Riviera Beach Yacht Catches on Fire

On Tuesday, a fire near the Port of Palm Beach gutted a yacht docked at the Riviera Beach marina. The Florida State Fire Marshal said Wednesday that there was no indication of foul play, as first reported by the Palm Beach Daily News. 

The fire burned for almost 24 hours before it was officially declared out, and the inside of the boat was expected to smolder as long as until Thursday morning, interim Riviera Beach fire chief John Curd said on Wednesday.

Curd said the fire caused only minor damage to nearby boats. He said that firefighters were able to save a catamaran, on one side of the fire, and a yacht that had been wrapped, which was one the other side, with only minor smoke and heat damage. 

Riviera Beach Yacht Catches on Fire

Several other boats were also in the Cracker Boy Boat Works, just south of the Riviera Beach marina. 

“Let me commend my firefighters for saving tens of millions of dollars worth of assets,” Curd said.

The boatyard declined to comment on the fires.

The fire marshal’s office identified the 103-foot Tarrab as the Sea Alice. The yacht was built in Argentina in 1999 and was powered by twin diesel engines according to the Canadian government’s database of registered vessels. The boat is registered in Vancouver and owned by a holding company, though it is unclear who controls the holding company.

Related >>> Town Council Works to Retain Police and Firefighters

One South Florida yacht broker said boats similar to the Sea Alice range in price from $2 million to $4 million.

Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, who is also officially the state fire marshal, said that the investigation is still only in the early stages.