MO-2004-210

On Wednesday 30 June 2004 at about 1530, the restricted limit passenger vessel "Esprit de Mer" with a skipper, one staff member and 7 passengers on board was returning from the Milford Deep Underwater Observatory at Harrison Cove to the ferry terminal at Milford Sound. As the boat approached the wharf, the skipper noticed black smoke coming from a port-side engine room ventilator. The boat was secured alongside and the passengers disembarked. The skipper stopped the engines and used a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher to fight the fire. The fire was extinguished almost immediately.

There was extensive smoke and fire damage to the insulation in the engine room, and the electrical wiring and control cables in the vicinity of the port engine, but there were no injuries to the passengers and crew.

Safety issues identified included:

• the standard of maintenance by the authorised engine representative
• the provision of fire-detection and fire-extinguishing systems for enclosed engine room spaces in restricted limit passenger vessels.

Safety recommendations were made to the Director of Maritime Safety, the General Manager of SGS New Zealand and the owner of the "Esprit de Mer" to address these issues and to ensure the timely notification of accidents and incidents.