A 15-meter twin-engine vessel was engulfed in flames at Hillarys Boat Ramp around 11 am.

Numerous triple-zero calls were made as nearby boaters attempted to extinguish the fire using hoses.

Eight emergency services crews soon arrived and took control of the firefighting operation.

The thick black smoke was visible from far-off suburbs, drawing a crowd.

“We were driving down from Scarborough and decided to stop by and check out the scene,” one onlooker told 9News.

“We could see the smoke from our house, so we came down to see what was happening,” another bystander commented.

Authorities said the owner of the luxury vessel, who wasn’t onboard at the time, has been left in a state of shock.

It took fire crews almost an hour to extinguish the fire.