A static sailor who abandoned his GRP boat on the side of the communal slipway had a very efficient stainless steel woodburner rigged up in the mainsaloon. When fired up and reaching its maximum output, you had to open the mainhatch doors and release the stifling heat, it was so fierce. Better to be too warm than too cold most say. Maybe better to more econmical with feeding fiendish fires me thinks. Or better still install a safer heating method.
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| Captain Haddock's idea of a boat warming party! © Georges Remi |
At 37º.1167ºN, 7.6500ºW, the winters here are far from Arctic. But perhaps its that eternal link of romanticism and boats, that leads some to invest in a wood burner, emitting that ambient glow, even when the thermometer still reads plus Celsius. I profess to only knowing this one boat around these shores, boasting the woodburner with its shiny inox exterior and flickering flame interior, for about 2 months of the year, the rest of the time gathering dust and taking up space during the long sweltering months of the summer. Left in the wrong hands, it can all go hideously wrong. Add to the fire cocktail a large dose of alcohol consumption, you have a potential disaster waiting to happen.
One early morning, that's exactly what occured. The owner's daughter loves to visit and to her, rightly so, it is a cheap destination, with free accommodation at hand. She also is quite partial to 'partying', involving much merryment as the amber liquid flows freely. Boating and boozing has, in my opinion always been on the high fatal list of, 'this could be the last thing you ever do'. Alcohol related deaths involving boats are endless. Fortunately this tale had a happier ending. No-one perished and the numerous wooden fishing boats hauled up on the slip for repair were spared from incineration.
The boat is really going nowhere, and hadn't for years, the owner losing interest to head to the high seas, or even motor within the inland waters of the series of estuaries that make up the Ria Formosa. During one stormy night, while the skipper had jumped ship and left the country to celebrate the annual festivities, and neglecting to close the sea cocks, the boat had consequently dragged, heeled over and the engine room was flooded with the salty liquid. I think the engine went on to become someone elses mooring, but that's another tale.
Early one Sunday morning a few weeks ago, the early risers were to see what they thought was the normal smoke emissions from the said burner. They were wrong. It was instead, the beginnings of a small fire that allegedly began, not only from an unreliably unwomaned fire, but a cloth that had been wedged between chimney and wooden coachroof. The cloth had ignited due to the excessive temperatures and before long an on board interior fire was taking hold. By the time the occupants had realised what was going on, someone had called the 'Bombeiros' (Fire services).
While a growing audience accumulated, the owners daughter, let's call her Chloe for arguments sake (and to prevent any libel suits), had begun fetching buckets of water, scooped up, conveniently from over the side and was dousing out the fire, with one other helping hand. The dozens of residents meanwhile (mainly aging fishermen), were busy watching the topless Chloe, in her hung-over and frantic state put out the flames. By the time she had realised her bare chested state and had swiftly hid her modesty, the flames were out, the firemen had turned up and the show was all but over. Until the Maritime Police turned up and according to one, the Polícia Judiciária (equivalent of the CID) wanting to take statements and no doubt ask a lot of questions.
I'm not sure if it's worth stating the obvious moral to this tale, but my guess is everyone would, no doubt, have a lot of fun creating one. Mine would be, when cavorting with fire on a boat, best ye dress for any eventuality.
