Boat owners are being warned to pay attention to electrical items and the use of liquids and gas following a fire that destroyed a yacht at Hythe Marina.

Hampshire firefighters were called to a blazing 38ft yacht last Friday morning and spent two-and-a-half hours tackling the flames.

Crews from Hythe, Beaulieu and Hardley fire stations attended,
after being called out at around 5.37am.

No one was aboard at the time and there were no injuries but the cruiser was completely destroyed.

A spokesman for Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service said: ‘The most likely cause of the fire is due to the overheating or an electrical fault within a dehumidifier which was on board the boat.

‘Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) have seen an increase in boat fires in recent weeks.

‘We would advise all boat owners who are getting their boats ready for the sailing season, to pay attention to electrical items and use of liquids and gas.’

Just over a week ago in Hampshire, two boats were badly damaged by a fire which broke out at Premier’s Swanwick Marina, on the Hamble River, following some propeller maintenance work.

The blaze, on Saturday 15 March, started on a 35ft Sirius bilge keeler called Layla of Hamble and then spread to Serenity, a
Sealine 35.

The owner
of Layla had been heating lanolin for his propeller
when the lanolin caught alight. He was treated for shock and minor burns to his neck.

Earlier this month two other devastating boat blazes occurred in Dartmouth, Devon.

A charter boat called African Queen was gutted by fire overnight on 10 March in the Dart Estuary, and then just five days later a 25ft Bayliner Blue Storm was destroyed by a blaze at Kingswear on the River Dart.

In both cases, the cause of the fire is believed to be accidential.

Find boat fire safety advice on the HFRS website: www.hantsfire.gov.uk/boat

Pictures: Hythe Marina boat fire. Credit: Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service