Mechanical Failure Ignites Hand-Made Sailboat

The father and son whose boat caught fire Thursday off Marblehead’s shore are recovering at home from minor injuries.
Arnold Heitmann, 60, of Swampscott, and his father, whom police did not identify, were both released from Boston hospitals after being treated for injuries that were not as severe as first thought, according to Marblehead Fire Chief Jason Gilliland.
The elder Heitmann’s wife said both men were recovering well. A mechanical failure in the engine compartment, specifically involving the alternator, seems to have caused the fire on the 45-foot sailboat, named the Sundowner, Gilliland said.