Arson suspected after fire destroys three boats moored in marina

Detective Grant Miller (left) and Marty Black examine one of three burnt boats. Picture / Queenstown Police

Three boats moored side-by-side were burned out early yesterday in a suspicious fire at Frankton Marina in Queenstown.

Harbourmaster Marty Black said the boats were write-offs and he warned boaties not to leave valuable vessels at the unlit marina.

"It's a worry," he said. "It shouldn't happen - we are in Queenstown, for Pete's sake. It's most unusual."

There had been a "plague" of boat break-ins, said Mr Black, but this was the first time in his 21 years as harbourmaster that vessels had been burned.

Detective Sergeant Grahame Bartlett, of Queenstown, said police needed to eliminate the possibilities that the fire had been caused by a fault or a cigarette butt.

However, arson was looking likely, although the extensive damage made it difficult to gauge whether an accelerant had been used.

The fires were believed to have started about 1am. Emergency services received calls from a member of the public and an attendant of the nearby Shell service station on Frankton Rd.

The boats Awatea and Espanda were alight, and the Black Label was damaged by the wind blowing flames in its direction.

Awatea was an orange, 5m yacht, Espanda was about 7m, a fibreglass cabin cruiser, and Black Label a 6m trailer sailer.

Police had found the owners of Espanda and Black Label, but were still trying to locate the owner of Awatea.

Fire safety officers and police would forensically examine the vessels today.

Espanda owner John Walsh, of Queenstown, was extremely upset by the possibility of arson.

He said his $25,000 boat had been secured by a canvas cover and had a lot of valuable camping, fishing and communications equipment on board.

Mr Walsh said he had moored the boat at the marina for a year and there had been no problems.

Cars were set alight in an uncovered car park near the Queenstown Recreation Ground last week.

Mr Bartlett said the two incidents were not being linked at this stage.

"It's strange that within a 10-day space, we have had two incidents. We're not linking them, but we're keeping an open mind."

- OTAGO DAILY TIMES