Bodega Bay sailboat fire’s cause undetermined

Fire officials Thursday were unable to determine what caused a fire that destroyed a sailboat anchored in the Bodega Bay harbor.

The 30-foot fiberglass sailing boat went up in flames about 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, prompting a flurry of 911 calls from people on shore and aboard other vessels.

Bodega Bay Fire Capt. Lou Stoerzinger said the sailboat, anchored in about six feet of water just north of Mason’s Marina, was involved when they arrived. They extinguished the main fire while searching the water for signs that anyone had been on board, finding none, he said. The owner’s vehicle wasn’t in the parking lot and a skiff he normally used to row out to the sailboat wasn’t there.

By Thursday, the boat was mostly submerged.

“The boat was so heavily damaged and the fact that it sank would render an investigation pretty much useless,” Stoerzinger said.

Petty Officer Garrett Hamilton with Coast Guard Bodega Bay said that a crew from San Francisco will evaluate whether the sunken vessel risks polluting the water.

You can reach Staff Writer Julie Johnson at 707-521-5220 or julie.johnson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @jjpressdem.