Propane explosion.
Owner and one other inside when it ignited. I was 1/4 mile away with 200’ of rock mountain side between. I thought the navy was doing bombing practice.
Eye witnesses saw the cabin top lift off of deck. You could lift the entire boat if you hooked anywhere on that cabin. The blast from the propane lifted it as if it weren’t attached.
The two men suffered 2nd and 3rd degree burns. The owner sustained severe damage to one eye. The hair burned entirely off both of their heads. They were flown to the mainland and are both expected to recover.
That’s the important stuff.
The story has it…Propane leak, fumes ignited by generator (info given by boat owner but not verified). Member of a local prestigious yacht club, as you can plainly see, the boat was no low budget crack head operation to say the least. Anchor intentionally slipped, markers attached for recovery. Boat moved to Avalon. Explosion ruptured the fuel tanks. Severe spillage. All remedied.
At this point, I am abandoning my propane system when I return to the ALLISON E in November. if it can’t be heated in the toaster oven, I’ll eat it cold. I’m done with propane.
From the Wooden Boat Forum.
