An explosion mangled a sailboat at a marina off the West River, destroying it and injuring a man aboard the boat.
It happened just before 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 27, at Parish Creek Landing Marina in Shady Side, where the sailboat was being kept in a slip. The Anne Arundel County Fire Department responded to find a scene “consistent with an explosion on the sailboat” but no active fire. Photos shared on the South County Bulletin Board Facebook page show the deck virtually blown off even as the mast remains standing.
Anne Arundel County Fire Department spokesperson Capt. Jenny Macallair says one person was staying on the boat overnight but was not a liveaboard. The victim managed to get off the boat but was badly injured. He was flown by medevac helicopter to a hospital burn unit.
Macallair said there was no damage observed to surrounding boats or the pier the sailboat was tied up to. But at least one slipholder a couple of slips away said their boat did suffer damage.
Several neighbors of nearby communities and across the creek heard and felt the explosion, with one person saying their whole house shook.
Investigators still haven’t confirmed a cause, but the propane tank is a possible source. The fire department says the Anne Arundel County Fire Marshal, Fire, Arson & Explosives Investigation Unit is working to pull the boat out of the water to conduct a more thorough investigation.
Macallair says while the fire is being investigated, all boaters with propane tanks on board should take heed. Ensure your propane tanks are turned off when they are not in use and that they are stored according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, she says.
Captain John Martino, founder and CEO of Annapolis School of Seamanship, explains that propane is a heavier-than-air gas, meaning it will collect in the bilge of a boat if there is a leak. He points out that most propane systems should be equipped with an electric solenoid valve, an automatic shutoff valve that prevents gas from flowing into the boat when the system is not in use.
