MacGregorSailors.com

I was trailering back from our spring sail at Kentucky Lake when an electrical short on the boat
caused a fire in the cabin. Insurance are going to write it off but I don't know yet how I'm going to
come out on it. I'm quite sure I won't be coming out ahead and I am boatless in the spring. Here's
some pics to show the damage.





The smoke damage is extensive



our VHF radio

I didn't put this on here looking for sympathy, I put it on to warn everyone of what can
happen when trailering long distances. The trailer and the motor are not damaged so are not
covered by insurance. So if somebody knows of an with no trailer or motor I might be
in the market. Also the mast, genoa, CDI furler and all railings are good. The boom is OK but
smoke stained, the mainsail was original so needed replacing. I don't know yet what it will cost
to buy back whats left of it.

!	kmclemore:
	Fixed image links.

Sorry for Your loss Hopefully You can buy it for salvage and then maybe find a fiberglass guru to fix it up...... or find another like You said. Best of luck. Ron.

Sorry to see that, Griff. That's terrible, lucky no one was hurt.

Do you know exactly where the short was?

- Brian.

Wow, that really really sucks.

Burn damage can't be trusted. There's know way to know how heat has transformed the critical properties of the FRP.

I would strip it for parts and sell literally everything salvagable on Ebay or Craigslist including the trailer and the motor, then combine that money with the insurance payout as the cash for another boat. Big ticket salvageables are the centerboard, mast, and custom MacGregor hardware. Anything you've put on that's custom and can be retained should be used for your next boat.

A lot of guys (even some on this board) sell salvage items for real money. Doing this should be the quickest and simplest way to get back into a boat for even money.

Matt

The ounce of prevention here is to make sure the battery switched is snapped to OFF after you raise the motor to trailering position.

I think a salvage and harvest is probably worthwhile except for shipping to/from Canada is costly.

Wow! That is horrible.

Fortunate no one was injured.

Hopefully you can salvage what you can and buy a new boat.

The silver lining is that any boat w/o an outboard or trailer will likely be cheap w/o much competition.

SeaGriff wrote:So if somebody knows of an with no trailer or motor I might be
in the market. [/mod]

dlandersson wrote:The silver lining is that any boat w/o an outboard or trailer will likely be cheap w/o much competition.

SeaGriff wrote:So if somebody knows of an with no trailer or motor I might be
in the market. [/mod]

Really (says me who scored a trailer less Hobie 16 with brand new sails and trampoline for 500 USD a few years back)

Hey SeaGriff,

I'm horrified by the photos of the damage, as I’m sure we all are. So sorry.

I can’t begin to imagine how you must feel, I think of what it would be like to see our boat like that after all the work done.

If you can make the time and want to talk about it … I’d like to ask your advice.
Can you let us know how and where the fire started?

FYI, Superior Marine, Michigan City, may have an X they are willing to sell at a really good price. The owner is in his 80's and just had back surgery - he is getting our of sailing. PM me.

I am very glad to hear no one hurt.

Those pictures are a very sad sight to see...

Jeff L

Sorry to see that happen. I know how much work I have put into mine and it would be heartbreaking to lose it all like that.

It does persuade me to put a fire extinguisher in the cab of the truck. If that had happened to me all I would be able to do is watch it burn since the only extinguisher I have is in the cabin. Since I have already had a trailer brake freeze and almost catch fire I probably should have already bought one.

tlgibson97 wrote:Sorry to see that happen. I know how much work I have put into mine and it would be heartbreaking to lose it all like that.

It does persuade me to put a fire extinguisher in the cab of the truck. If that had happened to me all I would be able to do is watch it burn since the only extinguisher I have is in the cabin. Since I have already had a trailer brake freeze and almost catch fire I probably should have already bought one.

I have always carried a fire extinguisher in my trucks.

Very very hard to look at those pictures. I really feel bad for you - maybe there will be someone on site here who might be looking to sell. Not sure how you get square after that kind of thing.

We all get sick to see this because we all know it could happen to anyone.

I would bet a donut the fire started in the panel behind the radio. That section where all those wires and romex all come together behind that DC panel has always made me worry. Another thing that scares me are a few circuits I have in the boat that are not fused (my fault) because I have run some electrical controls for things like the ballast vent and stuff like that. My Chart-plotter is not on a fuse either.

Does anyone else have anything attached to their electrical system BEFORE the Perko switch?? I'm just curious.

I will be purchasing some inline fuses toot sweet after seeing those pics. I did not trust the fuse panel in the boat so I replaced it with breakers but I don't trust them now either.

I wonder what kind of thing could generate enough heat to do that?? What wire is big enough?? This is rather scary.

BOAT wrote:Does anyone else have anything attached to their electrical system BEFORE the Perko switch?? I'm just curious.

What Perko switch?

I have several leads that go directly to the battery, but they are all fused. The main lead that goes to the switch panel has an inline fuse at the battery terminal.

Lots of things can cause this kind of fire. Batteries not tied down trailering, hit bump. Something metal falling across the battery leads. I don't believe the main lead to the motor is fused.

Some good lessons to learn about fuses and keeping the battery boxes secure.

--Russ