A fire on a small boat is the worst case at sea: no hard shoulder, and help is not minutes away. Small boats pack fuel, gas and live electrics into a few square metres, yet most boat fires start from preventable causes.
Petrol does not ignite by itself; the vapour does. Never refuel with the engine running: kill it, keep everyone clear, nobody smoking. Use a funnel and do not spill โ vapour is heavier than air, sinks into the bilge and waits for a spark.
Wipe up spills and ventilate before starting anything. On a boat with an enclosed engine bay, run the blower four to five minutes before turning the key โ the most skipped step, and the one that blows boats up.
Many boat fires begin as an electrical fault. Keep battery terminals tight, clean and corrosion-free, and replace any wire that is chafed, burnt or smells of hot plastic. Fuses must match the circuit rating โ fit a bigger one and the wire becomes the fuse. Repeated trips or a burning smell mean isolating the battery and finding the fault.
Check gas hoses and connections for leaks with soapy water, and secure the stove. Cook on an open deck away from anything flammable, and never light a primus inside a cabin or under a closed canopy. Shut the gas off before moving.
Water is the wrong tool for two of the three main fire types:
Carry two extinguishers sized for the boat: one near the engine bay, one at the helm, both in brackets. One rolling loose in a locker is useless with thirty seconds on the clock.
Before every trip: needle in the green, safety pin in place, hose uncracked, service date current. Extinguishers expire, so replace yours when due, not after it fails โ and make sure everyone aboard knows where it is and how to use it.
This window decides the outcome, so do not debate it: cut the fuel supply, kill the engine, and turn so you head into the wind where you can, keeping smoke off the crew. Get everyone upwind with lifejackets on now. On an electrical fire, hit the battery switch. Only enter the water if the boat will sink.
Dial 112 with your position and how many people are aboard. If the fire is serious, get clear and wait for help rather than standing beside a fuel tank. B7R's SOS button sends your position in one tap, with sea state and tide times for Shuaiba and Shuaikh.
Do not just restart and carry on. Inspect the fuel system, the wiring and the cause itself, and confirm it is fixed โ a short that started one fire will start another. If in doubt, run home on the auxiliary or call for a tow.
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