AN OFF-DUTY fireman helped save a sailor when his boat filled with smoke from an engine fire.

Chris Paine, of Fareham, who was praised for his quick action, was working on board his yacht moored at the town's marina when he saw a powerboat with smoke coming from the stern.

He first thought it was steam until he helped the boat come alongside the jetty and realised it was smoke coming from the engine.

Mr Paine rushed to his boat where his wife Pauline handed up a fire extinguisher and shouted for help from other boat owners on Salterns Jetty, Fareham Creek, who also ran to help with fire extinguishers.

They stood on deck and directed the sprays down into the engine compartment that was still gushing smoke, because it was too dangerous to go down.

The fire service was called by the boat owners and an off-road vehicle with portable water supply was directed by Mr Paine to the stricken boat and the blaze put out.

Mr Paine said: "This sailor was a lucky man. The fire started from an electrical fault in the engine when he was not far from the marina and going out towards the harbour.

"But he could easily have been at sea and far from help. The fire generated a lot of smoke and there's no way anyone was going to go down into it without breathing apparatus and proper clothing. It was too dangerous. So he wouldn't have had a chance of putting the fire out on his own and would have been in a pretty desperate situation. He would have had a longer wait for help at sea than here on land.

"We merely subdued the fire until the fire service arrived and probably saved the boat from a worse fate.''

The owner of the damaged Moody 30 was upset and shocked but otherwise unhurt.

A fire service spokesman said the fire was difficult to gain access to because it was in a confined space.

He said: "The quick action of the off-duty fire fighter certainly contained the situation. It shows how quickly a fire situation can escalate and put someone in danger, especially in a boat.''

The incident happened yesterday.