COMMENT


I’m all fired up


Captain Michael Howorth asks why there is a recent rise in superyacht fire statistics


fall down upon an enemy fleet, to the straightforward, accidental fire outbreaks on-board, fire has been the most feared of all disasters at sea. It does not matter if the fire was deliberately set by man or caused by a toaster in the crew mess, the fact is, on-board fires are the second largest cause of all vessel loss, after wrecking or foundering.


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In recent months far too many fires on board superyachts have been grabbing tabloid headlines. I count eight so far this year, and those who believe in conspirator theories have been in their element muttering about and suggesting insurance fraud. But if you look at the facts, that does not make sense. Now I am not going to suggest for one moment that has not been the case in the past. In fact, I know of several yachts that had historically been on brokerage lists for way too long, suddenly suffering spontaneous combustion, but in the case of recent yacht fires that simply cannot be the case.


hroughout time, fire has been the enemy of every sailor. From the barbaric habit of using fire ships, filled with explosives and combustibles, and then setting them adrift to


nameplate that was the cause behind the huge inferno. Clearly no one sets up a fraud where cause can be so easily identified. It simply does not make sense.


Now, at the risk of stating the bleeding obvious, it should be known that electricity and water are not good bed mates and batteries are storage devices for electricity


Take the case of the brand new, 44 metre yacht that caught fire off Formentera in the Balearics during her maiden voyage. Built by ISA and launched just a month or so before she became a total loss, she must have been worth way more than her insured value to her owner. He had, after all, been waiting to use his new toy since he first ordered her from the builder, some three years prior to the loss. In his case, it’s back to the drawing board and the start of another long three year wait for a brand-new yacht to his own personal specification. He is in the same boat (so to speak) as the owner of the 26 metre Princess motor yacht that caught fire and burned out in Torquay earlier in the UK. Best guesses, before the official enquiry confirms what actually did start the fatal fire, suggest that it could have been the flashing, back-lit, electric yacht’s


The most common cause of any shipboard fire is related toequipment malfunction of some kind or another. Most fires it seems start in the engine room. Increasingly however we are reading of fires on yachts that start when electric batteries catch fire. Now, at the risk of stating the bleeding obvious, it should be known that electricity and water are not good bed mates and batteries are storage devices for electricity. Ergo take good care of batteries in tenders and water toys. Make sure they do not get wet. It has taken years to wean superyachts away from petrol engined skidoos and jet skis because of the fire risk so it makes little sense to replace them with another fire hazard.


Electric bikes and scooters are also prone to burst into flames whenever they think no one is watching them and today’s yachts are beginning to carry more and more of them. Batteries are big fire risks and only a fool pretends that they are fireproof. Lithium polymer batteries are becoming increasingly common on equipment carried by yachts.


Also called LiPo batteries they can, if badly treated, catch fire. Poorly manufactured examples can even catch fire of their own violation yet to date, no flag state or class has come up with a set of regulations that govern their safe carriage on board yachts.


Flag states and Class surveyors it seems are simply treating the batteries in the same fashion as they would a jerry can of petrol. Now I am not suggesting that the spate of superyacht fires and the increased use of LiPo batteries on board is in anyway connected, but if I were still in command of a superyacht, I would be taking a long hard look at what battery firebombs my superyacht was carrying. Maybe readers should get all fired up too and look into it themselves.


ONBOARD | AUTUMN 2022 | 7


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