The Small Cruiser Falls In Flames

Burning sailing yacht in the port of Constance

According to the police, an eight and a half meter long sailing boat caught fire on Lake Constance in Konstanz last Sunday when it entered the port. Fortunately, the crew remained unharmed. She was able to climb onto a motorboat from the Konstanz sailing school, which had come to the rescue and then dragged the burning yacht to the outer pier. There the fire was put out by the approaching fire brigade. The boat was nevertheless totaled.

Many walkers on the shores of Lake Constance saw the accident up close. In the meantime, acrid, dark clouds of smoke stood over the harbor area. Photos show how initially only light clouds of smoke rise from below deck through the companionway. A little later, however, the entire stern was burning brightly - an inferno of flames.

Andreas Jetzer was one of the people who observed what was happening and took photos of it.

Photo gallery: Burning yacht in Constance

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The fire in Constance is not the first time this month in which sailing yachts have been destroyed by flames. On August 7th, a large cruising yacht was completely destroyed by fire in the Brunsbütteler Schleusenvorhafen on the Kiel Canal. Here, too, the source of the fire was below deck; probably the engine had suffered a technical defect. And here, too, the flames spread so rapidly that the crew only had to jump overboard to save their lives.

Just a few days before the accident in Brunsbüttel, a German sailing yacht caught fire on the Baltic Sea off Alsen. The one-handed skipper had to go into the life raft, and he had no chance against the inferno of flames on board. His yacht sank and he was saved by boats hurrying to help.

The burning yacht in Brunsbüttel

What all three cases have in common is that the crews remained intact, but their ships are lost. To make matters worse, those affected could also face claims for damages from the authorities. And then when there is water pollution from escaping fuels, oils or the extinguishing agents. In case of doubt, the responsible owner is asked to pay for their removal.

misfortunes never come singly

Anyone who has taken out good yacht liability and comprehensive insurance for their boat, which also includes water damage cover, is on the safe side. Then insurance takes over. The same also applies to costs incurred in the course of necessary salvage and wreck removal.

If, for example, a shipping route is affected, an immediate rescue often has to take place. Therefore, these items should definitely be covered by the policy in sufficient amount - in addition to the amount that is paid out for the yacht in the event of a total loss. The Hamburg yacht insurance Schomacker draws attention to this on the occasion of the current fire.

In general, insured boat owners should review their insurance policy every few years, say the experts. Is the sum insured still correct in the event of a total loss? And are the personal effects sufficiently insured?

Restrictions often apply to the latter. The coverage for personal effects, i.e. for cell phones, laptops, tablets, oilskins and other things for personal use, amounts to two or three percent of the sum insured. And this value is often capped at 2000 or 3000 euros.

But if you add up the value of your personal effects, you quickly arrive at significantly higher sums. In the case of a four-person crew on a vacation trip, that quickly adds up to 10,000 euros and more. If in doubt, adjust the sum insured accordingly, if you don't want to go partially empty-handed later. Or advise fellow sailors to take out luggage insurance that pays even if the luggage on board a ship is destroyed by fire or lost as a result of a boat sinking.

How the risk of fire on board can generally be minimized and how best to properly insure yourself against fire and the associated consequential damage, we will report in detail in one of the upcoming YACHT issues.