Disaster averted after fishing boat fire

Tasmania Fire Service say a man who was forced to jump from his burning fishing boat off the coast of Port Arthur is “very lucky to be alive”.

Overnight fire on a boat near Port Arthur that was towed to Kettering. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

UPDATED: TASMANIA Fire Service say a man who was forced to jump from his burning fishing boat off the coast of Port Arthur is “very lucky to be alive”.

Fire investigator Adam Doran said the most likely cause of the blaze aboard the 12-metre fishing vessel was an electrical fault or malfunction under the wheelhouse.

After unsuccessful attempts to access a fire extinguisher, the owner abandoned the boat at 5.30am on Thursday, swimming about 2km to shore.

He raised the alarm with emergency services about 8.30am after a passer-by picked him up and dropped him at a local hotel.

Overnight fire on a boat near Port Arthur that was towed to Kettering. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

Mr Doran said the fire stood as a reminder that smoke alarms were a “non-negotiable” safety device which should be installed in all homes, boats and caravans.

“The boat was not installed with smoke alarms, and considering the boat owner had not long woken up when the fire started, he is very lucky to be alive and it is amazing that he wasn’t injured,” Mr Doran said.

“We cannot emphasise strongly enough the importance of smoke alarms being installed in every sleeping area — this includes boats and caravans and anywhere else you sleep, even if it’s just for a night.

“In this instance, the boat owner did have some of the necessary fire safety equipment on board but the absence of a smoke alarm means this could have ended with dire consequences if he was still asleep. You can’t smell smoke when you are asleep, so you rely on your other senses, such as your hearing, to alert you when there is a fire.”

The boat was towed to the Kettering Wharf on Thursday night, where fire crews worked to extinguish remaining hot spots.

EARLIER: A MAN was forced to swim to shore to escape his burning fishing boat after it went up in flames near Port Arthur.

It is believed the fire started inside the cabin just before 8am on Thursday with the boater abandoning ship to get away and alert authorities.

Tasmanian tourism veteran Robert Pennicott, from Pennicott Wilderness Journeys, received a call about 12.30pm to give the co-ordinates of the vessel and tow it out of the path of other craft.

He said it was still on fire when his staff arrived.

“It’s a write off, it’s basically burnt to the wall,” he said.

“There were flames coming out one of the engine hatches, there was a heap of heat and all the black paint on the outside is gone.

“I just hope the guy is OK.”

The fishing boat that caught fire near Port Arthur. Picture: ROBERT PENNICOTT

Two distinctive yellow Pennicott boats towed the ruined fishing vessel into Oyster Cove Marina at Kettering where it arrived about 7pm. It was greeted by about a dozen firefighters who worked to extinguish the blaze. Fire crews remained at the scene on Ferry Rd late on Thursday night with three tankers and a heavy pumper trying to put out the blaze.

Police also responded to the fire.

The Tasmania Fire Service said it was unclear how the fire started on the 12-metre vessel and an investigation would be conducted in the morning.