Boat explodes at Sequim marina, injuring owner
Feb 1 2012 in Currents by Deborah Bach
An explosion ripped through a powerboat at John Wayne Marina in Sequim on Tuesday, destroyng the vessel and injuring its owner. Photo courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard 13th District
A powerful explosion onboard a boat at John Wayne Marina in Sequim on Tuesday sunk the vessel, seriously injuring its 78-year-old owner and sending debris flying over a large area.
Patrick Young, public information officer for Clallam County Fire District 3, said the explosion happened shortly before 6 p.m. and was so powerful it shot wood, glass and other debris up to 75 yards away.
“The damage was pretty catastrophic,” he said. “I have been to other boat explosions and not seen the damage I saw on this boat.”
The explosion destroyed and sank the approximately 40-foot cabin cruiser, named Escale, knocking its sole occupant down and covering him with debris. The blast broke the windows on a boat across a finger pier with such impact that its bow hatches were forced open, Young said. A couple two slips away were knocked to the floor by the explosion but neither were injured, Young said. The couple went to the damaged boat and helped pull the owner out of the water and onto the dock as paramedics arrived.
The 78-year-old boat owner, whose name was not being released, was taken to a Port Angeles hospital and then airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. He suffered burns and possibly broken bones and was in stable condition Wednesday morning, Young said.
Absorbent pads and booms were set up around the boat to contain the debris and the approximately 20 to 30 gallons of fuel that spilled from the boat. The Coast Guard and the state Department of Ecology were on the scene Wednesday, and a helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles was scheduled to fly over the area to determine how far the spill spread.
Coast Guard Petty Officer Nathan Bradshaw said it’s not yet clear what caused the explosion. There was a report that the boat’s owner, who lived aboard, was seen carrying a 15-gallon tank of propane onboard his boat Tuesday, Bradshaw said, but the report has not been verified. The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office will be investigating the explosion, he said.
Though the boat was destroyed, the situation could have been even worse if the boat caught fire, Young said.
“The one saving factor in this is that there was no active fire,” he said. “Marina fires tend to transfer from boat to boat very quickly.”
Any readers in the Sequim area, please include any information you have in the comments section below. Or contact us directly here.
Chuck Gould said on February 2, 2012
I’m not sure what the SFD ever ruled was the “official cause” of the Seattle Marina fire some years ago, but I heard from some people who were in the marina at the time the fire broke out that it began with a propane heater or cook stove on a liveaboard boat. Can’t say for sure, but the unique qualifications of my source for this “rumor” suggest it might be very credible.
Propane systems aren’t very forgiving. When a derelict has been seriously neglected, it’s unrealistic to assume the propane system has been uniquely maintained to some standard that provides an assurance of safety.
seaweedsoup said on February 1, 2012
I saw that Cruise A Home in Everett that Thom wrote about. True story. Propane on a boat can be really scary. I like my simple two-burner Origo non-pressurized canister alcohol stove. And I’ll bet I can boil water as fast as a propane stove.
thom permenter said on February 2, 2012
Yeah, but that invisible flame thing is pretty scary to me.
There is a reason they banned alcohol as fuel at Indy.
To each his own.
Just make sure it is well maintained and operated properly!!
Mitch said on February 1, 2012
I know the boat. It was an accident waiting to happen. Bad propane system, bad wiring, a 32 volt system with three 12 volt batteries wired in, questionable hosing and the list goes on.
Marty McOmber said on February 1, 2012
It’s the extent of the damage in the picture that is so striking. Good reminder that many of us boat with a potential bomb in our midst. A good propane sniffer on board is critical.
thom permenter said on February 1, 2012
I’ve seen two boats that were damaged by propane explosions. the first was a Cruise a Home that was hauled out at the Everett haul out. Story was the daughter came home from school and opened the sliding glass door. A spark ignited the propane and blew her into the cockpit. she was unhurt. The Deck was separated from the hull and there were curtains hanging out between the two parts!
The other was a 28′ glass over plywoood Tolly. It was in Everett also. It also blew the deck/cabin off the hull but the hull and house were severely damaged.
Needless to say, I’m VERY CAREFUL when dealing with propane on our boat.
Rob Davison said on February 1, 2012
Propane settled down low and waits until you ignite it if you happen to have a leak in the system. I had a student who got blown out the back door of a pickup camper that way. His dad got burned some but he was blown out the door. A bilge and lower area full of propane would make quite a bang.
The mention of a fuel spill most likely means diesel fuel.
Eric said on February 1, 2012
@John: Or his boat had an Atomic 4 gas-powered engine.
John Enders said on February 1, 2012
Well, either it was propane or the guy was operating a meth lab. The likelihood of the latter is low. Lucky to be alive, this fellow. And we all tend to think we’re safe in marinas. Ha!