August 1, 2016

blogger - Accidents 2016

The standard web media news feeds have been pretty busy with yachts in Summer 2016 with two accidents making quite a few headlines around the web and both of which happening in Ibiza.  While no causalities where reported in both of these accidents, in my opinion they should raise a few industry question marks regarding safety at sea.
The first accident happened to a Ferretti Custom Line 124 with a 30 feet rib tender crashing into its starboard and onto the large hull windows serving the VIP suite at a 30 knots plus speed. Apart destroying the window the interior damage as shown in one of the photos was huge. To make it short all the cabin will need to be redone.
Second accident was the Peri 37 m who anchored off the coast in Ibiza starting to embark water into the opened stern beach bathing platform.  Fortunately and thanks to the work of the crew M/Y Fusion was just saved from sinking.
Both accidents should see classification societies and safety organizations raise alarm bells and go more into detail what is happening here. The accident of the tender is an interesting one, with side hull windows becoming much larger each other year, it is interesting to see the level of tolerance and flexing properties these windows have versus fiberglass and or other construction materials.  The second accident is a repeat to a similar event in September 2012 involving a Baglietto 43m off the coast of St.Tropez.  
While sensationalism and innovative gadgets in yachts are cool at the boat show, safety behind it should not be an option and has to be of paramount importance. If it is not safe then you cannot do it, simple as that. Are designers and boat yards missing safety in order to impress and generate more interest to there yachts.  Side hull windows are become larger by the year, and the same is happening to the bathing platforms who in recent years have doubled in size and are being called beach clubs. 
The pleasure boat building industry should be careful to not become victim of its own innovative success, and not forget that the first reason to build a boat is for it to be safe at sea.

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