crewmen were smothered in smoke during an on-board fire.

Capt. Sean Stephens, who commands the Hallelujah for a multi-millionaire US businessman, described the blaze as something which could have been "very grave''.

And he told The Royal Gazette : "The port generator had a short of some sort.

"Electricity started to short and then smoke started billowing out. The engineer shut the generator down and within a one-minute time-frame, so much smoke had been produced that he could no longer see what was going on or if there were any flames.

"The engine room was evacuated and extractors were sent in. Luckily, nobody was hurt.'' Bermuda Fire Service sent seven appliances to the scene and 29 firefighters were called in -- with seven boarding the yacht in St. George's Harbour to run safety checks.

Capt. Stephens said the yacht's crew and on-board extinguishing system had avoided a full-scale emergency during the drama just before 8 p.m. on Tuesday.

He added that the blaze was out when firefighters arrived and US-based technical experts were now due in Bermuda to make sure the Hallelujah was shipshape.

"Thankfully the fire was not very grave but it certainly could have been,'' he said.

"It was in the engine room of a vessel at anchor and you don't take any chances when that happens.'' The 114-foot yacht is owned by Texas entrepreneur Robert Mosbacher, who has senior connections in the White House.

The Hallelujah arrived in Bermuda last Wednesday and is due to return to Newport, Rhode Island, on July 1. It is believed Mr. Mosbacher wanted the yacht on the Island so he could travel home after the Newport-to-Bermuda yacht race, which starts tomorrow.

Capt. Stephens said Mr. Mosbacher was not on board at the time of the fire.

He added: "The ship is up and running and there is no problem with our starboard generator. The main engines are working fine and there will be no difficulties as long as the port generator is not used.

"It's now a process of getting someone here to find out exactly what happened.'' Fire Service spokesman Lt. Jon Thompson said the eight-man crew escaped unhurt from the blaze, which caused $20,000 damage.

Marine Police and a Hallelujah tender ferried firefighters to the boat, moored at Powder Hole. Lt. Thompson said the boat's technical extinguisher system had already put out the flames, adding that firefighters responded from St.

George's, Central and Clearwater.

Fire officers stayed on board to make sure the fire did not re-start, he added.

Lt. Thompson said: "We also had one appliance from Port Royal in Southampton move to the standby point in Warwick, in case of other incidents.'' Picture: Page 37