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Another Ft. Lauderdale gas boat fire, drifts into megayacht at Bahia Mar

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by Capt J, Jan 17, 2021.

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  1. BRyachts

    BRyachts Member

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    Everybody keeps saying why didn't the yacht move?

    Well this did happen on a Sunday afternoon, it's more than likely that there was minimum crew onboard. The watchstander, (must be there) and maybe a few people just lazing the day. A deckhand and a stew or two don't "just move" a mega, it's a coordinated effort from a trained crew. No law saying Captain, First Mate and Chief Engineer have to be onboard at all times, and they probably weren't being it's Sunday.
    The one thing I might have expected to see and didn't was a fire hose from the mega, but again, they may have only had watchstander, and not enough people for a fire team. Chief at the pumps, and Mate/Bosun and decky on the hose.
  2. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Agree. That’s why I said I wonder if the captain was on board. In an emergency, and this was, you don’t need a full crew to move a vessel
  3. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    It happened too quick. Literally I drove by and nothing was going on, and 3 minutes later saw a HUGE cloud of smoke over 2 story houses eminating to 500' in the air. In the video you can see some people on the bridge deck of the mega yacht.

    I happened to run a boat past it today. From the water, the mega yacht looks perfect on port side, starboard bow a 30' area of fire damage on hull and looks like burned fiberglass on it (stringy) but most likely filler, up high above the anchor pocket, cement floating dock also didn't look like it had much damage. The other question is how structurally sound is the bow area from the heat.
  4. German Yachting

    German Yachting Senior Member

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    It’s a steel hull boat so must be filler.
  5. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Still going to be an expensive repair with significant down time.

    I ve often been slightly concerned when assigned a slip next to a gas fuel dock. Always playing “what if” scenarios in my mind.
  6. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Could have been fiberglass strands stuck to the Feadship hull, that went up with the flames/smoke from the smaller fiberglass boat that was stuck under it's bow. I wasn't sure if the Feadship hull was Steel or Aluminum, but definately sure they don't build fiberglass yachts.

    Pascal- I'm usually concerned about being next to the fuel dock as well, but my concerns have always been of someone hitting me pulling in or out.
  7. Ken Bracewell

    Ken Bracewell Senior Member

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    He was not