Around 5pm, I preheated the Dicknson diesel heater aboard Mongoose
with alcohol (methyl hydrate) as usual. This time I forgot to switch 
on the diesel fuel nob in time before the alcohol flame went out. 
The heater was hot but not lit. I turned the nob open and opened the 
heater door... for some bonehead reason I still don't understand today, 
I poured alcohol into the hot basin...   BOOM!!  Huge fire ball engulfed 
me entirely. The flame had passed me before I stood up, then I saw, 
in the wall mirror, my hairs were on fire! PAHH, PAHH, PAHH, did some
quick fire dancing to cool my hot head. That's only a few seconds after
the BOOM. Now, half of the galley was in flames from the spread of the
remaining alcohol in the Coke bottle. Fortunately, a new fire extinguisher
stood right by the heater. HISSSSS...  put off the alcohol fire. The
heater, with its door open, just ignited a spectacular red ball (Roy, 
later on, told me he saw two foot flames out of my chimney top).  Put 
that off too, but the fuel kept coming back.  Neighbour sailor Huey 
on s/v "Rain Dance II" finally unplugged the feed line from the
fuel tank outside. I shot the heater for the last time and the fire was
off. The fuel line bottom has melted and the pedistal diesel spreaded 
all over the floor but it's not hot enough to catch fire again.
Wiped up the diesel from the floor. "Oh, where is the cat?!"  Amid thick 
smokes, found him in the V berth all freaked out.  Got him out of boat
immediately; opened all hatches.  What a mess!!  The swirl chair looked
like Swiss cheese. White powder everywhere covered everything under deck.

My face burned like hell especially the lips -- felt like hit by a hammer.
The smell of burning tissue and hairs was disgusting.  I am glad I had 
my glasses on, otherwise I could have been blinded now.
In no time, I went to see Alexis on "Lois B." and Michelle & Frances
on s/v "PAX".  No doubt, it's emergency room time.  Alexis is a nurse 
and she did a quick clean up -- just removing some debris. She drove me 
to Nanaimo General Hospital.  It's my first call ever to the Emergency
Room. Not too bad, at least I walked in. My face felt burning and 
shrinking and noticed everybody was looking at me... During the waiting
time, I went into restroom to have a good look...   poor BBQ'ed bastard...
black, pink and curled skin, missing eye brows, burned hairs turned into
charcoaled small blocks, yellow fluid blisters, gun power white lips.  
Before long, a pretty young doc took me in, asked about my Tendon(sp) shot
history, examed my mouth and noses to check if I inhaled flames, had me
take my clothes off to check all burns in details.
She said I was lucky it's all first and some second degree burns and I 
wouldn't have any scars. She's not sure about the lips -- some kind of 
deep burns? Anyway, I was sent home with some presriptions.  The pain
soothed down quite a bit but the lips started to swell.

Had to shower to clean up. Gee, that was like making a cannibal soup.
Hurt like hell and stinked like hell!
After dring up, Alexis put antibiotic cream over all the 2nd degree 
burns. I took some pills and went to bed aboard "Lois B" since my
boat was trashed. Alexis put me on shock watch.  Now, tell me this 
is not General Noriega: