out with class A foam and We did the best We could to stop the leaks including shutting th seacocks. It was in My opinion a very close call. The boat was very close to flash-over and was very close to homes, docks and several other boats. SHFD trains for boat fires and marine emergencies and it showed last nite. The picture of Marine 13-2 is from a water rescue drill but You can see We have rigged Her right. She can pump 750GPM over 100 yds. and has all the best electronics and rescue tools. You can see what She looked like when I first saw Her in Pittsburgh Pa. She was FREE from the Army Corps of Engineers and was fresh water used with a brand new zero hr. motor. We did the rest! Love Our Govt.! FREE!!!!I think "Sonny Boy" will be back fishin but I hope with emerg. fuel shut-offs near the helm next time. A few very scary moments for Me.

[seapower]

Surely sounds like you did what you could. Thinking on your feet! If that was a gas boat, you were certainly "flirtin' with disaster". Looks like a nice water response boat too! Frank

[marlineer]

Surely sounds like you did what you could. Thinking on your feet! If that was a gas boat, you were certainly "flirtin' with disaster". Looks like a nice water response boat too! Frank

Nah Frank, she was powered with a new set of Yanmars. I was more worried about the hot black smoke in the cabin. If the glass would have been broken or compromised, the smoke wold have flashed-over and I would have been totally puckered up! The Fire Boat is My baby and O am really proud of the way she turned out thanks for the reply to My thread as well Frank, I was hearing crickets!

[gottaflylee]

Wow, nice save, congrats! The Fire boat looks sweet and FREE is very good.

[jawz12]

hey mike - is that the seafoam colored 31 - south of the 96th street bridge ??

[Dave Sikorski]

Good work putting the fire out and nice fire boat....remember....Nothing in life is free!

-D

[marlineer]

hey mike - is that the seafoam colored 31 - south of the 96th street bridge ??

Yep. Sonny Boy...Jimmy G's old rig.

[Sunshine_n_JB]

What made the boat catch fire, do you know? Was it actually lightning, or the vibration from the storm or something?

[marlineer]

Surveryor ond investigators both agree, it was a lightning strike in the water near-by. It came up through the underwater gear and energized the starters. The stbd starter did not disengage and caught fire.