# Shoalwater Boat Plant in POC Burns!



## Golden (Aug 1, 2006)

Here is some bad news for the Port Oconnor, Texas area. Last Saturday the plant that made my boat burned to the ground. Friends and Owners Steve and Suzie Bell lost everything in the molding plant. Steve last year struck a deal with Gander Mountain to provide their inshore boat line including the new 16' and 21' Cat which are super shallow running scooters as well as their standard line of inshore bayboats. All of their boat molds were lost in the fire. I heard the fire trucks Sat evening but where they were headed I didn't know. This will be a hit to the towns local economy hard. The plant still has their building where the boats were fitted with all of the consoles and equipment and such so all was not totally lost! Lots of 2Coolers know these fine people very well too. I spoke wih Suzie who was trying to keep her spirits up by saying my boat's value just went up big time! They are troopers and I expect they will rebuild ASAP and will probably be better for it. Good People the Bell's. Here's the story ...Sorry Folks!

Fire destroys boat factory!

September 08, 2008 - 10:36 p.m. 
PORT O’CONNOR – Fire destroyed a 5,000 square-foot boat factory in Port O’Connor Saturday night.

Shoalwater Boats, at 20 Monroe St., went up in flames at around 10 p.m., said Port O’Connor Fire Chief Cale Hummel. Even with the help of the Seadrift, Six Mile and Port Lavaca fire departments, it took the firefighters nearly five hours to subdue. 

“It had the whole building engulfed by the time we got there,” Hummel said.

During the rescue effort, the fire’s heat twisted and weakened the building’s steel beams, Hummel said. Eventually, the middle of the roof caved in.

The fire chief was not sure what caused the fire, but he thought it might have been a chemical or electrical malfunction. He said there was no suspicion of arson.

Law enforcement blocked off roads near the building and asked some neighbors to leave their homes, but no evacuation was ordered, he said.

No one was injured during the fire, but some valuable property was destroyed, Hummel said.

“I know he had a boat that sells for roughly $19,000 sitting ready to go out the door,” said Hummel of Shoalwater Boats owner Steve Bell.

Bell did not return phone calls for comment. 

Now we have IKE to worry about! **** it all. 2 Trailers and 2 boats to move to somewhere?


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