bit es REPOR T
The Port of Tyne’s unique 2050 Maritime Innovation Hub – the UK’s first and only Innovation centre for maritime – turned 1 recently.
REPORT PUBLISHED INTO ALABAMA BOAT AND MARINA FIRE WHICH KILLED EIGHT PEOPLE
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has published its investigation report on the fire and explosion aboard houseboat Dixie Delight which spread through Jackson County Park Marina, Alabama, in January 2020, killing eight people. The report has highlighted that marinas should have measures and guidelines in place to prevent such incidents.
On 27 January 2020, about 0035 local time, fire broke out aboard the Dixie Delight, a 43-foot liveaboard houseboat, tied to Dock B at Jackson County Park Marina in Scottsboro, Alabama. The owner of the vessel attempted to extinguish the fire and push the burning vessel away from the dock, but the blaze engulfed the Dixie Delight and then spread to neighbouring vessels and the wood-framed covered dock. The fire trapped seventeen people on the dock. In the process of attempting to escape, eight people died.
After the General Assembly, President Jean-Pierre Goudant, commented, “We have set the course for European Boating Industry to further grow the influence of the recreational boating industry at EU level.”
The government of Georgia has confirmed its plans to turn the country into one of the centres of yachting on the Black Sea coast within the next few years, according to recent statements by senior government officials.
Probable cause The NTSB has said that the probable cause of the fire aboard the Dixie Delight and subsequent fire at Dock B was a fire of unknown source, originating aboard the Dixie Delight in the vicinity of the vessel’s electrical panel. Contributing to the severity of the fire and loss of life were the County and marina’s limited fire safety practices.
Analysis The ignition source of the fire aboard the Dixie Delight could not be determined because of the scale of fire damage.
Considering the owner’s first-hand account and where he first saw flames, it is likely that the fire originated in the bulkhead between the vessel’s electrical panel and storage closet.
The fire spread due to the neighbouring vessels of similar fiberglass construction, an abundance of combustible lawn furniture on the vessel decks and open dock areas, and the presence of portable liquid propane cylinders used for barbecue grills, which all increased the dock’s fire load.
Lessons learned – The close proximity of vessels in marinas can cause fires to spread quickly, preventing evacuation.
Gulf Star marina in Fort Meyers Beach, Florida, has completed what it calls the first fully-automated dry stack storage system in the United States at a price of US$20 million.
The largest superyacht project to be built ever in the Netherlands has been signed by AMELS Shipyard. The 120m Project Signature will be delivered in 2025.
The Scottish Government has awarded £1m of additional funding to Scottish Canals to undertake vital dredging works in the Highlands.
– Marina owners should assess their own operations, consult relevant fire safety guidance, and review fire plans in concert with local fire departments.
– Marina boat owners should familiarize themselves with their marina’s fire plan and review their vessels’ potential fire hazards and firefighting equipment.
Read the full story and download the report at
https://bit.ly/36966rM.
20 | The Report • December 2020 • Issue 94
The arrival of ‘Mascotte’, the largest surviving Bristol Channel pilot cutter, into her new home in Charlestown marks the launch of a new sailing trust, the Rich’s Boat Charitable Trust, founded in memory of her skipper of nine years, Richard Clapham, who took his own life last year.
GreenSteam has identified a simple rule allowing vessel operators to reduce fuel wastage caused by hull fouling. Cleaning the vessel’s hull before it reaches a critical level of 10% fouling will result in fuel savings of around 40%.
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