Melbourne man left homeless after fire destroys luxury catamaran

The owner of a luxury catamaran destroyed in a huge fire at St Kilda Pier in Melbourne says he has lost everything.

Michael "Snowy" Kendall tried to fight the blaze but failed to prevent the vessel being engulfed.

Investigators are working to establish the cause, but say the fire, which cause $800,000 of damage, appears to be accidental.

Mr Kendall, 70, had lived in the catamaran for the past six years.

He had been planning an around-the-world voyage, an adventure now sadly postponed.

He said he had been returning from a doctor's appointment yesterday to find the boat on fire.

Flames also threatened several adjacent vessels and the pier but firefighters managed to contain the blaze by hosing the down the catamaran from the pier and a firefighting boat.