Burnt out: Members from the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service extinguished a fire that gutted the dive boat Tenacity at Grotto Bay yesterday, no one was onboard or reported injured. Photo by Tamell Simons

The owner of a dive boat watched as his livelihood went up in flames yesterday.

Graham Maddocks said the vessel is now a complete write-off it was worth almost $350,000.

The owner and operator of Triangle Diving said the 45-foot boat was fine when he last checked it around 8 a.m. yesterday morning.

According to eyewitnesses the boat caught on fire just before 10 a.m. Bermuda Fire and Rescue Services responded to a call around 10.30 a.m. in the midst of hurricane force winds that caused the Causeway's closure.

The boat was moored at nearby Grotto Bay Beach Resort.

Three fire trucks, three support vehicles and 15 personnel arrived at 10.45 a.m. and spent the next five hours struggling against wind, rain and tricky boat construction to extinguish the fire.

Last night Mr. Maddocks said he was in shock over the loss. The veteran diver said it would cost him at least $350,000 to replace his six-year-old boat with a custom-built boat from the US the cost would not cover the GPS equipment and dive gear that had been on-board.

He said: "We haven't been diving, but it is checked every day. Late yesterday [Wednesday] I went to check it and everything was OK. We checked on it at 8 a.m. today (Thursday) and it was fine.

"It was in perfect condition. It was such a big boat and all customised. You cannot replace it. We spent a bundle on her.

"I am just sitting here down at the dive shop and it's just... We are looking at the photos. It was just such a beautiful boat.

"I don't know what I'm going to do. I am going to wait for the Police to come back. I'm going to sit down with my family for a few moments and figure out what to do.

"And I will have to see what the insurance comes up with. We were a very popular dive shop so there will be a lot of upset visitors and locals."

Firefighters used synthetic foam rather than water to extinguish the flames because of the diesel fuel on board and the fibreglass construction.

Two firefighters in breathing apparatus attacked the fire from the dock.

Despite his loss, Mr. Maddocks was full of praise for both the Police and the Fire Service, who he said were incredibly helpful.

"They [the Fire Service] fought from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. It was freezing and those guys were crawling through all sorts of things.

"The Police in St. David's have been really helpful too. I cannot express how friendly and helpful the community has been and I just want to say a big thank you."

The Fire Department said a full investigation will be conducted. It is not believed that weather played a part in the fire's ignition.

Said a spokesperson: "Crews worked tirelessly and did an excellent job in bringing the fire under total control after five hours."

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