Black smoke from the boat was visible across Out-of-control bonfire threatened house
South Wairarapa, with a neighbour spotting the smoke as he was heading down Lake Ferry Rd.
The man, who would only give his name as Rob, said he "knew it would be the boat" from the amount of smoke. He commiserated with the homeowner, Mike Lawrence, who did not want to make a comment.
Martinborough chief fire officer Bill Butzbach said the homeowner had lit a permitted rubbish fire on Wednesday and thought he had extinguished it that night.
"He hadn't, and he didn't check it this morning, and of course, now there's a wind," Mr Butzbach said.
"He's lit it too close to combustibles.
"It's crazy -- I'm surprised it didn't go up when he lit the fire."
The crews ran five hoses into the property and had to work "very hard" to stop the fire from spreading, he said.
An unexpected hazard was beehives on the property, with "bees getting excited".
No one was stung, he said.
Rural fire officer Porky Sexton said he had written out a 20-day permit yesterday and felt "near sick" when he was rung about the blaze.
"I got told there was this big fire and it dawned on me, it's this one," Mr Sexton said.
"He told me he would only do a little fire.
"I was bloody near sick, I couldn't believe it.
"I laid the rules down to this guy, not to burn in any wind.
"You can tell people black and blue and they just don't listen.
"People just don't realise how dry it is out here."
