The owner of a boat destroyed in a tragic fire says he's grieving all over again after losing his partner of 60 years just a few months ago as well as his barge last weekend.

Bernard Snell lost his narrow boat, the Grey Owl when it caught alight in a massive blaze at Hampstead Marina in Yalding at about noon on Sunday. July24

The incident is believed to have been an accident which saw a moored vessel erupt into flames as eyewitnesses described hearing explosions echo around the marina.

One owner was said to be thrown from the deck as the burning boat drifted through the marina setting alight to three other vessels.

Bernard arrived about an hour after the fire started and saw the clouds of black smoke bellowing across the sky as he drove past.

He encountered a horrific scene, his beloved boat, which he's owned for 33 years and toured across Britain and Europe on, up in flames.

The 84 year-old said: "It's all still very raw.

"I'm grieving all over again after losing my wife Joyce in November.

"I have my memories but all of my treasures and photographs have been lost.

"I don't know what I'm doing really I've taken my boat across Europe and up and down all the waterways in the UK but now after this it's quite traumatising.

"It was like losing your right arm - I don't think I'll be getting another one.

"People keep asking me what am I going to do even though it has only been a couple of days but at 84 they say the best is behind you.

"I was booked to be heading to the River Festival in Maidstone but one day you're set to go there the next you have no boat."

The former photographer got into boating when a house purchase fell through.

He put money aside to buy the new property but once the process stalled he instead invested it into the Grey Owl.

One of his favourite memories is taking a trip to Scotland to visit the Falkirk Circle - a rotating boat lift which connects the Forth and Clyde and Union canals.

But for Bernard this tragedy could pull the curtain across his time as a sailor.

Yet it doesn't take away the enjoyment the Frindsbury resident had in his life on the water.

"It's special in one's life to go places you otherwise couldn't get to without a boat and watch the sunrise from over the hills and river and is something that I will surely miss," added Bernard.

On the day of the incident, paramedics treated two people at the scene before they were taken to hospital. One suffered burns while the other was treated for smoke inhalation.

Fire crews also attended with three engines and a bulk water carrier to battle the flames eventually putting them after about two-and-a-half hours.

The wreckage has so far been left in the water while safety precautions are carried out before they are removed.

A nearby resident, who witnessed the events unfold said there was lots of billowing black, heavy, thick smoke and panicked people.

She said: “We heard an explosion, went into our bedroom and saw the boat on fire in the lock just floating.

“I called 999 immediately and at this point the boat had started to drift away from the lock downstream.

“I told the fire brigade it was about to set fire to another boat, but it missed and ended up coming towards our house, which was horrifically scary.

“My partner and I ran outside and hosed down our house and the surrounding area, to try to stop a bushfire from happening.”

She explained how residents came together to save the community, adding: “The team spirit was phenomenal.

“We were throwing buckets of water and soaking the land down the pathway by the river.

“One man who owned one of the boats managed to save it by moving it out of the way. But all the others caught fire - it was like a domino effect.

“There were several explosions, up into the 20’s - the first boat exploded several times, it was quite terrifying.

“A couple of boats have now sunk, and there are half-torched boats just left there, it’s really, really sad.”

Navigation through the marina has been closed since the incident with the clear up being handled by the Environment Agency.

Marker buoys have been installed to highlight locations of flotsam (debris) below the water and booms have been set up to stop the spreading of any potential oil or other pollutants through the river.

The Environment Agency has been asked to comment on the clean up.

The exact cause of the fire is not yet know but fire investigators say it is believed to have been accidental.