Boat Ends Aground in Unije

An eight meter traditional cruiser ended aground on the islet of Skojlic, just before Unije harbour in the night and morning of 23th June.  The dynamics of the accident are not reported, but this is a well marked area, with a high green marker, showing the island  before touching low water itself.  Removal and salvage operations of the traditional cruiser where being organized on Saturday morning.  This is the second accident in the area in less to a year when a classic twenty meter Baglietto motor yacht sank on the tenth August 2023 after hitting bottom.

The traditional cruiser in this accident is a Piculjan Rab 830 model.  Inspired to traditional Italian fishing boats with modern design elements the Rab 830 offers accommodation in a three plus two layout, and is powered by twin diesels from 165 up 265hp in line shaft propulsion reaching speeds up to thirty knots.  Piculjan is located on the island of Rab in Croatia and has been building boats since 1936.

Motorboat and Sailing Boat Collision in Croatia

A collision between a thirteen meter Prestige flybridge motor cruiser and a sailing boat occurred in Croatia on Sunday eighteen June. The dynamics are not reported with the motor boat receiving the most extensive damage to its port side, fiberglass and hull windows damaged, and the sailing boat having damage on its bow.  

The flybridge motor cruiser in this collision is a Prestige 460 Flybridge.  Released in 2017 replacing the 450, the Prestige 460 Flybridge is still in production and as all Prestige is designed by Garroni.  The Prestige 460 has a two cabins interior with an optional crew cabin, powered by twin Volvo 370 or 440hp engines with IPS pod drives, and is also available as S hard-top version without flybridge.

Sea Ray Boat Crashes Into Irondequoit Pier

An eight meter Sea Ray sport cruiser with one person onboard crashed into the pier of Irondequoit Bay, New York on 22:20 hours of Friday thirtieth June.  Monroe County Sheriff Office, US Coast Guard, Sea Breeze ambulance, and New York State Police responded to the call about the collision, with the sole person onboard taken to Strong Memorial Hospital for minor facial injuries. After receiving treatment the person onboard the vessel was arrested and charged for operating the boat intoxicated and without a boaters safety certificate.  The boat was removed the following morning by TowBoatU.S.

The Sea Ray in this collision is a 1998 to 2000 270 Sundancer.  Introduced as an evolution of the 1996 to 98 270, with sleeker lines and different stern giving a more spacious cockpit layout, but the same interior of six berths, and powered by single engine of about 300hp with stern drive.  The 270 Sundancer was replaced by the 280 Sundancer in 2001.

Tommy One Damages Propeller in Record Breaking Run

 

Renowned powerboat Tommy One and offshore racer Maurizio Schepici sustained damage to one of its propellers by hitting some sort of debris, while trying to make a new record for the Messina-Vulcano-Messina 65 nautical miles run, departing on 1700 hours of Friday ninth June.  The propeller damage was sustained just before the Vulcano island turn, with Tommy One slowing down in around twenty minutes into its run, which indicated that the previous 52 minutes record could have been reduced by about ten minutes.  The day after Tommy One was fitted with a new pair of propellers, albeit with a bit shorter pitch and made a new record to the Messina-Vulcano-Messina route at 45 minutes, a reduction of seven minutes to the previous time.

Tommy One is a Metamarine TNT 46 Corsa one of the most successful offshore powerboat machines, World Endurance champion in the no limit Evolution class in 2010, and 2004 in the speed limited SuperSport class. Based around a Fabio Buzzi hull and SeaTek diesel power, she has ever since evolved and modified and ultimately in 2011 was launched as a Metamarine TNT 48 Replica pleasure production version, and a limited 85 knots top speed possibility.

Beneteau Trawler Aground in Lynnhaven Inlet

A twelve meter Beneteau Swift Trawler titled m/y JiMaria with USA registry ended aground while entering Lynnhaven Inlet, Virginia Beach on the early evening of the fourth June. The Beneteau Swift Trawler was out of the standard channel route and entered an unmarked difficult to navigate area.  The Beneteau Swift Trawler was removed from the grounding area and taken for repairs on the ninth June.

The Beneteau 44 Swift Trawler in this grounding is a 2011 build unit.  Replacing the 42 ST aftaert a six years production run, and introduced in 2011 with  design from Joubert and Nouvelt for exterior and interiors by Frutschi, the 44 Swift Trawler was produced till 2019 in about five hundred units. The 44 was replaced by the smaller 41 Swift Trawler in 2019.

Invictus Collides into Salerno Harbour Break-Water

An eight meter Invictus sport cruiser with two persons onboard collided into the Eastern breakwater of the Salerno harbour on the night early hours of third June.  The causes of the collision are unknown, with the sport cruiser hitting the breakwater on starboard side while under navigation.  The sport cruiser was salvaged on the morning of fourth June, with a breach of over two meters in length and about half meter in beam showing onto its starboard side. 

The Invictus sport cruiser in this collision is a GT280, the first model released in 2014 and still produced as at today.  Designed by Invictus designer Christian Grande the GT280 offers an accommodation for two berths and is powered by a 350hp engine with stern drive propulsion.  An outboard GT280 S version is also available.  Invictus has been a success story since debuting in 2014, thanks to its modern looks and luxury car inspired finishes.

Sea Ray Sports Cruiser Ends Aground in Lake Barkley

A twelve meter Sea Ray sport cruiser titled m/y Mama Tried ended aground and beached in lake Barkley on the 29 May.  The causes of the grounding are not reported, though lack of attention during navigation in a delicate spot should be a prime suspect.  This grounding occurred in a tight spot which unites Lake Barkley with Kentucky Lake.  On the second June the m/v Tina Michelle recovered the vessel by towing her back in the water the way it came in, with the sport cruiser being lucky not to have sustained any serious hull damage, probably also for the mud terrain in the area more then other things.

The Sea Ray in this grounding is a 400 Express Cruiser produced from 1992 to 1999.  Coming as a replacement of the 390 EC from 1984 to 91, the 400EC offered a two cabins interior, and was powered by Mercruiser gas or Cat diesel engines of 350hp on line shafts for top speeds up to thirty knots.  In 1994 the 400 Express Cruiser had the kite style windows replaced by three port holes. The 400 EC was replaced by the 410 Express Cruiser in 2000.

Collision in Sorrento Gulf Leaves One Injured

A collision between a fourteen meter Azimut flybridge cruiser and a twenty meter motor yacht happened near Torre Annunziata in the Sorrento Gulf, to the South of Naples, Italy on the afternoon of Tuesday 23 May leaving one person injured.  The dynamics of the incident are not reported, with the fourteen meter Azimut flybridge cruiser doing engine sea trials at the time of the collision.  Unconfirmed reports are saying that both boats where at planning speeds on collision with the Azimut flybridge cruiser receiving extensive damage to starboard, punctured inside in the upper part.  The larger yacht had damage on the bow, with the forward bulwark twisted by the impact. 

The boats in this collision is the popular Righini designed Azimut AZ46 Quartantsei a model which debuted in the fall of 1996 and was produced till 2008, sold in a record five hundred units including the updated Evolution version of the last three years.  The 21 meter motor yacht with the bow damage is a Benetti Sail Division 72 from 1999 refitted in 2020.  

Silverton Runs Aground in Coeymans Hollow

An eleven meter Silverton sport cruiser ran aground at Coeymans Hollow on the Hudson River on the morning of eleven May.  A resident of the area, the spots where difficult to see because at the time of grounding it was high tide.  Unfortunately it got worse for the Silverton cruiser as when trying to pull out in reverse it also blew one engine.  According to reports the Silverton was just launched some minutes prior and was doing sea trials.  

The Silverton in this grounding is a 34 Express second version produced from 1990 to 94.  The Silverton 34 Express offered an interior with a double berth forward and a dinette to port side sleeping four and was powered by twin Crusaders 330hp on V-drive shafts as standard. The original Silverton 34 Express debuted in 1987, with this updated version adding an integrated bathing platform aft.

EF2 Tornado Hits Palm Beach

A severe storm with thunderstorms, hail large as small balls, and a powerful tornado hit Palm Beach Gardens, a South Florida city about 75 miles North from Miami on the late afternoon of Saturday 28 April.  At Harbour Isles residence to the North of Sanctuary Cove a nine meter motor boat was lifted and turned upside down, with other nearby yachts sustaining damage, and one partially sinking.  A video on one of the local news showed a nineteen meter motor yacht which teared down its mooring and was causing havoc in the area.  The Tornado reached speeds up to 120 knots, called EF2 condition and apart boats and yachts it destroyed trees, damaged homes, and flipped over cars in its path.  According to the reports this Palm Beach tornado left no victims, but a man was hospitalized grievously injured after being thrown away by the tornado in the Harbour Isles area.

The upside down motor yacht is a Tiara 3100 Coronet, with an Azimut 50 also sustaining some damage, while the yacht which broke its mooring was a Hatteras 64 Motor Yacht. A Viking 42 Open also ended up partly sank after damaging its aft part of the hull with impacts to the dock.

Fast MTI Catamaran Crashes in Tickfaw River

A fourteen meter fast catamaran with five persons onboard crashed while navigating on Tickfaw River, in Livingston, Louisiana at 17:30 hours of Sunday sixteen April.  The fast power catamaran had five persons on board with two being hurt but not grievously injured in the collision.  Eye witnesses reported that the boat changed direction suddenly finishing aground and taking with her several trees for a distance of about thirty meters before stopping.  A good passing by Samaritan who saw the accident loaded the five occupants and took them to Livingston Parish for assistance where Wildlife and Fisheries agents and an ambulance where waiting.

The power catamaran in this accident is a MTI Powerboats 48 Pleasure model.  Produced since 2016 the MTI 48 Pleasure offers an accommodation for two persons and depending on power can reach speeds up to 147 knots. Founded in 1998 Marine Technologies Inc or as is known MTI Powerboats has taken the fast powerboat market by storm in the last decade first with its fast catamarans and in recent years also with its mono-hull stepped Vee center consoles which where introduced in 2014.  

Monterey Ends on Rocks in Haulover Inlet

An eleven meter Monterey sport cruiser ended colliding in the rocks while entering Haulover inlet during the night of 27 February.  Miami Dade Police, the Fire Department, and Tow Boats assisted the sport cruiser who seemed to have only one person onboard at the time of the collision.  With assistance from Tow Boat the sport cruiser was later escorted to a boat yard for repairs.  All the event after the collision was filmed by Haulover Inlet YouTube channel, video linked in comments.  Haulover Inlet has become in recent years a social media sensation with a handful of YouTube channels filming boats going in and out of the famous channel which leads to the Atlantic ocean.  This is not the first time a boat collided in the channel, although she might be one with the most damages and bigger in size of recent times.

The Monterey in this collision is a 360 Sport Coupe produced from 2014 to 2018.  A Euro looking hard top sport cruiser the 360 Sports Coupe offered interior with a two plus two accommodation layout, and was powered by twin petrol gas engines from 300 up to 380hp with stern drives propulsion.  Monterey replaced the 360 SC with the 378 SS which used the same hull.

Classic Riva Sinks in Sapri

A ten meter classic Riva flybridge motor cruiser sank while in her berth in Sapri yacht marina, to the South of Naples in Italy on the morning of Wednesday 22 February.  The Riva classic cruiser was unattended at the time of sinking and according to some reports had the bilge pumps going on for quite some days, before energy ended and power faded which led to its sinking.  

The Riva in this sinking is a Portofino 34 model produced between 1976 to 79 in 38 units.  Sharing hull with the longer produced Summertime 34 the Portofino was a nice mix of sportfish influence to those of a sport cruiser, with an open main deck and a double berth with head lower deck.  Powered by twin 350hp gas or 225hp diesels the Portofino 34 reached 35 and 29 knots top speeds respectively.

Two Men Die from Carbon Monoxide Poison

Two men where found dead on a five meter sport cruiser titled m/y Emma Louise poisoned by carbon monoxide, in Port Hamble on the night of January eleven.   The two men; 44 year old William Traynor and his brother Martin Stevenson where found unconscious in the covered cockpit of the sport cruiser the following twelve January morning at 10:30 hours.  The two men where reported travelling from there homes in Slough to spend two nights onboard on January ten.  Leaving the engine on in order to generate power, including of which was a portable radiator.  Unfortunately the engine also generated carbon monoxide build up, with marina staff finding the two men dead after the wife of William was not getting an reply to her repeated phone calls on that morning.  The engine of the boat was still running when the marina staff arrived on the scene.

Carbon Monoxide dead is not so uncommon as one might think with five persons reported dead in the same way in the last decade.  Carbon Monoxide is near to impossible to detect also because it is colourless, odourless, and tasteless, therefore boaters are advised to install a CO alarm and always leave a minimum of ventilation.

This sport cruiser is a mid nineties produced Fletcher 18 GTS.  This five meter sport cruiser offered a double berth forward and is powered by a single petrol gas engine with stern drive propulsion usually of about 150hp.

Eighty Boats Destroyed in Marbella Boat Storage Fire

Over eighty boats from five to twelve meters in size where destroyed and or severely damaged in a boat storage facility fire which broke out at around 1900 hours of Wednesday eleven January, at La Bajdilla in Marbella, South East of Spain.  Thirty fire fighters fought the fire which was controlled in about two hours, this reported under control at 2100 hours of the same evening.  The causes of the fire are unknown, although unconfirmed reports are saying it started in an unattended warehouse workshop adjacent to the facility.

The La Bajdilla boat storage facility belongs to the Marina Marbella Group, a boat and yacht dealer with operations in Spain, United Kingdom, and Portugal, founded in 1965 by two Swede brothers Lars and Goran Sundberg. Today Marina Marbella is still owned by the Sundberg family and is distributor for the following six brands; Sea Ray, Frauscher, Wajer, Sessa, Solaris Power, and Filippetti.

Sardinia Fire Destroys Five Boats

A fire which started on a twelve meter flybridge cruiser on Eastern pontoon of the Frigiano yacht marina in Castelsardo, to the North of Sardinia at around 0430 hours of Tuesday six December destroyed and sank four other boats, and damaged two, one which has extensive damage.  The first notice of the fire was reported by a group of fisherman who immediately advised the Sassari police, which called the Civil Protection and Fire Fighting squad.  Two fire engines where called on the scene.  The acting inquiry on the case has inspected the marina cameras, which from initial investigation looks that a short circuit on a twelve meter flybridge cruiser started the fire. No one was injured in the fire.  The same marina had a similar big fire back in 2013 which destroyed eleven boats.

Some of the wrecked boats in this fire are a late eighties Ferretti 36 Altura, and a Piantoni 45 Fantasy.  The damaged boats are a Bavaria 37 Sport, and a Sciallino 40 Fly.

Sport Cruiser Explodes in Malta Marina

A nine meter sport cruiser exploded while in its berth at the Malta Creek Marina in Ta Xbiex, on Thursday November seventeen at about 1700 hours local time.  The nine meter sport cruiser was reported exploding during ignition of its petrol gas engines.  The quick intervention of the Creek Marina crew quickly controlled the fire generated from the explosion, with no injuries being reported, and zero damage to nearby boats. The Marina crew where later assisted by Malta's fire fighting crew with two fire engines, and an ambulance.

The sport cruiser in this small explosion is a Bavaria 29 Sport, produced by the German boat builder from 2003 up to 2007.  The unit which exploded is from 2006 powered by twin gas 225hp Volvo engines with stern drive propulsion. The Bavaria 29 Sport was replaced by the 30 Sport in mid 2007 with the new model extended in length and offering an aft deck with a mini sun-pad.

Flybridge Cruiser Ends Beached in Livorno Harbour

A nine meter flybridge cruiser ended up beached in Livorno on the morning of Sunday sixth November.  The flybridge cruiser reportedly lost power to both its engines with the wind pushing it on the beach.  The coast guard gave immediate assistance to the passengers onboard the flybridge cruiser taking them to safety.  Later in the day a rib tried to tow away the flybridge cruiser with no success. 

This beached flybridge cruiser is a Piantoni Ondazzurra 9.50 mt produced from 1985 to 1990, it was a project made in house by the Bergamo builder which had success in the eighties, and shared hull with the sports Onda Blu.  The Piantoni Ondazzurra offered a two cabins layout with single head and living and galley on the main deck, and was powered by twin Volvo 175hp with stern drives in the first year, and later units getting the 200hp, reaching speeds up to thirty knots.  Piantoni sold over one hundred units of the Ondazzurra and Onda Blu, which today is still a wanted used boat, due to the generous accommodation, sea worthy hull, and strong construction.

Flybridge Cruiser Ends on Reef in Procida

A twelve meter flybridge cruiser ended on a reef in the Island of Procida on the afternoon of first November.  The flybridge cruiser ended beached to the West of Procida near Punta Serra and Pozzo Vecchio.  In late afternoon a Coast Guard rib boat was trying to pull tow away the cruiser with no success.

The flybridge cruiser in this accident is Hudson Ricci 40 produced from 1989 to 1992 in 36 units in two versions.  This Hudson Ricci 40 is the second version called poppa lunga, long stern produced from 1990 to 92 in seventeen units.  The Hudson Ricci 40 was designed by Fred Hudson, hull shape by Jim Wynn and Walt Walters, and interiors by Macchi and Roseo. The Hudson Ricci 40 offered a two cabin interior with a rare to find three cabins option with galley up and a third single berth cabin to starboard.  Power came from twin Cat 380hp with the last three hulls powered by the 420hp.  

Hudson and Ricci was Cantieri dell Pardo famous its Grand Soleil sailing cruisers and yachts motor boat brand born in 1988 and continued till 1997 producing two models in that time, the 40 and the 54 from 1993.  Pardo will return to motorboat production again in 2017 starting with the 43 sport cruiser walkaround and today expanded to six models from eleven to 23 meters.

Stormy Weather Takes Bayliner Boat Aground in Port Townsend

A nine meter Bayliner sport cruiser ended aground during stormy weather which hit the East Jefferson County on Tuesday 25 October.  The Bayliner was swing moored in Port Townsend Boat Heaven, and ended on top of the breakwater of the US Army Corps of Engineers.  The sport cruiser was reported unattended, with no injuries being reported for this grounding. 

The Bayliner in this grounding is a a 3150 Conquest as produced from 1978 till 1980, with the model evolving into the 3250 Conquest in 1981.  The Bayliner Conquest was a sport cruiser ahead of its time, and an important stepping stone in creating the medium sized sport cruiser which dominated the thirty to forty foot US market in the eighties and nineties.