Fire at marina

[troy994719]

Here are a few pics from a fire that happened this morning at Blue Dolphin Marina in Seabrook TX. Looks like it was*an electrical fire.

 

[Baker]

Troy and Brent and Jim,

*** Glad y'all are okay.* I hope y'all can get back to normal as soon as possible.* Are y'all gonna be able to inhabit the same slips or are y'all gonna have to temporarily move?

I'd call for all the details but am in Japan.* Call y'all when I get home( or at least in a compatible time zone).

 

[Brent Hodges]

Well, we're in the slips now, but it sure is stinky. They will have to rebuild the roof at some point, and we were just standing on the dock wondering what they would do with us while that happens.
I'll have to tell you, I was the first one to discover the fire, and it's been a LONG time since I've been that shook up!

Jim's in Chicago, biting nails wanting to be back here.

 

[Dusty Rhoads]

Brent: Good to hear you folks are all OK. I read your post also on T&T, and I would have also been very shook-up.* ? 1 yr slip free for hero

 

[Trawler Gil]

Wow! It's obvious some quick thinking must have been used here or the entire dock could have easily been lost.

 

[Doc]

In the late 80's a covered dock in the marina across the lake, Watergate, went up on a New Years Eve. Quite a few boats were lost when the flames were encapsuled by the roof and spread sideways.

 

[Brent Hodges]

I called 911 at 2:13 (according to my cell phone) and the Fire Dept had foam on the fire by 2:30. It helps that the Fire Dept is just outside the marina. About a block away.

 

[Keith]

You guys were lucky, lucky, lucky. I think it took maybe 30 minutes from first call before the firemen had water on our fire earlier in the year. They were on the scene quick, but took awhile to run the big lines down the dock a long way.

The most famous pic from that fire, at South Shore Harbor. Oh yea, five slips away from me.

 

[Carey]

Keith
*** Isn't it amazing how quickly they go up. We had a similar fire in our marina last year. I watched it total three boats in a half hour. Our fire response was pretty good, and luckily the boats were very close to the main ramp, only a few slips away. The way the wind was blowing, it could have taken out a hundred boats.

 

[Brent Hodges]

Well, I'm not sure EXACTLY what the Fire Dept did when they arrived, but when I moved from the dock I only went about a hundred yards (or less) to the Lakewood fuel dock and tied up, in full view to my dock. I know that they used foam because I saw the foam floating around the area, and all over after the fact, but I do know this. When the fire trucks pulled up, in under 15 minutes, the fire was laping the roof of the dock. Within 5 minutes, no more than 10 for sure, to our amazement the flames just quit. We all (we meaning three boats full of my dock neighbors) looked at each other and just said "Wow!" It flaired up a couple of times after that, but was contained very quickly. I've been contacted by a friend that is in marina managment, who saw the pics, who wanted to know how the heck there could be so much damage to that boat, and so little damage to the dock and other boats. I don't have the answer, but I'm sure happy it turned out like it did!

 

[Baker]

I think one of the reasons they use foam is that it has more flame retardant properties than water. I think one of the considerations while fighting a boat firte is to keep the thing floating to lessen environmental impact. If they just sit there and spray water on it, the boat will eventually sink and the cleanup becomes a MAJOR ordeal.

PS...for some reason, seeking shelter at a fuel dock during a fire just doesn't jive with me....

 

[Phil Fill]

Great the land response has to be quick/fast with so little damage*as in*many*marinas/towns/cities the response is slow and*there is*no water response.* )-;* Being a live aboard, since most live a boards tend/like to live at the end of the*dock for view and easy in out access, you have to be prepared to be on our own as you may be cut off from land/dirt especially in the cold/wet winter months when the total amp draw is at the max. *

*
Small Electrical fire are very common in the winter. *Usually at the dock plug and/or electrical panel. *The biggest cause on older boats there is no circuit breaker between where the shore power enters the boat and the main power selector switch. *New ABYC code requires a double pole breaker fore both the shore power and the gen set.* Furthermore, on older boats it is recommended and required that a circuit breaker be at both end of the wire. *At the plug end and the main panel end.

*
In the colder *winter months many marinas shut the water off, which leave you with little quick response except what you have on your boat.* If the marina/dock as**what is called a dry system where no water is in the system until a valve is open, then shutting the domestic water off would be OK but many do not have dry systems.***

You should check you power cords ever winter to make sure they are dry and not corrosion. I have on several occasions called the marine about concerns, especially older boats that are not being maintained.* Another concern is older marines do not have the amps that are required for the newer boats which will* max out the docks wiring.* The sad thing is that many marines are part of the land complex and most land manager/miantence do not have a clue about boats and marines. In Seattle we had managers that did no know that people lived in the marina.* )-;

*
So bottom line is be prepared to be on you own weather you call 911 or not.* )-; **

*

 

[Keith]

I think it's a 48' Taiwan trawler, maybe Chien Hwa? It's Regalo, owned by Jim McMahon. Nice boat! Suffered no fire damage, but was towed out of his slip by the Coasties and tied up to a metal bulkhead,then waked severely by the fire boats going by and cracked his teak cap rail. Oh well.

 

[KMA]

Heh... this is why i love my slip location, industrial though it might be... 300 yards or so from the LA Harbor fire boats.