Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms The traditional Devon welcome?

Fibreglass burns rather well.

In the 70’s, my parents bought a 16’ cabin cruiser to see if canals and boating could be the family holiday and hobby. It was soon apparent that:
1) We all enjoyed canals, rivers and boating
2) A 16’ cabin cruiser was way too small for a mainly of five

The next step was to sell the plastic boat and use the cash (plus some) to buy a 40’ steel narrow boat hull. We sold the cabin cruiser locally and the new owner kept it at the same place. Soon afterwards, it was stolen and taken 200 yards up the cut and set alight. All that remained was the stainless steel sink - the fibreglass hull just burnt to nothing very quickly - including the parts below the water line.

The next day, we viewed the sad remains and my mother (always the tactful member of the family) announced in a very loud voice “The idiot didn’t have it insured”. There was silence. Of 30+ boats at Longwood boat club (including some nice 50’ narrow boats), ours was the only one that was insured.

This may be a stupid question. So you pay £6 million for a yacht and it doesn't have a built in extinguisher system?

So you're 100 miles offshore, and the frying pan catches fire......

I don't see any sense in this.

People in the locality said there was an explosion before the smoke so possibly a gas leak igniting or a propane bottle going off that would have overwhelmed an auto extinguisher system, doubtless the inquiry will be exhaustive and in the public domain as there is 9 tonnes of diesel possibly leaking out into the harbour.

Canal boats require a boat safety check every four years to obtain a general safety certificate (BSC). An important part of the check is a gas leakdown test. The lines are pressurised then gas turned off at bottle. There is a mandated connection point on the system that allows a check on gas pressure remaining in lines as a means of determining leaks.

Not sure if there have been changes recently but sea-going craft did not require such tests!

You are correct there Richard, it's the same on the Broads but sea going and some trad. Broads boats are exempt. Having seen a boat go up when the gas cylinder exploded I alwayshas a spirit stove on my Gaffer.

Once saw a chap with a bucket in the Carribean going below & coming back up & pouring “nothing” over the side. On enquiry the yacht had had a big gas leak & the bilge was full of gas. He suggested that I gave him & the yacht a wide berth. I didn’t need persuading.

Insurance for IW boats mandatory now if only to obtain mandatory licence. This applies to boats in marinas as well.

That is good news.

There were all sorts of horror stories in the 70's.

Including the one about the old boy with a BCN tug equipped with a single cylinder Bolinder. He sailed merrily into a winding hole to turn round one day and there was something in fibreglass tied to the end of the winding hole. He wound it down a notch and selected reverse ( on a Bolinder, which is a 6 litre single cylinder 2 stroke diesel, reverse is achieved by changing the timing and the engine stops, bounces off TDC and restarts in the other direction). Being a Bolinder, this was one of the times when it didn't reverse. Our hero failed to notice this fact and wound it up to full chat. The fibreglass thing was cleaved in two. Our hero, lacking insurance, made a speedy getaway. It is possible that some ale had been consumed.

Agreed Richard, I always thought that was balmy, the number of checks for the 4yr inland test was quite exhaustive

I see Princess Motor Yachts (the builder of the burner) may suddenly be on the market , trust there is no connection.