Boats Fires on the Rise!

South Florida has seen a larger than normal share of boat fires from late 2015 to date. One of the most recent fire events occurred at Loggerhead Marina in Hollywood. Two boats sustained irreparable damage in the blaze and several others were victims of collateral damage. TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale was contracted to perform the wreck removal on the vessels after they sunk in their respective slips in approximately 8 feet of water. Absorbent boom was deployed around the vessels quickly to restrict the flow of contaminants into the rest of the marina and the surrounding waterway. The boats were a 38’ Meridian and a 39’ Sea Ray. Both vessels were refloated using lift bags after the fire department cleared the scene. Once refloated, the salvage crew worked tirelessly to get bilge access to enable them to be pumped out. Both vessels were patched and towed to a haul out facility during the late night hours of what had been a very long day.

The next morning, the boats were loaded on a TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale Trailer and transported to their storage yard in Southern Broward County where fire investigators and surveyors could access the vessels in an attempt to determine the cause of the fire. TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale is in the midst of planning the disposal process once they receive final clearance from the insurance carriers for each vessel. TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale offers full service wreck removal for recreational vessels of all sizes. This service is displayed clearly in the case of these two vessels where the company provided each element needed to deliver both casualties to their final resting place.