(WASHINGTON) — On Aug. 10, 2023, about 1705 local time, the rental houseboat Flagship 604 (state number TN 0174 BD 219), with nine people aboard, was docking at the Sunset Marina on Dale Hollow Lake in Byrdstown, Tenn., to refuel when the bow struck one of the marina’s gasoline fuel pumps, knocking it over.
Minutes later, a fire began near the gas dispenser and spread to the marina store and three pontoon boats moored at the marina. One injury was reported; no pollution was reported. The houseboat was not damaged. Damage to the marina and the pontoon vessels was estimated at $1.75 million.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the probable cause of the contact and subsequent fire at the Sunset Marina was the houseboat’s “duckbill” bow striking a gasoline fuel dispenser (pump) when docking in windy conditions, which caused an undetermined electrical source on the dock to ignite vapors from the broken gasoline fuel line. Contributing to the contact was the proximity of the gas pump to the dock edge.
“The operator told investigators that he lost propulsion (and steering) as he attempted to dock the houseboat starboard side to the dock; a marina mechanic did not find any issues with the boat’s engine after the contact,” the NTSB said in its incident report. “However, even if the 150-hp engine had been fully functional, docking the 74-foot-long houseboat in the reported 10-15 mph winds would have been a challenge because of the houseboat’s large sail area, which included the vessel’s hull above the water, the superstructure, and the upper deck rail skirts. The winds from the west, acting on the vessel’s sail area, set the vessel east along the dock – twisting the houseboat to the east and moving the bow into the dock, causing the houseboat’s duckbill bow to extend over the dock and strike the gas dispenser.”
Click here to read the complete report.
– National Transportation Safety Board
