First no one hurt , no one panicked.....and boat didn't sink or burn

Ran boat Memorial Day on lake, start stop lunch swim all day. No issues except a but of tapping on port engine

1999 33 Scarab 2x 502MPI

Sunday, left out of Kemah... ran 1 1/2hrs 60ish around to Tx City and back to Redfish for swim/rest.

Started back up fine but could not get above 2k rpm either engine. All temps and pressures we right on the money. Gauges straight up. Then.....SMOKE.....opened hatch, smallish fire behind Starboard alternator. 4 crew on front deck with life jacket pack.... buddy and I doused fire with BC extinguishers. Waited a bit....... started port engine... watched.... tried to engage but still only 2k rpm. Limped to port pulled back to bayhouse


Boat heading to see Little Bill in AM.


Any ideas?

Just a guess..short caused fore and drained battery, ECU didnt like low voltage resulting in low revs?

I do have three batteries..... shouldn't port been able to overcome?

I would have thrown some drift wood on top of it and started swimming...

I did think of that but younglings on board.......

I had the same thing happen on my 1986 scarab...the wire coming off the alt was rubbing against the exh manifold and wore through causing a short and smoked the harness...only way to start the motor was to jump the starter at the solenoid! made for a fun weekend at LOTO when you have to manually raise the hatch and jump the starter.

A HUGE Thank you to Little Bill and his staff at Victory Marine in Seabrook / Kemah. I dropped No Free Rides off early Tuesday morning and got a call back Thursday evening that she was ready to go. A bit of a mystery as to the actual cause but a new alternator, wiring harness and a big wash down from the extinguisher and we were back on the water ready to go


When i dropped her there was a Chinese fire drill moving all the boats around, and with Outlaw Challenge next week I was guessing it would be August......

those repair guys are saints for doing that this time of year its a zoo nice shop