A wicked boat fire broke out Wednesday about 4:30 p.m. on the powerboat Rhum Runner at the Island Water World Dock in Cole Bay, St. Martin, in the West Indies. Thick black smoke could be seen from the decks of the many megayachts and smaller boats in the immediate area.

The fire on the powerboat quickly spread to the adjacent powerboat Lo Emma and the Lagoon 42 catamaran Naughty Dreams. All three boats were complete losses.

“We were at Lagoonies this afternoon when a big fire broke out at the closest dock to leeward of us,” report 2014 Ha-Ha vets Dave Hayes and Rose Alderson, formerly of the Gabriola Island-based Catalina 34 Aussie Rules. “The three boats went up in quick succession. Some brave folks who got much closer than most would have dared, untied the next boat in line, and pulled her away. This essentially caused a fire break, allowing the firemen to keep the flames from spreading farther. Thankfully the fire started on the end of the dock and the wind was blowing away, or many more boats would have been destroyed.”

Fires on boats are extremely dangerous, particularly on fiberglass boats at sea. Do you know what to do on your boat if a fire breaks out? Most fires on diesel-powered sailboats are caused by electrical problems or propane leaks, so it’s important to shut down the electrical system and/or the propane system. As propane is extremely explosive, it can be dangerous shutting off the propane, depending on how close the leak is to the tank.

Have you ever had a fire on your boat? If so, what caused it, how did you put it out — if you did — and how bad was the damage? (Email here.)

Intrepid — but perhaps somewhat incompetent — American sailors Bob Weise and Steve Shapiro, both 71, left Norway last July aboard the 40-ft, 18-ton Nora hoping to sail to Maine. Things have not been going well. So far they’ve only made it to Hayle, Cornwall, England. What’s worse, they’ve had to be rescued nine times in seven months! 

So far they’ve been rescued in Norway, Denmark, Scotland, Ireland and England. It’s unclear if they’ve made it through a country without having to be rescued.

The most recent incident is particularly troubling. According to the local harbormaster, “’They either didn’t understand or couldn’t do it [secure the boat in advance of a severe drop in tide] properly because they didn’t comply and the yacht fell over when the tide went out.” Not only was neither man aboard when the boat went on her side, they’d left a candle burning inside the boat! The candle started a fire, which apparently took three hours to put out.

Shapiro, according to the always fact-filled Daily Mail, is a “screenwriter and author originally from California,” while Weise is a former helicopter pilot for the US Army.

Shapiro downplayed the damage, saying the fire was limited to some clothes. “Soon as we get northerly winds, we’ll go out,” he said.

Be that as it may, the tipped-over and burning Nora precipitated a response from firefighters, two rescue boats and an ambulance. Brits are starting to grouse, as a typical rescue response in England costs about $22,000. And as the local harbormaster said, he was concerned about not only the men’s safety, but that of those who might have to rescue them yet again.

This is not the first time elderly American sailors have created above-average problems for rescue services in Britain and on the Continent. It’s been something like 10 years now since an elderly but game sailor from Northern California — whose name we can no longer remember — became infamous for having to be rescued so many times.