personal account by Simon Shaw
Tuesday, June 7, 2005
Aboard "Tora" an Erickson 27
Owned by 2005 Basic Cruising Grad - Simon Shaw
A terrifying experience
- a fire aboard (a boater's worst nightmare) was averted due to some quick
thinking and action.
As I was rounding the point coming into the Nepean Sailing Club harbour, I suddenly smelled smoke. I was alone on the boat. So while keeping the boat under power so as not to loose way, I jumped down into the cabin to see where the source was. It was an electrical fire in the battery compartment below the starboard seat. I threw back the cushion, grabbed the extinguisher, gave it a quick blast, and then headed back on deck just in time to make a left to head down to my slip…not knowing if I had put it out. While docking I was a little frazzled from the fire, so I forgot to step off the boat with a line from the stern and as a result the wind started blowing the boat away. Quickly, I grabbed a fender (attached to the life line) to pull back the boat - hoping the fender line would not break, then after tying off I dashed down below to see if the fire was out and to survey the damage. Fortunately the damage was minor. It turns out a supporting bolt had come off the alternator, so the electrical connection at the back of the alternator was touching a support bracket, causing the power to surge through the line back to the amp meter, frying it and all the related wires. My brother-in-law is a mechanic, so he came by one night and got it all fixed up and running again. Fortunately I did not loose power as I was coming into the harbour, as it was very windy and I was right in the harbour when it happened.
Although everything worked out okay in the end, this is one experience I
hope not to repeat again in my lifetime.