Thread: Exciting evening at Clinton

Arrived at Clinton around 5PM yesterday. I waited to see what the storm front was going to do. About 6PM I was leaving marina cove when I noticed a large sailboat with the sail down about 100 yards from the no wake markers with a lot of SMOKE coming out of its cabin. When I got to the sailboat I asked them where the fire was at and if they had a fire extinguisher. The man said the smoke was coming out of the engine compartment but he could not locate their extinguisher so I gave them mine but he was afraid to open the engine access because it might flare up.
I started to tow him to the boat ramps near the marina and called the marina so they could call the fire department.
AS we approved the boat ramps the man and his son jumped in the lake with some ropes to tie it up.
IT WAS THEN WHEN IT GOT INTERESTING. THE FLAMES BURNED THEIR WAY OUT OF THE CABIN AND CAUGHT THE ROLLED UP SAIL ON FIRE. I MOVED OVER THE THE DOCKS EAST OF THE MARINA WHERE AROUND 50 PEOPLE WHERE WATCHING AND TAKING PHOTOS. WE NOTICED THE SAILBOAT WAS NO LONGER TIED TO THE DOCKS AS THE FLAMES HAD BURNED THE ROPES, AND IT WAS BEING BLOWN TOWARDS THE SLIPS. I moved around to the ramp docks to pick up the man to help me pull it back over to the ramp docks. We just got it to the ramp docks when the fire department arrived. They got the flames out quickly but there was nothing left but the hull. I found out the man on the sailboat is the son in law of the owner.
After all the excitement I decided to skip going up Rock Creek and went back to my slip for the rest of the evening. First drop rewarded me with a 11 1/2 inch crappie, the one just short of a keeper. After it got dark the mayflies invaded my pontoon so I headed home.

they were trying to load it on a flat bed truck when I got to the lake .I told them with the wway the bottom is built it will never work they gave up and drug it up the ramp and up the hill to where the boat is now setting.