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Boat fueling disaster averted in Wareham

By Kelly Fernandes, Enterprise correspondent
WAREHAM — A boater who improperly filled his boat with fuel caused a potentially dangerous situation at Onset Bay Marina on Sunday, officials said.

The owner of a 21-foot Seaswirl pulled up to the marina's fuel dock at about 5:30 p.m. and mistakenly put the fuel nozzle into the boat's rod holder instead of the gasoline filler tube.

Onset Fire Department Chief Howard Anderson said when the dock master noticed the fuel pump had reached nearly 140 gallons, he realized the fuel was going into the boat's bilge instead of the gas tank.

Most 21-foot Seaswirl boats hold up to 60 gallons of fuel.

“Marina personnel immediately moved the boat away form the fuel dock and brought it into a slip. We put in a containment boom around the boat to contain any pollution and we applied class B foam into the bilge to stop gas vapors,” said Anderson.

People in other boats nearby were ordered to leave their vessels during the emergency response.

At 6 p.m., Anderson said, tests showed no vapors were present, no gas had spilled into the water and there was no environmental hazard.

“This could've been a lot worse. I think the owner was probably just talking and not paying attention to detail. If he went to start the boat and the air and gas vapor mixed, a spark could have caused an explosion,” he said.

Sunday's incident brought back memories of an explosion in the early 1960s when a similar mistake destroyed parts of the Point Independence Yacht Club next door.

“I heard the explosion and the boater in that incident didn't have his blowers on. He started the boat and it blew up. The vapors blew the boat apart. I don't remember how many people were hurt, but it destroyed the dock and some boats,” Anderson said.

Onset Bay Marina owner Greg Glavin said the boat owner in Sunday's incident is a member of the marina and was apologetic.

“He was embarrassed and just really sorry. The firefighters responded well and there could've been an explosion or gas in the water. We're very fortunate,” Glavin said.

Meantime, members of the marina who were asked to leave their boats were not happy with the situation.

“I planned on staying the night on the boat and the dock master asked everyone to get off the dock,” said Tom Cordell, who had just returned from Provincetown on his 48-foot Ocean.

“This boater ruined everyone's Sunday evening,” Cordell said.