Former 'Codfather' boat catches fire while docked at Fairhaven Thursday

Matthew Ferreira and Faith Harrington, The Standard-Times
Updated ·2 min read
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FAIRHAVEN — A boat belonging to the owners of BASE Seafood Auction in New Bedford caught fire Thursday morning while docked off of Water Street. Officials say the fire resulted from sparks that flew from a metal saw as the boat was being decommissioned.

Fairhaven Fire Chief Todd Correia said the fire on the boat named "Carrabassett" was reported around 6:58 a.m.

"They tried to contain it with a fire extinguisher at first and then they called 9-1-1," Correia said. "So there was a slight delay with us being notified."

Correia said the fire was sizable by the time crews arrived on scene. It took firefighters about an hour to extinguish the flames using a combination of water and environmentally-safe foam, Correia said.

As of about 10 a.m. Thursday, Correia said Mass. Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Coast Guard, and a private cleanup company were on scene to ensure the environment was kept safe.

On scene, Fairhaven Harbormaster Timothy Cox said Global Remediation Services were in the process of pumping any remaining fluids from the boat.

Fairhaven firefighters battle a fire that broke out Thursday morning inside the fishing boat Carrabassett, which was docked along Water Street in Fairhaven.
Fairhaven firefighters battle a fire that broke out Thursday morning inside the fishing boat Carrabassett, which was docked along Water Street in Fairhaven.

"It's a good thing there was no fuel, the motor had been taken out," Cox said.

According to Cox, the owners' intent was to have the decommissioned Carrabassett converted into an artificial reef that would assist marine life.

"What they do is take everything off a decommissioned boat, make sure there's no pollutants, then take it out to sea and sink it, and it becomes a reef for the fish," he explained.

A worker on scene confirmed the boat was owned by BASE Seafood.

Correia noted New Bedford and Mattapoisett firefighters provided mutual aid on scene while Acushnet provided station coverage.

About the Carrabassett

A 2021 report in the Provincetown Banner when the vessel was grounded in Cape Cod waters, states the Carrabassett was previously named "Cowboy" and was part of a fleet that belonged to "The Codfather," Carlos Rafael until it was sold to Blue Harvest Fisheries in 2020.

Smoke from the fire aboard the fishing boat Carrabassett docked in Fairhaven can be seen from Popes Island in New Bedford.
Smoke from the fire aboard the fishing boat Carrabassett docked in Fairhaven can be seen from Popes Island in New Bedford.

It was since purchased by C&P Trawlers in a bankruptcy auction on Nov. 6, 2023 as part of a $12 million deal, according to reports. C&P Trawlers LLC was formed in part by Cassie Canastra, according to reports, who is director of operations for BASE.

A fire broke out Thursday morning inside the fishing boat Carrabassett, which was docked along Water Street in Fairhaven. Work was being done on the vessel to decommission it to use as a reef.
A fire broke out Thursday morning inside the fishing boat Carrabassett, which was docked along Water Street in Fairhaven. Work was being done on the vessel to decommission it to use as a reef.

A staff member who answered the phone at BASE Thursday morning said no one would be available to confirm any information on the boat. The Standard-Times could not locate contact information for C&P Trawlers, but a business listings website lists its address as 62 Hassey St., New Bedford -- the same address as BASE.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Boat that caught fire in Fairhaven belonged to BASE, sources say