Dreams up in Smoke

10:37 PM Tue 9 Dec 2008 GMT

'Smoke pours from the yachts on fire at the Lincoln Harbor marina in New York - photo by Reena Rose Sibayan' .

Just when you think you've done everything to protect your sailing boat, put it in the marina, safe and sound, the yacht next to you catches fire, and you've lost your weekend playtoy, if not your home.

This is what happened this week in New York, as the Lincoln Harbor Marina in the Hudson River, right across the water from Manhatten, caught fire.

Smoke from the boats burning in the Lincoln Harbor marina in Weehawken not only caused much heartache for the owners, but according to authorities it also caused the evacuation of 1500 Harbor Boulevard, a huge office complex that houses a number of businesses, including the Lincoln Harbor Yacht Club.

North Hudson Regional firefighters battle a blaze on two boats at the Lincoln Harbor marina in Weehawken, photo by Reena Rose Sibayan - .. .

One boat caught fire at about 7.00am and then spread to a second vessel before the fire was brought under control by members of the North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue Service.

The Lincoln Harbor Yacht Club is a great location for yachts visiting New York. It is just minutes away from the heart of Manhattan's entertainment and cultural centers, as well as its elegant shops and restaurants. Yachts who use the marina have easy access to the city's business and financial empire, and also the ease to set sail, at any moment, for some of the most beautiful beaches of Long Island and New Jersey.

by Charles Hack,Jersey Journal/Sail-World