Lobster Cruiser Ends Aground in Skye Scotland

A fourteen meter traditional cruiser with three people onboard ended aground in the West of Skye, to the West of Scotland on 1230 hours of September the first.  The traditional cruiser was apparently speeding at sustained planning speeds entering into a channel, but ended up too far inshore, hitting the reefs in this navigational error.  Stornaway Coast Guard received a mixed call for assistance with the Burra Lifeboat having problems in finding the three crew, as the boat ran aground in a communication black spot. No one was injured in the accident with the boat taking a lot of damage to its central keel, chines, propellers, shafts, and hull side.  Surprisingly the P-brackets which hold the shafts resisted the collision and did not penetrate the hull, in part thanks to the protection the central keel provides. 

The fourteen meter traditional cruiser in this accident is a Rapsody 48 Offshore model.  Inspired to a traditional down East lobster boat, the Rapsody 48 Offshore was produced from 2000 up to 2008, offering an interior with two double cabins sleeping four, and is powered by twin Yanmar 440hp good for 28 knots of top speed. 

Medicane in Corsica 2022

A fierce storm with hurricane strong winds hit Corsica on the morning of Thursday eighteen August.  The worst hit was the West and Northern part of Corsica with winds reaching record speeds of 121 knots, this recorded at Marignana to the West of Corsica.  The same storm also hit the North Tyrrhenian sea particularly the region of Tuscany couple hours later.  Over five hundred boats and yachts received some damage, with about one hundred of these receiving extensive damage which made them unusable to use before repairs are done.  Some of these unusable boats and yachts also ended up beached or sank and are a wreck.  Six people where reported dead in Corsica with three dying in Italy because of the storm with one of these being related to boating. 

The 2022 Mediterrean Summer season was particularly hot, with sea temperatures reaching thirty degrees at the beginning of August, result is that a medium strong cold front ends turning in a Medicane, a Mediterrean Hurricane.  Storms like this has happened in the past, possibly of lower intensity, but it is also important to note that our weather reading has become much more precise and sophisticated in recent years.  Being in high season and Corsica a popular destination created the right dooms day environment for all this chaos to happen.  

A Mondomarine Arrow 50 is seen before sinking outside the Saint Florent marina.  Designed by Cichero the Mondomarine Arrow was released in 1984 first as 52 and then rebadged as 50.  The model was produced till 1992 with an Open version released on the same hull in 1987.

This eighties Raffaelli Middle Flying mt 12 was a lucky one at Saint Florent who ended starboard side on the South West breakwater of the harbor, while a sail boat unknowingly pulled him to the middle of the marina before the boat suffered further damage, and possibly a sinking. 

A Princess V53 is seen beached in Calvi the worst hit area with tens of boats, most of which sailing yachts finishing beached.  In Calvi most of the swing moorings failed with boats ending up hitting each other, with the end result being tens of boats and yachts damaged.

Another Calvi victim here a Beneteau Swift Trawler 34 ended in a difficult beaching, in between rocks and extensive damage to its bow.

Possibly this was the worst damage in a beach near Calvi where this Cranchi E52 F Evoluzione has separated from its upper deck and had its hull split in two.  Forward to this was also a beached Beneteau Antares 9.80.

An Absolute got some damage to starboard stern side when a classic sailing yacht broke its moorings in Marina di Carrara in Tuscany.  Important damage in Carrara also happened to dry stacked racing sail yachts, which flew off there cradle.  The World beating Maserati trimaran of Giovanni Soldini also sustained damage in this storm.

Classic Baglietto Ends Beached Near St. Florent

A classic Baglietto of eleven meters in length with one passenger onboard ended up beached with hull damaged being sustained in Plage de Ghignu, near to St. Florent in North Corsica, on Wednesday tenth August at 1725 hours.  Assistance is called with the two ships Conca D'Oru with six persons and Concarelle with two giving prompt assistance in order to refloat the vessel.  The floating gets complicated on the night, due to stronger winds and rough seas, but the operation was a success the day after with the classic cruiser being dry docked on the evening of eleven August.

This classic cruiser is the Baglietto Elba Mt 11.50 model produced from 1958 up to 1963 in 42 units.  The Elba was the smallest of the production Mediterranean Island series produced from 1958 till 1965 in five models up to 22 meters in size, and offered a five berth accommodation with two GM 210hp giving speeds up to thirty knots.  The Island series featured Baglietto anti-submarine naval vessels modified-Vee planning hull shape used during World War II, while traditional construction was used along new methods, with mahogany planking joined by marine plywood for the super structure. 

Five People Saved After Boat Collides in Lake Superior Break Wall

Five people where saved after a ten meter Carver aft cabin flybridge cruiser titled The Lost Anchor collided into the Minnesota side break wall in Lake Superior and sank on 22:50 hours of Tuesday ninth August 2022.  The Duluth Fire Department and St. Louis County Rescue responded to the call to save the five persons and one dog.  With the collision the Carver cruiser opened a hull breach and started sinking and was ultimately beached on the rocks inside the break wall. The Carver cruiser was salvaged with a crane the following day.

The Carver cruiser in this break wall collision is a 36 Aft Cabin as produced from 1990 to 92.  The Carver 36 Aft Cabin came out as replacement to the eight year produced 3607 Aft Cabin, evolving with little design improvements into the 370 Aft Cabin in 1993, and then replaced by the 355 Motor Yacht with sloop stern in the fall of 1995.  Medium sized aft cabin cruisers was a successful segment for Carver in the eighties and nineties.

Boat Collision in Argentario Leaves One Dead

A collision between a thirteen meter sport cruiser and a sailing boat of fourteen meters in length between Giglio island and Argentario, at about 1725 of 23 July, left one man dead, one lost woman, and four injured.  Immediate the assistance of the Coast Guard who departed Porto Santo Stefano with three boats, a team of scuba divers, and a helicopter from the Fire Fighting squad for a search and rescue operation.  The dead person is reported to have an age of 59 years named Andrea Giorgio Coen from Rome, with the four injured persons and lost sixty year old woman all being onboard the sailing boat being of Italian nationality.  One of the injured was in grievous conditions taken to the hospital of Grosseto.  The four young Danish man of 25 years old on the sport cruiser, are reported to be uninjured.  At one point the sailing yacht was sinking with some news reported it sank, but the yacht was saved and seized moored with the sport cruiser by the Coast Guard for inspection.  According to initial investigation the Fairline Sport Cruiser involved in the collision was running on autopilot at around thirty knots.

The sport cruiser in this collision is a Fairline Targa 43, designed by Bernard Olesinski this successful model was produced from 1997 till 2005 in about 300 units.  The Targa 43 offered an interior with two cabins sleeping four plus a convertible dinette, and was powered by twin Volvo 370hp as standard, optional 430hp, and or 480hp in line shafts. With the large engine option it reached speeds up to 35 knots.  The Targa 43 had only one modification in its production with 2003 onwards having a larger tender garage able to fit a small Williams Jet tender.  Fairline replaced the 43 with the 44 in 2007, its first not so successful entry into IPS powered boats. 

The sailing yacht in the collision is a Beneteau First 45F5 named Vahine.

Viking Sportfish Hits Reef and Partly Sinks

A Viking sportfish cruiser of about fourteen meters in length hit a reef and then ended up beached in Baja of Mexico on the morning of seventeen July.  In order to prevent it from total sinking the sportfish cruiser was beached.  Operation to lift off the sportfish cruiser where underway on the same morning.  News on this accident are few, apart four photo shots which appeared on Facebook.

The sportfish cruiser in this accident is a Viking 46 Convertible, which was introduced in 2010 and produced till 2019.  The Viking 46 offered a twin stateroom layout, and replaced the 45, and was replaced by the 48 in 2020. The 46 Convertible featured Viking's signature warp-V shape hull closing at a medium twelve degrees deadrise, and powered by twin Man 1100hp reaches speeds up to 34 knots.

Performance Cruiser Ends On Reef in Garda Lake

A ten meter sport cruiser with two persons onboard ended on top of the Altare reef, near the Garda Island to the South-West of Lake Garda, on the night of seventh July just after 2300 hours.  Immediate the assistance of the Lake Garda Coast Guard which deployed two craft, the new Rescuerunner designed for shallow waters operation and GC A58 boats for help.  The rescue operation was difficult on the night due to the bad weather conditions, with winds up to 25 knots which generated waves over one meters in height, and consistent rain making visibility tricky.  With a synergetic operation of the two boats, Rescuerunner retrieved the two persons from the ten meter sport cruiser who then later put them on GC A58.  After a medical check up both crew appeared in good health and where released. 

The sport cruiser in this accident is a Performance 1001.  Released in 2020 as an evolution of the 907 produced since the nineties, the 1001 was extended aft with the bathing platform and features a modified cockpit layout.  Accommodation is for four, with a double berth forward and a convertible dinette to starboard.  Performance as the title says are high performing sport-cruiser powerboat mix which offer with the large engine option always speed around fifty knots.

Italcraft Beached and Destroyed in Rome Beach

A eleven meter Italcaft classic motor cruiser named Masianello with two persons on board was beached on the sandy beach of Passoscuro, some nautical miles to the North of Fiumicino on the morning of Thursday seven July.  The boat left Fiumicino Fiumara river before her engines gave up and the boat ended up beached.  The classic flybridge cruiser was two days later on the morning of Saturday ninth June demolished, some say unfairly while other saying there was nothing much to do because part the wooden construction was weakened in a storm the previous night.  The Masianello was reportedly purchased in May by the current owner.

This  Italcraft is an X-33 model built in 1972.  Introduced in 1969, after two years of prototype testing the X-33 is somewhat a scaled down version of the X-44, offering a lower deck sleeping four; double Vee-berth forward and two bunk berths with separate cabin to starboard.  Sold in 42 units the X-33 was build of lamellar construction, glued plywood sheets with longitude and transverse reinforcements.  A sport open X-33 Diplomat version was also made selling in twenty units.  Deep-V hull fore to aft the X-33 was powered by twin diesels Perkins 160, 190hp or Aifo 220hp, and Chrysler petrol with line shaft propulsion. The X-33 was replaced by the innovative and fiberglass built 36 Aermar in 1976.

Italcraft was a pioneer in fast hull shapes, called the factory of dreams, building the first Deep-Vee boat in Europe, and being the first with the help of Renato Sonny Levi to introduce the Variable deep-Vee shape, propeller tunnels, and fixed surface drives in the seventies.  Other firsts by Italcraft include the first production boat built with Carbon and Kevlar fibers.

Classic Trojan Runs Aground in Hampton Bays

A nine meter flybridge cruiser with one person onboard ran aground to the West of Shinnecock inlet in Hampton Bays, on the morning of Saturday eighteen June.  The cruiser had a mechanical failure while on the route from Freeport to Hampton Bays, and while the captain was assessing the issue without dropping anchor the boat ended beached. The captain unharmed abandoned the boat when it beached, which later on that day was salvaged by a crew from Suffolk County Parks Department.  Southampton Town Bay Constables and New York State Department of Environmental Conversation found no sign of fuel spill.

The flybridge cruiser in this accident is a Trojan F32 Sedan, a successful top selling model from the US builder sold in over 2700 units from 1973 till 1992, with 20% of theses being the Express with open main deck, and three dozens in the different top-structure Sports Fisherman.  The accommodation in the F32 offers a forward double Vee berth, a galley to port, and a convertible dinette to starboard sleeping a total of four.  The F32 was powered by standard twin 225hp or 250hp Chryslers with line shaft propulsion, giving top speeds of just over 25 knots.

Flybridge Cruiser Sand Beaches in Malta

A ten meter Draco flybridge cruiser broke from its swing mooring and ended up sand beached on the morning of 27th May, in Mellieha beach in the North Western part of the Island of Malta.  The cause of beaching looks a failure of the swing mooring ropes from the seabed, caused by the moderate Eastern winds of about twenty knots.  The flybridge cruiser ended up beached in a sandy part of the beach, with damages being unknown.  Swing moorings are popular in Malta in the Summer season, for the reason they are cheaper to a marina mooring and offer lesser distance to the Northern part of the Island.  For example Mellieha is protected to most winds with the exceptions of the Eastern quadrant ones, which show up very little in the Summer months.

The Draco in this beaching is the 3400 Opal, presented in late 1990 on the Zircon platform presented earlier on the same year but with a flybridge super structure and different interior.  Designed by Hans J. Johnsen the 3400 was and is still today Draco largest ever made model.  Johnsen for the 3400 did a deep Vee design with a twenty degrees deadrise, and in the shaft V-drive version as available for the Opal featured shaft tunnels.  The Draco 3400 Opal offered a two cabins interior, a shower and a galley, with a saloon on the main deck.  Power options was twin Volvo 230hp with stern drives, or V-drive line shaft.

Flybridge Cruiser Ends Aground in Les Ecrehous Jersey

A nine meter Beneteau flybridge cruiser titled m/y Orianna ended aground and atop of the Ecrehous reef in Les Ecrehous, Jersey Island, to the South of the English Channel before 11:00 hours of the morning of Friday tenth September 2021.  RNLI Jersey Coast Guard safety vessels from St. Catherine and St. Helier sped to the scene, picking the crew who in the meantime where rescued by Seafaris, who was doing its daily patrol in the area.  The crew suffered minor injuries from the impact and where taken to the Jersey main land for assessment.  Later in the day with the tide going down the Beneteau flybridge cruiser became a social media sensation, as it set at about four meters above sea water level, even though the boat was never in danger of falling over as the below photo might make you think.  With high tide coming in the following day, the Beneteau motor cruiser was recovered and taken to Gorey Harbour for repairs.

The Beneteau flybridge cruiser in this grounding is an Antares 9 model.  Designed by Andre Beneteau, the Antares 9 offered a forward double berth cabin, with a galley living area which adds an extra double berth.  The Antares 9 was produced from 2003 to 2008 coming as a replacement to the 9.05, and replaced by the Sarazin designed 30 Antares in 2009.

Flybridge Cruiser Aground in Volga River

A Beneteau flybridge cruiser of about ten meters in length ended aground and then listed to its starboard side, in Togliatti on the Volga river, in Russia on the morning of 29 August. The causes of the accident are unknown. The Volga river is the longest water stream in Europe stretching from Central to Southern Russian and into the Caspian sea.

The Beneteau in this accident is an Antares 30 model produced from 2010 till 2016, to an inhouse design and interior by Sarazin.  The Antares 30 has interiors with two cabins, forward main cabin, second cabin with two bunks to port side, with a living all on the main deck.  The Antares 30 was standard powered by single 370hp engines with line shaft propulsion.  The model was also offered as the Antares 32 with twin 200hp engine installation, weighing about half a ton more, but being practically identical in exterior and interior layout. 

Pardo Sport Cruiser Aground in Ibiza

A Pardo centre console sport cruiser of thirteen meters in length, ended aground in Ibiza on the night-morning of the 27-28th August.  The cause of the accident are unknown, but in the photo it looks to be a captain helmsman error during navigation. The Pardo thirteen meter was salvaged a day after in a yard in Ibiza with important damage to its IPS drives, possibly totalled, and not breaking but visible fiberglass damage to its deep-Vee keel.  

The clean lined Pardo 43 designed by Zuccheri and launched in 2017 has been a huge success story from the start, with one hundred units being sold in less to a year since the launch of hull one.  The success was so huge that Pardo, who is famous and long standing with the Grand Soleil performance cruiser sailing yachts eventually launched a whole power line, today featuring five models.  The Pardo 43 offers a lower deck sleeping four, and a walk around deck usable from fore to aft with a centre console, and is powered by Volvo engines from 370 to 480hp with IPS pod propulsion.  

Not known to many is that this is Cantieri del Pardo Grand Soleil second try in producing motor boats, with the Italian company entering this part of the market with the Hudson and Ricci brand from 1989 to 1996 and help from Jim Wynn and Walt Walters of Magnum Marine fame, who designed the 40 sold in 45 units, and the 1994 to 96 produced 54 sold in five. 

Flybridge Cruiser Gets Knocked Off Its Stacks

A Fed Express van backed and collided with a dry stacked ten meter Bayliner flybridge motor cruiser on the morning of 27 August in a boat yard in Vancouver, British Columbia.  Thankfully this accident had minor consequences as the flybridge cruiser rear stacks just managed to hold the boat.  This could have been a much worse scenario if the collision would have been just a bit stronger and the boat dropping off its stacks and then hitting other boats creating a domino affect.  The Bayliner boat damage received a couple minor fiberglass cuts at the bottom of the hull with the collision. 

The Bayliner in this accident is a 3258 Avanti Flybridge model produced from 1995 to 2000.  The Bayliner 3258 Avanti Flybridge offered a lower deck sleeping four with a single head, and was standard powered by twin Mercruisers 250hp and optional 310hp gas engines with sterndrive. 

Linssen Explorer Cruiser Aground in Scilly Island

A fourteen meter Linssen explorer cruiser with two persons onboard ended aground in the Isles of Scilly, on the South West of Great Britain on the morning of Thursday eight July.  The St. Mary RNLI life boat was directed to the area to assist in the accident finding the two persons in safety onboard the tender of the explorer cruiser.  At around 1600 hours with high tide and assistance from a private boat and life boat, the explorer cruiser was re-floated and directed to Tresco Marina where it was reunited with its owner.

The Linssen in the accident is a 470 Grand Sturdy AC Mk.2, an inland water way cruiser with low draft but also offshore capable with its full displacement type hull. The 470 Grand Sturdy has interiors with two double cabins located to bow and aft, galley dining, and a saloon in the split lever raised area.  The 470 Grand Sturdy was offered with a single or twin engines, the standard being twin 150hp. The 470 Grand Sturdy AC Mk.II, was presented in 2006 with the main difference to the Mk.1 coming aft, now having a build in integrated bathing platform with stairway to both sides.  Linssen are a bit unique in there size for being build fully in steel.

Deadly Collision on Lake Como

Another deadly collision this time on Lake Como, on 25 June.  A Sea Ray cuddy cabin sport cruiser and a stationary sport boat resulted in the dead of a young 22 year old Italian male.  The accident dynamics reported say the Sea Ray cuddy cabin cruiser helmed by a 21 year old Belgian girl with ten friends onboard advancing at planning speeds, collided with a stationery sport boat which had three young Italian men sunbathing on it.  In the collision a young 22 year old lost his life.  The Belgian girl is currently under arrest for the accident accused of killing the young Italian male.

The boat in this accident looks to be a Sea Ray cuddy cabin sport cruiser of about seven meters, most likely a 240 Overnighter model. Sea Ray has build over the years thousands of these six to ten meters cuddy cabins cruisers, which are popular on medium to large sized lakes, or in areas where cruising grounds are relatively at a close distance.  The Sea Ray Overnighter series was produced from late eighties till the mid 2000s. 

Two Killed in Collision Hit and Run on Garda Lake

Two Germans killed two Italians, a 37 year old male and a 25 years old female in a collision hit and run which happened in the night of nineteen June on Lake Garda in the North of Italy, in the South West Salo part of the lake.  The accident has strange circumstances as the two Germans onboard the Riva Aquarama mahogany cruiser declared in the police interrogation to not even notice to have hit the launch boat and to have killed the two Italians, continuing with there affairs on the lake, and after this also returning to there homes in Bavaria Munich in Germany.  The Germans onboard the Riva cruiser are currently detained in a prison in Brescia.

The boat in this accident is a Riva Aquarama a model produced from 1962 till 1996 in five versions.  A total of 769 Aquarama's where build in its 34 years production run; including the limited edition only one made Lamborghini, the seven produced 22 centimeters longer and 8.7 meters long Lungo, the slightly longer and more powerful Super Aquarama launched in 1963, and the Aquarama Special which was produced 1972 to 96  and is easily recognizable thanks to its sloop stern.  The  Aquarama was developed on the Tritone, and like its predecessor was twin engine powered with line shaft propulsion, and depending on engines reached speed from forty to fifty knots. The Aquarama is the most regarded motor boat of all time thanks for it being incredibly beautiful, making it the preferred of many VIPs today but also in the sixties and seventies, and Riva using this to clever market the boat.  The Riva wooden runabouts sport cruisers, which started with the Corsaro in 1946 ended with the Aquarama Special in 1996 hull #749.  Five years later to the stop in production this heritage was reignited by Riva with the fiberglass Aquariva designed by Mauro Micheli, launched in 2001 and still produced today in the Super version. 

Beneteau Sport Cruiser Collides into Trawler

A Beneteau sport cruiser of thirteen meters in length collided into a trawler in Maruggio to the South East of the coast of Taranto, Italy on the morning of Saturday 29th May.  No one was hurt in the accident with the trawler vessel showing some damage to its stern port side area.  The local coast guard was called, but only to fill the claims for the damage as the sport cruiser managed to free itself by engaging astern.  In the initial declaration the sport cruiser helmsman declared of not seeing the fifteen meter trawler vessel hence he collided into it.  With the damage shown the sport cruiser was going at medium displacement speeds.

The Beneteau sport cruiser in the accident is a Monte Carlo 42 model.  Designed by Andreanni the Monte Carlo 42 was released in 2009 offering an interior sleeping six in two large cabins, and a convertible dinette.  The Monte Carlo 42 was powered by twin Volvo 370hp engines with stern drive propulsion, and was replaced by the near identical Flyer 44 Gran Turismo in 2011. 

Man Killed in Boat Collision Near Portisco, Sardinia

On Saturday 29th May late morning time at 1130 hours a Tiara sportfish cruiser of twelve meters in length collided on a sailing yacht, killing the 69 year old skipper and owner of the sail craft, and leaving in shock his wife.  In the impact the 69 year old Alberto was hit and later thrown in the water and cut by the propellers.  The accident happened in a location between Portisco and Porto Cervo, half a mile away from the coast, in the famous and busy in this time of the year Esmerald coast.  Nothing happened to the four crew members of the sportfish cruiser, who where later interrogated by the Olbia police.

The sportfish cruiser in the accident is a Tiara 3600 Open produced between 2004 and 09, and powered by twin Cummins 380hp with line shaft propulsion topping out a 32 knots top speed.  The Tiara 3600 Open offered an open plan cabin layout with a forward double queen berth, C-shaped dinette to starboard, and opposite galley.  A shower head was located on entry to the cabin deck to port side.  From 2010 onwards the 3600 while using the same hull was hugely modified on the upper structure with a sleeker design, and also came available with Volvo 370hp and IPS pod propulsion offer.

Princess Flybridge Cruiser Aground in River

A twelve meter Princess flybridge motor cruiser with three persons onboard ran aground on the 28th May 2021 in the Caloosahatchee River, Florida, USA.  Assistance was immediately provided by TowBoatUS Lake Okeechobee who upon arrival noticed the three persons suffering injuries.  The TowBoatUS captain took the passengers immediately to a nearby marina for medical assistance.  Salvage operation started the same day and took 24 hours to complete.  Cause of the accident for this Princess flybridge cruiser are unknown.

The Princess 420 was launched in the fall of 94 and as all new models onward from the eighties is a design of Bernard Olesinski.  The Princess 420 offered a two cabins two heads layout and was powered by twin Volvo 370hp or Cat 355hp engines with line shaft propulsion.  The model was produced till 97 after which in that year it was renamed as 430 with the change being that of an extended bathing platform, and produced like this for another year.  Following the 440 launched in 1993 and the 53 earlier in the same year, the 420 was Princess third model into a more Mediterranean Italian style of flybridge cruiser; see extended more spacious flybridge, windows that wrap around into the coach roof, and larger aft-deck for outside entertainment.