A small crew has begun the daunting task of cleaning up the wreckage of half a boatyard that was burnt to the ground in a fire in December.

The staff at the Boatport Boat Storage facility on Wellington Slip Road, St George’s, have started dismantling the huge steel structure that housed 54 boats, 48 of which were completely gutted.

Once the steel columns, bearer beams and approximately 400 bolts that were damaged in the blaze have been taken down, work will begin on lifting out charred boats collapsed on top of one another.

William Lawrence, who owns the business with his brother Edward, said that he expects the clean-up to be completed by mid-February, and, if all goes to plan, the business will be back to full capacity by midyear.

“We did some preliminary work last week, loosening bolts and trying to understand what we don’t understand yet,” he said.

“Some of it looks straight, but once you loosen it off, there is so much torque on everything, it’s not as simple as when we put it up.

“The columns are all over the place. Once you take the bolts off, they start to move as there is so much pressure on them. It’s horrible.

“We are easing the bolts, and if there is not enough slack, we will put longer bolts in to gradually let the pressure off. I could go up there and cut it but steel will go flying so I don’t want to do that.

"We took the first bunch of steel out yesterday. D&J Construction Co have been our saviour. They turned up and cleaned up the initial mess right away. The mess was way out here in the middle of the yard where all the engines fell on the ground. They scooped it out and sent it to the dump.

“Yesterday, they brought us a crane, and once the rack is down, they will start moving out the carcasses of the boats. We can take the material and pack it. I still need to run the business; it’s just a bit of a juggle. Getting it out safely will be a challenge.”

Mr Lawrence said that he will have some additional work to do on the foundations, recasting enforcements before a 16-week fabrication process begins on the 40ft, four-storey rack, if approvals are given.

“The plan is to rebuild, and we are investigating the process to secure a building permit,” he said.

“We are going to come back, and we will be better. Fire makes steel stronger, fire purifies gold and the best things come out of fire.”

Mr Lawrence said he expects the rebuild to cost in the region of $450,000. While the boatyard was covered by insurance, he said it will not be enough to cover the cost of replacing the rack as steel has trebled in price since it was built 15 years ago.

The clean-up work was not covered.

Mr Lawrence said: “It’s not in your thought process when you purchase insurance to rebuild after a fire, that you have to factor in cleaning up the mess. We are spending $30,000 just to get rid of the debris.“

The boats themselves are covered by the owners’ insurance to the full value plus some liability, he said.

The Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service is investigating the cause of the fire, which broke out in the early hours of December 17.

Fire crews tackled the blaze through the night and into the day, and were still putting out small fires the following day.

As well as the rack that was destroyed, the approximately 60 boats on the opposite side of the yard also suffered some damage from the debris of the fire.

Mr Lawrence said: “The other boats were covered in soot and oil and salt spray as they used salt water from the harbour to put the fire out.”

Asked if any extra measures will be put in place as a result of the fire, Mr Lawrence added: “We will purchase fire-resistant foam and have it on site. You have a liquid you put into the stream of water and it shoots out a big fog of foam. With a petroleum fire, you have to have something that starves the oxygen, which is what the foam does.

“You can’t say it won’t happen again but we were here for 15 years and it never happened. We await the outcome of the fire department investigation into the cause of the fire.”

He said requiring boats to empty their fuel tanks is not an option, adding: “This is a dry marina. It’s as if the boats are in the water. If someone wants their boat, you call, your boat goes in the water, you use it all day and we put it away. If you come in late, tie it on to the dock and we will put it away. If you want to use it again, let us know.”

Mr Lawrence said that it had been a difficult experience, but he was grateful for the support he has received.

He added: “It is still emotional, deep in my guts. It all depends what moment I am caught in. Now 48 boat owners’ lives have been affected, my brother and I, and our staff.

“I just can’t believe how helpful everybody has been. All the boat companies and insurance companies have been great, the individual boat detailers, my tenant. They have all turned up and done a great job.”