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Libertad Burns
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Tenicatita Bay is one of the sweetest anchorages on Mexico’s Gold Coast. Joel and I had just finished surfing at the river mouth and we were lounging aboard Songline, blissfully tired. As the sun dipped westward our reverie was broken by an approaching motor yacht. She was about 85 feet long. She came roaring into the bay and dropped anchor about 25 yards from us. At first I was taken aback by her noise and smoking diesel engines.
It wasn’t long before I realized that what I had taken for smoking diesels was something more. Smoke began billowing from vents and ports throughout the boat and the cruisers in the area took to their dinghies to render assistance. Monica was asked to record the event for insurance purpose while I joined in with the others.
When I got aboard the boat events where already out of hand. Twenty or so people were running around, trying to do some good. But what was to be done? One fellow saw that the halon firefighting system had failed because the ventilation system had not been shut down. He tried to get the attention of the captain and other would-be-rescuers, but the effort was so disorganized that all attempts to manage the crisis in an orderly fashion, were drowned by confusion.
It was then that I saw the owner/skipper of the boat exit the bridge wearing a swim mask and snorkel. A darkly comic vision, it was his attempt at makeshift firefighting gear. While too many ran about trying to give orders, I watched as he walked toward the foredeck in stunned silence. After about 10 minutes flames began to appear through ports and vents. Still, not a word was spoken by the skipper. As the fire grew in scope and intensity, the rescuers were quickly becoming the ones needing rescue. People began diving off the boat, including the skipper. Within 15 minutes, Libertad was abandoned to her fate.
Libertad was given up to the flames. Fearful of gasoline and propane explosions, Monica, Joel, and I weighed anchor and moved to a safer distance. Soon we heard—and saw the expected explosions. In the twilight, another motor yacht arrived in the bay and took Libertad’s crew aboard and steamed off toward Barra Navidad where, I assume, a hotel room and hot baths awaited them. And soon thereafter, there arrived a Mexican naval patrol boat. She turned slowly around the burning hulk and then steamed proudly out of the bay.
In the ensuing darkness, Libertad cast an eerie illumination over the anchorage until well after midnight. We laid awake in our bunks throughout the early morning hours watching the orange-yellow light flickering through our ports and listening to the sharp pops and crackles of the fire. When we came topside in the early morning light, Libertad was burnt to the waterline–a blackened, barge-like hulk. It was a few days more before she actually sank on her hook. Some cruisers took soundings over her and noted the foul spot in 15 feet of water.
Lessons learned: Fire at sea is a terrible thing. Had Libertad not been within easy reach of land, the outcome might have been much worse. But when bad things happen, the skipper of a vessel must take command. I think it is true that there was little hope of saving Libertad. I also believe that whatever hope there might have been, all was lost because the skipper gave up command at the critical moment.
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