Viking Hits Townsend Inlet and Sinks

A sixteen meter Viking sportfish yacht with seven people onboard struck the Townsends Inlet Bridge, and later partially sank on its starboard side at the Avalon Yacht club, in New Jersey USA.  The collision with the Townsends Inlet Bridge happened on 2300 hours of Monday fifth June, and some fifteen minutes later the Viking yacht partially sank.  The causes of the collision are not reported, with the seven people saved from the yacht by the area Coast Guard, and Sea Tow and Northstar Marine assisting keeping the vessel afloat and then on recovering it, which they completed on Wednesday seventh June.  Due to the collision the bridge waterway was temporary closed on Tuesday morning with commercial divers and engineers inspecting and repairing the damage sustained by the impact.  

This is the second time the bridge was struck by boat traffic in less to a year, with another collision occurring in July 2022, when a steel built motor vessel under charter with 22 passengers collided with the 1939 made Townsends Inlet.  The Townsends Inlet Bridge is located in New Jersey on the Atlantic ocean, linking Sea Isle City with Avalon Bay.

The Viking in this bridge collision is a first generation 52 Convertible produced from 2002 to 08, with a three cabin layout, and standard powered by twin Man 1050hp or optional 1300hp engines, these last reaching speeds in the mid thirties.  The 52 Convertible came about as a replacement to the first generation 50 Convertible and was replaced by the second generation 54C released in 2008.