Blaze guts Nova Scotia boatyard

Blaze guts Nova Scotia boatyard

Last Updated:

Tuesday, August 12, 2008 | 6:36 PM AT

CBC News

The fire destroyed Covey Island Boatworks in Petite Riviere, on Nova Scotia's South Shore.

A fire has destroyed a boatyard in Lunenburg County renowned for its yachts.

Covey Island Boatworks in Petite Rivière, N.S., was fully engulfed
in flames by the time firefighters arrived around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday.

"It's a tragic loss to the community, to the owners of Covey Island,
to our customers and to the employees," said Alan Hutchinson, general
manager and one of the owners of the boatyard.

The fire gutted the building and the multimillion-dollar schooner
Maggie B., a Covey Island-built ship that was in for a refit after
circumnavigating the globe.

Firefighters moved quickly to protect nearby buildings, including the Petite Rivière fire hall next door.

"At that time we had to start making decisions to start protecting
what you can save, and that's the exposure to other buildings," said
fire Chief Scott Drummond.

People who live in the area were told to go to a church hall for a
few hours because of the risk of a propane explosion. There were no
reports of injuries, however.

By dawn, all that was left of the boatyard was a fog of acrid smoke and smouldering ruins.

Investigators are now trying to determine what caused the fire.

"It's a process of elimination," said deputy fire marshal Derwin
Swinemar. "You have to eliminate certain things, and where there is so
much devastation here, it may be undetermined as well."

Hutchinson said it will take time to get over the shock of losing the boatyard and to make any decisions about rebuilding.

Blaze guts Nova Scotia boatyard