I felt really bad for this lady....

[TwoBallScrewBall]

Was launching my boat Tuesday after work. I was alone so the guy waiting behind me and his wife were nice enough to hold my ropes while I parked my trailer. Launch is uneventful except for a stuck safety chain. I go park the trailer and get out of the van, and there's a plume of black smoke coming from the ramp area. Then I hear yelling about fire extinguishers and see people running. The guy's boat behind me (still on the trailer on land) was on fire! They got it out quickly, by the time I got over to it the fire was already out. At about this time we hear the fire sirens going off, and the marina just about filled up with fire trucks. I guess someone saw the smoke from the road and called the FD. <br /><br />What happened was that they had one of those jump start boxes with cables, and the guy's wife had laid it up against the metal side railing near the floor of the boat. It shorted and caught the floor and side of the boat on fire. The damage was really only carpet and vinyl mostly, and a melted stereo speaker. And the jump box was melted of course. <br /><br />To top it off, it was a 70's Grady White that the guy had just finished repairing/restoring and this was the first trip out with it, hadn't even gotten it down the ramp yet. He didn't look too happy. Could have been a lot worse though. I told my wife the story and she said she was glad it wasn't her because she knows it would probably end her up in divorce court... <br /><br />I think they still ended up taking the maiden voyage that evening, after they talked with the fire officials. I was impressed with the response time of the FD, they were there in minutes, maybe less.

 

[DJ]

Re: I felt really bad for this lady....

You should have made a point to tell her. That coming from a stranger may have just made an impossible situation tolerable.<br /><br />I've told off more that one jerk berating his mate at a boat ramp. I can get away with it because I'm pretty big. I just do not like people picking on someone half their size.

 

[TwoBallScrewBall]

Re: I felt really bad for this lady....

Don't get me wrong, he didn't yell at her or anything, which is more than I could probably say if it was me in his shoes. I could just see the disappointment in him, it was obvious he put a lot of work into the boat and to have that happen before the first launch was a real downer. I told him is was good he got this out of the way, because if this is the worst that happens to the boat they're in good shape. Maybe it was good luck? It was only superficial damage, there were a couple folks working on a boat dry docked right next to where his was parked and they got to it right away with the dry chemical extinguisher. As upset as he was we were kinda joking about it by the time I walked back down to my boat and headed out. I said to him that at least now she owes him a BIG one...

 

[DJ]

Re: I felt really bad for this lady....

"I told him is was good he got this out of the way, because if this is the worst that happens to the boat they're in good shape. Maybe it was good luck?"<br /><br />I hear ya. Might as well run it into the dock, just to get it over with.