An investigation into what caused a fishing boat in Peel to go up in flames is continuing.

The fire service is still looking at how a large fire, which engulfed Heather Maid in Peel harbour on October 24, began.

Fire and coastguard crews tackled the flames from 11.30pm until the following morning. Pollution booms were also deployed by the coastguards to contain any contaminants while firefighters took on the blaze.

Ports manager Mark Kenyon said: ’The boat is now watertight and the insurance company is coming down to look.

’The vessel’s sitting there now and it’s floating. The cause of the fire is believed to be a diesel heater on board.

’The question is whether Billy Caley is going to rebuild it or write it off. He owns a number of vessels in Peel and has spent quite a bit of money on it recently. It was a bad day for him.’

Billy Caley has expressed his ’sincere gratitude’ to those who took part in the efforts to stop the fire.

’It was a sad end to a good boat,’ he told the Manx Independent.

’I haven’t had the report back from the fire service. It’s assumed that it was a diesel heater that caused the fire.’

He explained that it was a taxi driver who had informed him of a boat being on fire in the harbour on the Wednesday.

’I didn’t know it was mine,’ he said. ’I was horrified to find it was my own boat.

’Although it doesn’t matter whose boat it would have been because it would have been just as bad.

’There was a lot of smoke and flames coming out of the windows. I rang the fire service at 11.30pm. A chap from Castle Street was walking his dog when he spotted it. He rang the fire service before I did.

’The coastguards and fire department fought it and changed over lads who were coming off. They couldn’t have done any more.

’It’s the first of the scallop season, which is the first of November, and so it’s a big loss for us.

’The main thing is that nobody was on the boat and nobody was injured.’

He added that his employees have been assigned to other boats, of which he owns in Peel, Castletown and Ramsey.

The future of the Harbour Maid now lies in the hands of the insurance company, Mr Caley has said.

’I’ve spent an awful amount of money doing her up in the last couple of years. She’s an elderly boat, built in 1968. I would think it’s going to be a write-off just by her age alone.’

Mr Caley stepped down from the Scallop Management Board, which advises the government on measures to protect the fishery, this year.

He was replaced by his son William, who is the manager of Isle of Man Seafoods in Peel.