Fire sinks our beloved ship

[Mathias]

It's been a while since I posted. Some of you may remember I left my sweet CD25 back home in Vermont and me and my wife went on our two-year voyage with a Hans Christian 33.

Last spring, we crossed the Atlantic and into the Mediterranean. One beautiful evening we were anchored in a bay in Menorca when smoke started coming from the engine room. Within about fifteen minutes which included two attempts to extinguish the fire, we abandon ship with no more than the clothes on our body. From a neighboring boat, we watched in shock as our boat and everything we owned, burned practically to the waterline. Eventually she sank.

You can read the details at our blog, and about our ongoing challenge to rally ourselves and decide how to continue our adventure.

Go back to September to read about the fire.

Several lessons learned:

1) I had only insured the boat for $75,000 since that is what I bought her for seven years before. I had put in about $30,000 in equipment and improvements. Before I departed my agent asked me if I wanted to increase the coverage amount. She had to change carriers for me, since my previous carrier didn't cover ocean voyages, so my premium had doubled to just over $2,000. So I told her "no." I said, "The only reason I need insurance is when I scratch some million dollar yacht. Or I bang into a dock and break something for five grand. The only time you need full coverave is for when the boat sinks. And when does that ever happen? Never!"

I wish the crow could have at least been plucked before I had to eat it.

I now have received full coverage. My agent was great because she fought the company to get me an additional two percent due to confusing language in their policy.

2) All that safety preparation that we do ... it's not wasted, or exaggerated. Go ahead, be a safety freak. I was. And from now on, I'll probably be even more so.

3) The required two one-pound extinguishers that are always a nuisance and ugly to mount and in the way ... get more. And replace the ones that you have with two-pounders. I emptied both and they felt like little squirt guns.

4) The boat was salvaged and inspected by an investigator. It was too far gone to determine what the cause was. The investigator told me that almost all boats that sink are lost to faulty or aging wiring which lead to fire. His best guess is that our fire started with the wires to the starter or alternator. Not just any old wiring, but something that uses a lot of juice. Someone else told me that old starters can get stuck in the open position and heat up the wires. From now on, I will be replacing my starter motor every five years.

5) I had some valuables in waterproof Pelikan boxes. Mostly just because I didn't want my documents to get wet when going ashore to clear in with officials. Next time, my back up drives for our computers will go in one too. Lost all my data for 12 years, because the backups were in a non-waterproof box.

6) We called a really fancy data-recovery operation in California and shipped them our drives from Germany. They said it was too bad we let our drives dry out. Next time: If your drive falls in the water -- especially salt water -- do not let them dry out. Keep them wet. For shipping, wrap them in celophane. Most damage to disks is done when the salt crystals dry on the hard disks. And especially if you try to start up the dried disk, the reading head scratches all the salt along the disk.

Well, that's all for now.
Take care and fair winds,
-Mathias

[Warren Kaplan]

What a horror! Glad, though that your wife and you escaped unscathed (physically anyway!)

[tartansailor]

Very sorry to hear of your loss.
Perhaps you may wish to consider:

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/st ... 51&storeNu

Dick

[Paul D.]

Wow, thank you for sharing your story. It is too bad the cause could not be determined. I would be very interested in hearing from anyone who has experience with those terminal fuse blocks in the last post. Seem like a good idea. As an old rock climber, I believe in inserting the fewest links as possible in any system - line or electrical.

On a related note. As the former director of a camp with lots of buildings and potential fire hazards/inspections, I would follow the fire extinguisher guy around every year in the spring. After describing the two extinguishers on Femme du Nord, he told me the best thing I could do besides having them checked was to shake them vigorously twice a year and mount them sideways. These are the B-II powder type - the standard ones the USCG requires for boats our size.

Reading this however makes me put on my fitting out list to take them both in for inspection or replacement.

[Sea Hunt Video]

We called a really fancy data-recovery operation in California and shipped them our drives from Germany. They said it was too bad we let our drives dry out. Next time: If your drive falls in the water -- especially salt water -- do not let them dry out. Keep them wet. For shipping, wrap them in celophane. Most damage to disks is done when the salt crystals dry on the hard disks. And especially if you try to start up the dried disk, the reading head scratches all the salt along the disk.

I, too, am sorry to read of your loss. Having lost everything in Hurricane Andrew (24 August 1992) I have some appreciation for the feelings you experienced.

Unless the California data-recovery company recommends otherwise, I would recommend that any equipment exposed to salt water should be thoroughly rinsed in FRESH water. It may be better for computer discs, etc. to keep them wet. If so, I would recommend keeping them wet in FRESH water during transport to the data recovery company.

In my early years of doing underwater still photography, we used a lot of Nikonos II and III cameras. Simple and reliable. When an O-ring failed and the camera flooded, we would wash it out with a LOT of fresh water, keep it soaking in fresh water and wash it again with a LOT of fresh water. Then we would initially dry it out with a hair dryer, non-lint towel or similar. Then we would put the camera in the engine room for 12-18 hours. The engine room was warm (to hot) and very dry with no moisture. 95% of the time the Nikonos would be back in operation the next day.

Removing the salt is the most important thing. Flushing with fresh water, soaking in new, clean fresh water, flushing again with new, clean fresh water, etc. is the key.

[Mathias]

Someone asked me for the link to our blog, and I re-read my post. Of course I forgot to include it.

www.dolphinsvoyage.blogspot.com

-Mathias

[mike ritenour]

Having had the pleasure of knowing Mathias for many years, we were stunned to hear about the fire and oh so thankful that they survived without harm.

My memory recalls the many conversations we had over the years, as he bought Dolphins and prepared for the "Great Adventure". He had many obstacles in his path but he remained rock steady during the whole time. "Eyes on the Prize" would aptly describe his dedication to it all.

In 2008 LaVida and I had the pleasure of sailing in company with Dolphins as she made one of her many shakedown cruises. When I first saw her at anchor, I was amazed at the transformation he had wrought. She was simply wonderful!

Going onboard I was struck with one overwhelming fact....I had rarely seen anyone, who has prepared his boat for the rigors of the sea, better than Mathias had done. He had taken unusual pains to make sure every detail was looked after and either upgraded or replaced.

His lessons and recommendations above are well illustrated by such a huge loss. Even with all his experience and dedication to preparing a world class vessel, "murphy" raised his match.

IMHO, we can never be complacent when it comes to our boats and their crew. We are always within range of impending peril when we are in, on or under our boats.

Knowing his spirit, I know it won't be long before he and his lovely wife are back on the water and pursuing their love of cruising.

Good on you mate and Fair Winds,

Rit

[Mathias]

Thanks all for your thoughts. I think the fresh water flush is a good idea.

Rit, your kind words are an inspiration in my process of starting over again. But then again, you have always been inspiring to me. I crewed on LaVida twice: Once the length of Lake Ontario into the Thousand Islands, and another brief, but unforgettable overnight trip through the Welland Canal.

I was dreaming of cruising on my own one day and that's why I sought out crewing time; to learn more. I couldn't have learned from a better captain.

During both of those trips, I watched and observed the movements, reactions and attitude of a calm and competent captain.

Fair winds,
-Mathias

[Dick Barthel]

Thanks all for your thoughts. I think the fresh water flush is a good idea.

Rit, your kind words are an inspiration in my process of starting over again. But then again, you have always been inspiring to me. I crewed on LaVida twice: Once the length of Lake Ontario into the Thousand Islands, and another brief, but unforgettable overnight trip through the Welland Canal.

I was dreaming of cruising on my own one day and that's why I sought out crewing time; to learn more. I couldn't have learned from a better captain.

During both of those trips, I watched and observed the movements, reactions and attitude of a calm and competent captain.

Fair winds,
-Mathias

I second Mathias' words on Rit and toast his future adventures. This is a sobering thread on many levels and we owe a debt to Mathias for sharing his great misfortune.

Dick

"Affliction is the good man's shining time." Edward Young

[Maine Sail]

Wow really, really sad report. So sorry for your loss & I hope you guys rebound....

With diesel engines they are correct in that it was likely electrical in nature. 55% (source ABYC) of all boat fires are electrical in nature and the stats are higher when the propulsion system is diesel as opposed to gas but I forget the exact number..

Did your battery banks have fuses by any chance?

[Mathias]

No, I didn't have any battery fuses. (I don't think.) Where would you put them in the circuit. How large a fuse? Can you talk some more about that?

Thanks,
-Mathias

[sfreihofer]

Mathias, I feel your pain. I also lost a boat, by storm, not fire, and it can be a devastating feeling, I know. (I don't want to talk about it.)

It is not the worst of all possible outcomes. You have your life, and just as important, you have your wife.

A woman who stands with you through the losses, is dedicated to the same dreams, and is devoted enough to you to suffer through the discomforts with you; Well, to me, that is treasure beyond measure. A boat can be replaced, but in my experience, a woman like that is too rare to dare.

And, of course, let's not forget, you have a Cape Dory!

[Maine Sail]

No, I didn't have any battery fuses. (I don't think.) Where would you put them in the circuit. How large a fuse? Can you talk some more about that?

Thanks,
-Mathias

Mathias,

It is now an ABYC requirement for house banks to have fuses within 7" of the battery post. With older boats this was not a requirement when they were built thus most don;t have them if the owners did not add them.

While not "mandatory" for you to do this upgrade it is not a bad idea to bring a boat into spec with current accepted safety standards.

Dedicated starting circuits are exempted from fusing BUT this is only because there is no way to fuse some VERY, VERY large engines and they blanket apply the standard.

There are many of us who are fighting for changes to that rule exemption including the ABYC's own curriculum director..

I generally recommend fusing all starting circuits and house banks on sailboats with small aux diesel or gas engines. There is no reason not to and it does not cost much. If you have a direct short that could start a fire the fuse will stop it.

Batteries can have massive amounts of short circuit current available. I have one customer with four group 31 Odyssey AGM Batteries in parallel. This puts him at 20,000 short circuit amps for the bank. This is enough to literally vaporize a wire jacket and start a fire very quickly. Probably enough to treat a #2 wire as a fusible link too but you'll likely have melted a hole in the boat before the wire melts..

Wet cells are lower in short circuit amps but still even a small starter battery can supply over 1000A short circuit and the average house bank on a cruising boat can be over 6000A...

If you're interested the link below will give you more information as to the "how" to fuse..

http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/sh ... ostcount=1

[SurryMark]

Maine . . .
Would you use one Blue Sea MRBF fuse for two 12V batteries in parallel?
(on CD27, Yanmar 1 cyl.) If one fuse, on which terminal? (Or don't I get it at all?)
thx

[Maine Sail]

Maine . . .
Would you use one Blue Sea MRBF fuse for two 12V batteries in parallel?
(on CD27, Yanmar 1 cyl.) If one fuse, on which terminal? (Or don't I get it at all?)
thx

Mark,

Each "bank" is treated like an individual battery and gets one fuse at the + output post for the bank. The only exception would be if you had a parallel bank that was separated by a distance, such as port & starboard parallel batteries, then each side would get a fuse to protect the wire in-between.

With batteries in close proximity, that have short jumpers there's no need to fuse each battery in a bank unless those cables had a risk of chafe or shorting out on something, then you could fuse each battery.