Flybridge Cruiser Goes Down in Boston Harbor

A twelve meter flybridge cruiser with four persons onboard, two men and two women started sinking after hitting Quarantine Rocks off the North side of Peddocks Island in Boston Harbor around 16:30 hours of Sunday 23 July.  Massachusetts state Police Marine unit responded to the call of the flybridge cruiser helmsman with two officers and Marine Vessel 26 which was in patrol in the area, saving the four persons just as they jumped in the water for safety.  The four boaters where later transported to Charlestown Marina with one of the four boaters having a minor laceration injury being evaluated by Boston EMS.  The flybridge cruiser damage was a ripped port-side strut and one foot square hole, with Towboat US patching it, rigging it with half a dozen floating bags and towing her to Marina Bay for an emergency haul out. 

The flybridge cruiser in this sinking is a Maxum 4100 SCB produced from 1998 to 2002.  The Maxum 4100 SCB offers an accommodation of two cabins and was powered by twin Cummins 370hp for a top speed up to thirty knots.  Maxum was founded in 1987 by Brunswick as a bridge brand between the entry level Bayliner and up market Sea Ray.  Brunswick closed Maxum in 2009 and moved its production to Meridan only for it to close also this company in 2016.

Sport Cruiser Catches Fire in Coconut Grove Marina Florida

A twelve meter sport cruiser reportedly unattended went on fire while berthed at 2550 South Bayshore Drive, Coconut Grove, Florida at about 21:30 hours of Friday 21 July.  Miami fire rescue responded to the fire, and managed to control it in less to hour.  A delicate operation also because the sport cruiser was berthed near Monty Raw Bar Restaurant.  No one was injured from the flames, with the fire fighters also controlling the fire and stopping it from spreading to other boats and the nearby restaurant.  An investigation is under way to what caused the fire what seems to have started in the engine room, and then spreading upwards.

The boat in this fire is a Cruisers 390 Sports Coupe, a model the USA boat builder produced from 2007 to 11.  The 390 Sports Cruiser offered a three part hard-top main deck, with an open plan lower deck sleeping up to six, and was powered by Yanmar's 380hp on V-drives or Volvo 370hp with IPS pod drives.  The 390 Sports Coupe came out as a replacement to the 370 Express and was replaced by the Cruisers 41 Cantius in 2011.

Princess Flybridge Goes Aground Then Sinks Under Tow

A twelve meter Princess flybridge motor cruiser under Malta flag and with a Maltese couple onboard ended aground on the night of fourteen July at around 23:00 hours in Cava d'Aliga, about seven nautical miles to the East of Marina di Ragusa in the South of Sicily.  Some reports are stating the flybridge cruiser was directed to Marina di Ragusa but due to an engine or equipment failure ended aground.  On the day after, Saturday fifteen August an operation was started to move the flybridge cruiser, and tow for repairs to Marina di Ragusa, only for it to mostly sink in eight meters of water while under towing at around 15:00 hours.   

The Princess flybridge cruiser in this sinking is a 40 model produced from 1997 to 2003 to a Bernard Olesinski design. The Princess 40 features a two cabins layout, and was powered by Volvo 370hp engines.  The 40 was a good success for Princess selling around two hundred units in a five year production run and was replaced by the even more successful 42 in 2003.

Ten Boats Burned in Marseille Marina Fire

A fire in Estaque Marina in Marseille on Tuesday 27 June at about 1430 hours burned ten small boats from five to about eight meters in length.  Fifty fire fighters, sixteen fire engines, and two fire fighting boats from Marseille rushed to the scene to control the flames which they managed to extinguish at 18:00 hours.  Of the ten boats, six are totally burned, with the other four having fire damage.  Three boons where deployed around the fire area and damaged boats in order to contain pollution.

Estaque Marina is located to North West of Marseille, about four nautical miles by sea and ten kilometres of road distance from the sea side city.

Sportfish Cruiser Ends Aground in Cape Hatteras

An eight meter express sportfish cruiser titled m/y Carol-Ina with four persons onboard ended aground in Outer Banks Beach, North Carolina's Cape Hatteras, right outside Hatteras Village on the early evening of Sunday eighteen June.  The Carol-Ina apparently lost power just 150 meters outside the breakers of the area, with the captain trying to hold her offshore on anchor, but with the wind and sea state failed, and unfortunately for the express sportfish ending beached in the Outer Banks.  The owner of Carol-Ina is currently working with the US Coast Guard in order to salvage and remove Carol-Ina from Outer Banks beach.

The Carol-Ina is a fully custom made Virginia Homemade boat with hull number starting with VAZ and build in 1979.

Classic Alfamarine Bronte Sinks in Ravenna Beach

A twelve meter Alfamarine sport cruiser with five persons onboard semi-sank in the early hours of Sunday eighteen June in Lido di Dante, Ravenna.  The sport cruiser is reported to have hit one of the artificial man made reefs created for protecting the beach and sand from rough seas and storms.  The five passengers onboard the sport cruiser used the life raft to drop off the sport cruiser and go on the beach for safety. On Sunday morning the fire fighting diving squad inspected the sport cruiser for fuel or any pollution leaks, with none being reported.  An operation to remove and salvage the Sport Cruiser was being organized.

The Alfamarine in this sinking is the 40 Bronte S model designed by Franco Harrauer and Renato Sonny Levi and produced from 1976 to 88.  Alfamarine first model was also offered in two other versions; Motoryacht with flybridge, and Fisherman with a lowered stern, and two propulsion choices of Levi surface drives and line shafts.  The Alfamarine 40 Bronte will sell in 146 units in an eleven year production run, with a shorter hulled 35 released in 1985.  Alfamarine will take six years to replace the Bronte, when in 1994 it releases the Fabio Buzzi designed 43 model.

Unattended Flybridge Cruiser Sinks in Grado

An attended eleven meter flybridge cruiser partly sank in Grado, in the Northern part of the Adriatic sea on the morning of fifteen June.  The flybridge cruiser was reported to uncared and near abandoned status for some time, with marina users reporting the danger of a sinking to the management.  Grado is a sea-side town village located just in the middle between Venice and Trieste, and in the region of Friuli-Venezia-Giulia.  The sea-side town boasts four busy marinas because of the not far away distance from the Croatian and its hundred of islands coast.

The boat in this sinking looks to be a Dellapasqua Carnevali 11 from the seventies.  These boats where usually build with a fiberglass hull and wood super structure, and powered by Ford or GM diesel engines with line shaft propulsion.

Tiara Collides into Semi-Submerged Object and Sinks

A fourteen meter Tiara sport cruiser with two people onboard titled m/y Floating Doc, sank while hitting a semi-submerged object off the coast of Fortescue, New Jersey on the morning of Saturday 27 May.  With the impact the sport cruiser had its hull penetrated to bow starboard, and after calling for assistance, the two crew started an operation to cover the hole and slow water ingress.  Later on the two crew where assisted by the Delaware Bay sector Coast Guard first by the eight meter Small-II, who after assisting in the dewater attempts failed took the crew to safety.  Later on a thirteen meter response Coast Guard boat arrived on the scene trying again in saving the sport cruiser, with no success as this capsized and sank in about five meters of water.  The Tiara sport cruiser was recovered on the 31st May by Sea Tow Cape May.  

Floating Doc is a Tiara 4700 Sovran.  A hard-top sport cruiser first released as 4400 Sovran in 2003, and updated with a larger bathing platform in 2007 as 4700 for its last two years of production.  The Tiara 4700 Sovran offered an interior with two cabins and was powered by Cummins 670hp or 715hp with line shaft propulsion for speeds in the low thirties. The 4700 was replaced by the 4500 Sovran in the fall of 2010.

Beneteau Swift Trawler Sinks in Otranto

A twelve meter Beneteau Swift explorer cruiser with two Russians onboard sank after hitting a reef in Orte, Salento, to the South of Otranto on the afternoon of Friday nineteen May.  The Beneteau Swift trawler was reported as just leaving Otranto harbour direction to Amalfi where for a reported autopilot malfunction ended on the reefs of Orte and later sank.  The two Russian crew saved themselves jumping on the tender of the explorer cruiser, rescued later by Otranto Guardia Costiera.  After the rescue the Otranto Ports Authority sent a diver to inspect the area for any fuel and environmental damage, with no damages reported.

The explorer cruiser in this sinking is a Beneteau Swift Trawler 41 Fly.  Debuting in the first half of 2019 to a design of Andreani and Beneteau's technical department, the Swift 41 offers an accommodation with two cabins sleeping four and is powered by twin Volvo 270 or optional 300hp engines on line shafts propulsion.  Still in production today the Beneteau Swift Trawler 41 is also offered in a no flybridge Sedan version which debuted in the fall of 2019.

Sport Cruiser Capsizes With Crane in Baia Naples

An eleven meter Rio sport cruiser capsized along with the crane during launch operation in Baia, to the West of Naples, Italy on the morning of sixth April.  The causes of the accident are not fully reported though some photos on social media point to the accident caused to the forward left crane foot not correctly positioned.  The crane and the sport cruiser where recovered on the evening of the same day.  The Rio sport cruiser sustained important damage to its hard-top and starboard upper hull structure.

The Rio in this accident is a 36 Air which the North Italian builder presented in 2009.  The Rio 36 Air was also available as an Art without the hard-top version and replaced the 35 Cruiser in 2008. The 36 Art features a four plus two interior and twin 320hp Mercruiser diesel engines gave speeds up to 37 knots. The Rio 36 was replaced by the Marino Alfani designed 38 Parana in 2015 which is still in production today.

Lake Hubbard Fire Burns Down Three Boats

A big fire at Chandler Landings marina, in Lake Ray Hubbard, Rockwall, Dallas, Texas at about 1730 hours of Monday thirtieth January is reported to have burned and totalled three boats, and extensively damage to two others.  Forty fire fighters from Rockwall and Dallas Fire-Rescue and two other agencies where dispatched to the area to control the flames, which took a few hours to take off, due to the weather and difficult location.  No one was reported injured in the fire, with an investigation being under way to establish the cause.  

Of the boats in the fire in the above picture we can spot the following from left to right; late nighties Sea Ray 400 Sundancer, Tiara 3200 Open, and a Four Winns 328 Vista.

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.

Abandoned Sport Cruiser Sinks

A nine meter classic Bayliner sport cruiser who was left moored on the North Shore of the Allegheny River, in Pittsburgh since end of Summer partially sank following an ice and snow storm on the 28 December 2022.  Residents from the area said the boat arrived during the Summer time, and unlike the other boats who come in the nice weather season remained on the spot.  An end December cold crunch and snow storm, with temperatures going down to minus twenty degrees Celsius, partially sank the boat, as when the ice defrosted it became water which entered its bilges and hull.  

After the storm Pittsburgh authorities have been trying to contact the ownership since early January who was not interested in salvaging the partly sank boat.  Becoming a huge eye soar the Sports and Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County finally intervened, and on 28 March at 1300 hours local time removed the boat from the spot.

This Bayliner in this part sinking is a 3150 Conquest, as produced from 1978 till 1980, with the model evolving into the 3250 Conquest in 1981.  The Conquest was a sport cruiser which was ahead of its time when it debuted, and important in creating the medium sized express cruiser which dominated the sub fifty foot market in the eighties and nineties.

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.

Trawler Takes Out Dingle Marina

A French Trawler titled m/v The Bikain collided with a Dingle Marina pontoon in Farrannakilla South West Ireland, while going astern on the afternoon of Friday 25 November.  The Bikain apparently got stuck in reverse hitting the Dingle Marina pontoon and damaging half a dozen boats in the process including of which is a thirteen meter Botnia Targa.  This Botnia Targa traditional cruiser was totalled with the collision; partly sank, stern cut off, and capsized on its starboard side.  She is now unfortunately a salvage for parts.

The Botnia Targa in this accident is a 42 model, which the Finish boat builder produced from 2004 to 2008.  Botnia's flagship at launch the Targa 42 offers accommodation for four in two separate areas and was powered by twin Volvo 370hp with stern drives for top speeds up to 34 knots.  The Targa 42 evolved in the 44 model in 2007, with a renewed stern which gave a larger engine room and IPS propulsion option.

Hurricane Ian

Hurricane Ian is the ninth named storm and fourth hurricane of 2022.  Ian originated from a tropical wave which formed on 19 September on Windward Islands before moving to the Caribbean sea where it brought wind and heavy rain to the ABC Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, and North coasts of Venezuela and Columbia on September 21-22 where it became a storm.  As it neared the Cayman Islands Ian reached hurricane grade three hitting Cuba, Southern East gulf of Mexico, and Dry Tortugas.  As it entered into Florida on 28 September Hurricane Ian hit high end grade four status, causing tremendous damage to South-West Florida especially to the cities of Fort Myers and Naples. After this damage Hurricane Ian returned to the Atlantic Ocean where it weakened for a couple of hours to a tropical storm, where it has returned to a Hurricane Two status touching the Carolinas on October one.  Hurricane Ian dissipated on second October. Hurricane Ian has killed at least 88 people, and has displaced over forty thousand.  Ian is considered the fifth deadliest storm to have hit the United States of America mainland, with sustained 75 gusting to ninety, and peaking 134 knots winds, with its heavy flooding and storm surge causing billions of US dollars in damage.

Hurricane Ian caused damage to over a hundred of boats and yachts, to what is the most boat and yacht rich state in the United States and the World; Florida.  Pictured above is the Legacy Marina in Fort Myers, so far the worst reported extensive single area damaged.  Other damage is also reported in Venice, Florida and all the canals and small marina around the area of Fort Myers. 

Sport Cruiser Beached and Destroyed in Fire Island

A twelve meter sport cruiser was beached in Great South Bay, Old Inlet, Fire Island, on the evening of eight September.  Reports are saying the sport cruiser was just repowered and on a trip from Freeport to Montauk, before the captain noticed he was taking on water and seeing a breach in the hull decided to beach the sport cruiser.  Unfortunately with the ocean being rough on the day and breaking waves hitting the sport cruiser, it received destructive damage.  Fortunately no environmental hazard was made as Park Rangers pumped out the diesel from the boat on tenth September.

The sport cruiser in this beaching is a Trojan 12 Meter Express. A popular sport cruiser when released in 1987 the 12 Meter Express was designed by Lancaster and featured Trojan patented Delta Conic hull.  The 12 Meter Express offered an open plan layout sleeping seven and was offered in the more spacious flybridge Convertible and Motor Yacht variants.  The 12 meter Express was replaced by the Fulvio de Simoni designed Trojan 440 in 1994.

Boats Explosion in Daytona Beach Injures Four

A ten meter sport cruiser exploded and burned injuring four at Halifax Harbor Marina, Daytona Beach on the afternoon of Sunday 21 August.  Fire fighters where called to assist to the boat fire on 1315 hours, which injured four, of which one woman age fifty in critical condition air lifted to Orlando hospital.  The sport cruiser exploded when the owner after refueling went to ignite the engine.  The explosion is reported coming from vapors build up in the engine room, a common occurrence in gas powered boats.  The owner of the boat did report of having them on before igniting the engines.

The sport cruiser in this explosion and fire is a Wellcraft 3200 St.Tropez.  A successful model from Wellcraft the 3200 St. Tropez was produced from 1984 to 1989 and offered a comfortable open layout interior sleeping four.  Usually powered by twin gas engines from 260 up to 330hp, the 3200 St.Tropez had a design update for a sloop integrated bathing platform bolted in the stern to models after 1987.

Flybridge Cruiser Goes on Fire in Hudson River

A fourteen meter Jeanneau flybridge cruiser with seven persons onboard caught fire on Saturday 20 August just before 1530 hours off West 72nd street on the Hudson River.  A nearby boat rescued the seven occupants of the flybridge cruiser before the New York Police Department boat arrived to the scene.  The  marine and lands fire fighting units arrived later to the accident trying to extinguish the fire, to no avail with the flybridge cruiser ending sinking.  According to initial reports the fire started from the lower cabin deck area.  No one was injured in the fire with the yacht being recovered three days later.

The Jeanneau in this fire is a Prestige 46 Flybridge, a model the French boat builder produced from 2002 to 2009 and designed by Garroni.  Flagship of Jeanneau Prestige range at launch the 46 offered three double cabins accommodation with an optional crew cabin aft, and was powered by twin Volvo 430hp, with optional 480hp and or Cummins 500hp coming in 2006.  The Jeanneau Prestige 46 evolved and was replaced by the Prestige 50 in the fall of 2008, although these models did make a year sharing production.

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.