Took friends and Family out for scalloping on Saturday. Friend helps take the boat off trailer and the plug was not in as we had a heavy rain and left it off to drain on the hour ride. Bilge pump is going constant and I look in ski locker, full of water, jump in and put plug in. No problem, though not happy the starter probably got wet (was sort of brackish water as we were in a canal and not quite in gulf).
So we head out to the gulf. As soon as we hit the area to go snorkle, we bust the alternator belt (belt was fairly new, though just adjusted/tightened).
Everyone goes in the water and I pull out my spare belt and hook it up. Button everything back up and head to meet some friends in another boat who sent their gps coordinates. No problem, was a 8 minute run. Go scalloping and we decide to move to another spot. No sooner do we get to the new spot, the freshly installed (but older back up belt) alternator belt breaks. Only similar to the early break is it seemed to occur at idle speed not while running at 25-30mph.
Now we are out a few miles from the ramp, but with friends. Would be a long slow tow. However, I have my back up power steering belt. That belt is a tad shorter than the alternator belt. So I yank it all apart again as everyone scallops, and I am able to take the alternator off and lower it enough to get the belt on and re-assemble. I had to keep the alternator in its lowest possible position as opposed to up high, but guess what, it works.
We decide to head in as there were going to be storms later in the day. We run about 30 all the way to the channel. No issues. Almost thru the high speed part of the channel which ends with a slow no wake to ramp and the engine dies. Sputtering spitting then out. Check the belt. All ok. My buddy pulls up and ties up and starts towing us the rest of the way. I check the fuse and the ignition fuse is blown. I swap it out and try to start. It attempts to start and the fuse blows again. So I decide to leave it as we are just about at the ramp and work on it at home.
Half way down the no wake channel, my son says Dad there is smoke under the port gunnel. I look and see white smoke. At first I think the LED light maybe got turned on and wet, I open the engine compartment and there is a FIRE on the port side near the back (stern) of engine. Tell everyon to jump overboard, my buddy heads to a dock on the side of the no wake channel as I grab the fire extinguisher and put out the fire.
Get her on the trailer and take her home. The air cover is melted and some hoses. The underside of the engine cover insulation is melted and some black smoke marks on gel coat surrounding.
No idea what started the fire. Engine was off. The only thing we can think is something happened when I swapped the fuse and tried to start it and the fuse blew again. Maybe the starter getting wet at the start of the day?
Would appreciate any thoughts as to what caused the fire and where it was coming from! Cannot see the back of the engine so hard to tell if any burnt down in back. Worst thing, heading to the Keys in 4 weeks and the boat was supposed to go
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