Formula Sport Cruiser Beaches and Sinks in Lake Ozarks

An eleven meter Formula sport cruiser with two persons onboard ended on top of the underwater reefs near Lodge of the Four Seasons in Lake Ozarks on the late afternoon of Friday May 27.  The Formula sport cruiser for an unknown reason ended on top the well marked with two markers dangerous reef.  Unfortunately some hours later the sport cruiser sank, and in the morning turned upside down first near a marina and later driven by the current in a nearby beach, where it was secured to not remain a semi-sinking navigational hazard.

The Formula in this accident is a 35 PC model, produced from 1986 to 1989 to a design of John Adams, Formula head designer since 1971.  The 35 PC has an interior sleeping six in an open plan layout with a double berth forward and two convertible areas, and was standard powered by twin Mercuiser 340hp on V-drive shafts which gave top speeds up to thirty knots.  The Formula 35 PC was replaced by the 36 PC in 1990.

Two Men Saved from Boat Fire Near Melbourne

Two men where saved from a thirteen meter flybridge cruiser which went up in flames just over one nautical miles from St. Kilda shoreline, Port Phillip Bay, near Melbourne on 12:10 hours of Wednesday 24 May.  Fire rescue Victoria assisted the boat with a fire suppression vessel, while the two men onboard, a 61 and a 59 year old, who tried to suppress the smoke coming from the engine room, abandoned ship, and after about fifteen minutes in the water where rescued and collected by a military rib who was conducting a training exercise in nearby Williamstown.  The fire was extinguished by about 12:45 hours although the flybridge cruiser was burned down to the waterline at this stage and sank.  The coast guard, border force, and a hospital helicopter also responded to the fire.  According to the initial investigation the fire was triggered from the engine room with a possible mechanical failure igniting it.

The flybridge cruiser in this fire is a Carver 444 Cockpit Motor Yacht which entered in production in 2001 and was produced till 2007.  Based on the 396 Motor Yacht with the addition of an aft cockpit, the 444 Cockpit Motor Yacht offered a spacious layout with two fore and aft staterooms, and is powered by twin Cummins 370hp diesels on shafts for speeds up to 25 knots.  The 444 Cockpit Motor Yacht received a visual updated to its windows in 2005 and was replaced by the Carver Sojourn 44 in 2008.

Three Saved from Sinking Flybridge Boat Off Key West

A twelve meter flybridge cruiser with three persons onboard sank while cruising nine miles North off Fleming Key, an island off the North West corner of Key West, Florida on the early morning of Saturday eighteen February 2023. US Coast Guard responded to the sinking call, saving the three persons, with one of the persons reporting a head laceration injury and transferred to medical services when on land.  The cause of incident is under investigation, and it is not reported if the flybridge cruiser was salvaged or not.

The boat in this sinking is a Sessa Fly 40 as designed by Christian Grande and released in 2012.  Sessa was a brand in expansion in the end of the noughties decade, launching its first flybridge yacht the Fly 54 in 2009, which was followed by smaller 45 and then this 40 model.  The Fly 40 evolved into Fly 42 model in 2019.

Stolen Boat Capsizes in Columbia Oregon

A fourteen meter flybridge cruiser titled m/y Sand Piper which was stolen from West Mooring Basin in Astoria, capsized and was rolled over by eight meters waves while in distress in the Columbia River mouth, Oregon on Friday third February at around 1300 hours.  On the first May-Day call the US Coast Guard dispatched the life motor boat Cape Flounder which found that a boat rescue was too dangerous.  Seeing this the coast guard called for helicopter assistance who sent a coast guard swimmer in the water, saving the thief just seconds before the flybridge cruiser capsized. The 35 year old man was later in the evening arrested for theft and three other charges. 

The stolen and capsized flybridge cruiser in this accident is an Ocean Alexander 440 Motor Yacht, produced from 1990 till 1999 and based on the 420/440 Sundeck's with a sleeker super structure.  The Ocean Alexander 440 Motoryacht offers a two cabins layout and was standard powered by GM or Cummins 250hp with options to twin Cats 375hp for top speeds up to the low twenties. The 440 Motoryacht was replaced by the 450 Classico Sedan in 1999.

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.

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.

Sportfish Explodes After Refuelling in Bermuda

A flybridge cruiser of about nine meters in length titled m/y Woodstock with one passenger onboard, exploded and then went ablaze just after refuelling at Dowling Marina, St. Georges, Bermuda around 1330 hours of Sunday nine October.  Videos on social media show the scene of the Woodstock exploding split second just after the captain turns on the engine. With the fuel station of Dowling Marina located near The Wharf Restaurant and Bar in a packed Sunday afternoon the drama was not ended, and an evacuation of sorts could not be made, as the wind kept on pushing the on fire Woodstock to the dock.  At this stage a sportfish of eleven meters titled m/y Tenacious with two brothers onboard towed Woodstock out of the dock, to Marginal Wharf, before the flybridge cruiser burned down and eventually sank at around 1440 hours.  Ten fire fighters and officers assisted and went to extinguish Woodstock from the flames, while the lone captain owner had minor injuries to his ankle as he jumped off the boat from the flybridge.

Woodstock the sportfish cruiser in this fire is a Trojan F-32, a model the famed US builder produced from 1973 up to 1992 in 2700 units. Still popular the Trojan F-32 sleeps four in a forward double Vee-berth with a convertible saloon, and is powered by twin Chryslers 225hp or optional 260hp gas engines on shafts.

The heroic sportfish m/y Tenacious which saved further damage to happen at Dowling Marina is a Luhrs 40 Convertible, produced from 2000 up to 2003.  The Luhrs 40 Convertible is an evolution of  the 380 which was born in 1991, main recognizable difference being the side windows being more curved.  The Luhrs 40 Convertible offers an interior with two cabins sleeping four, and is powered by Cat 420hp engines.  The 40 Convertible was replaced by the Luhrs 41 Convertible in 2004.

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 Destroyed by Fire in Scoglitti

A sport cruiser of about eight meters in length went ablaze while in its berth in Scoglitti harbour, in the province of Vittoria, to the South of Sicily on Monday 26 September at around 1100 hours.  The boat was unattended as the fire started, and was quickly moved away to the West breakwater from the pier berthing crew to avoid damage to nearby boats.  A fire fighting crew from Vittoria was on the spot to control and extinguish the fire as the sport cruiser was fully burned down to the waterline.  The causes of the fire are not reported.

The sport cruiser in this fire is a USA made Cruisers 2670 Rogue produced from 1992 up to 1997.  The 2670 Rogue offered a four berth open plan accommodation and is powered by twin petrol gas engines of 200hp, and or single diesel 200 or twin 150hp Volvo engine with stern drive propulsion.  The 2670 Rogue in this fire is the second series introduced in the fall of 1995 with hull port holes replacing the parallel top side windows.

Classic American Cruiser Ends Aground in Port Angeles

A fourteen meter flybridge cruiser named m/y Eudora washed aground in the North side of Ediz Hook, Port Angeles, Washington on 1730 of Wednesday fifteen September.  The classic explorer cruiser was recently bought in auction from a 51 year old, and three hours into its delivery ended without fuel, which ultimately washed her ashore. The following morning m/y Eudora was inspected by the Coast Guard for environmental damage, with the fuel tanks empty, and remaining oil drained by the officers, this hazard was removed.  At some point the Port Angeles Coast Guard did try to tow out the flybridge cruiser, with no success the situation returning into the hands of the owner.  Ultimately m/y Eudora ended up being destroyed into pieces and becoming a wreck.

M/y Eudora is a Trojan 42 FBMY model produced from 1965 up to 1972.  The Trojan 42 FBMY was build of wood and offered a two double cabins layout, with an owners cabin located aft and raised saloon living area in between the cabins.  The Trojan 42 was also offered as MY without a flybridge, and evolved into the F-44, fiberglass construction and a lightly different upper structure look in 1974. 

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.

Unconscious Man Saved from Florida Boat Fire

An unconscious man was saved by two police officers in Manatee Pocket waterway near Pirates Cove in Stuart, Florida when his sportfish boat went ablaze and later exploded on the afternoon on Sunday fourteen August.  The boat allegedly caught fire and while the two officers where trying to take a man out exploded.  The police officers escaped injury while the man onboard was taken to hospital for observation. The officers Rib also had some damage in this operation with some of it melting with the heat caused by the Sportfish cruiser on fire.

The sportfish cruiser in this fire is a Wellcraft 3200 Coastal produced from 1984 to 1986.  The 3200 Coastal has an accommodation sleeping four persons in a two plus two layout.  A a modified Vee hull with a fine entry and medium fourteen degrees deadrise aft coupled to twin petrol gas Mercruiser 270hp engines and shaft line propulsion gave her a speed up to thirty knots.  The 3200 Coastal was also available in a flybridge enclosed main deck version called the Sport Bridge. 

Flybridge Cruiser Destroyed to Fire in Lake Huron

An eleven meter flybridge motor cruiser with one person onboard caught fire and eventually was destroyed and sank on Lake Huron, in the vicinity of Point Lookout Harbor, Michigan on the late evening of Friday 29 July.  Thanks to social media platform Facebook the owner recounted the events, with the boat running splendidly at sixteen knots before the fire that lead to the destruction and sinking started to unfold.  The first event was that the port engine gave up power and unable to restart, couple minutes later the starboard engine followed suit.  At this point the flybridge cruiser was four nautical miles away from AuGres harbor, and smelling smoke the owner went down to check what was happening only to see the cabin engulfed in flames with the only option at this point to jump in the sea.  A nearby fisherman which saw the fumes from about a mile picked up the owner of the boat who was about fifteen meters away from the boat on fire.  There were no injuries in the event with the Coast Guard dispatching a vessel in the scene to follow and help in the events. 

The boat in this fire was a 1982 Silverton 37 Convertible mark.1.  This first version of the Silverton 37 Convertible offered a cabin with a lounge main deck and no lower helm station,  galley and dinette located opposite on the lower deck, and double-V berth cabin forward.  The Silverton 37 Convertible Mark.I was usually powered by twin Crusaders 350hp gas engines, with double Perkins 200hp diesel available as option.  The 37 Convertible Mark.1 was produced till 1989, with the more modern looking second generation launched in 1990.

Four Boats Destroyed by Fire in Marsala

At around 1200 hours of Monday 25 July a big black cloud of smoke went up from Marsala harbor, on the further West coast of Sicily signaling a fire was raging in the pleasure boat area.  A fire started on a ten meter sport cruiser to the right of the photo which immediately jumped on the three other boats to the starboard side.  Immediate the reaction of the fire fighting squad which went on the scene, and at some point totaled eighteen fire fighting personnel; three units which later expanded to other four squads totaling seven, with a fire fighting boat coming from the nearby Trapani harbor.  The fire was extinguished after over two hours of fighting.  Some reports are stating that the ten meter cruiser which started the fire had two persons onboard doing some maintenance work.  No injuries to persons are reported.

The boats in this fire from right to left are a Bayliner 3255 Avanti Sunbridge, a Salpa 325 Laver third boat in the photo, while the last boat is a refitted Cranchi 31 Endurance modified to twin outboard power.

Sportfish Cuiser With Six Persons Sinks in Cabo San Lucas

A sportfish cruiser of about ten meters in size called Protocol with six persons onboard sank while sportfishing off Cabo San Lucas in the Pacific Ocean, on 1500 hours of eighteen July.  The sportfish cruiser had some technical problem, according to the Captain report coming after a 45 minutes Blue Marlin battle, and the boat taking too much water.  After all this Captain Alex Rogers and the five crew had to abandon the sinking boat and jump in the life-raft.  After this a storm arrived in the area with Cabo San Lucas closing its harbor and making person recovery more difficult. Hearing this Cabo San Lucas Sporfishing Community started a rescue operation, and Captain Pancho Bojorquez with a 24 meter super sportfish yacht eventually saved the six persons in the life raft.  

Protocol is a Rampage 33 Express, a model produced from 2005 till 2008 by the US builder.  The Rampage 33 Express had a huge following due to its four meters plus of beam in a length just over ten meters, and offered accommodation for four or six persons thanks to its convertible sofas and bunk berths coming into play.  Powered by twin Cats 460hp the 33 Express reached speeds up to 33 knots.

The super sportfish yacht which saved the crew is reported to be m/y Hooray a Viking 80 Enclosed Bridge with Skybridge from 2020.

Carver Boat Destroyed by Fire in Dana Point Harbour

A nine meter Carver cabin cruiser went ablaze in the Island side of Dana Point Harbour, Orange County, California on the afternoon of Sunday seventh July.  The first respondents to this fire were nearby boaters and two marina staff who controlled the blaze with the Harbour hoses, up until the Orange County Fire Authority arrived on the scene.  The Carver cruiser was with the owner and his dog onboard when the fire started, reportedly from an engine carburettor, with the blaze spreading in the engine room.  When the one owner saw the fire he grabbed the dog and ran out of the boat, with him sustaining minor injuries on the way off the boat. The causes of the fire are under investigation from the Orange County Sheriff office.

The boat in this fire is a Carver 2807 Riviera, a successful but unusual cabin cruiser in in its day as today for having an aft cabin layout under ten meters in length. Another unusual feature was the sporty open cockpit design.  Produced from 1983 to 89, the 2807 Riviera was replaced by the flybridge 28 Aft Cabin model in 1991.

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 Riva Burns Outside Alghero Sardinia

A Riva thirteen meter flybridge cruiser with two persons onboard caught fire and eventually sank, just meters outside of Alghero's harbor entrance, in North West Sardinia on the evening of third July.  The thirteen meter Riva cruiser was apparently entering harbor when it caught fire.  Immediate the response of the Italian Coast Guard and Fire Fighting brigade with two different vessels, but to no avail with the Riva destroyed by the fire and then sinking.  No one was injured in the fire.

The Riva in this accident is a 45 SuperAmerica model.  Designed by Giorgio Barilani, Riva head designer from 1956 till 1991, the 45 was presented in 1977 and was the second Superamerica evolution following the 42.  The 45 SuperAmerica offered a two cabins lower deck with a forward crew cabin layout, and was powered by twin Cummins 370hp good for about thirty knots max. Presented in 1977 and produced till 1979 the 45 was the second best selling SuperAmerica following the 42, with some forty plus units sold.  The 45 was replaced by the 48 Superamerica in 1979.  

Two People Saved from Boat Fire in Portsmouth Harbor

Two people where rescued after an eleven meter traditional cruiser burst into flames near Portsmouth Harbor on 15:22 hours of Sunday nineteen June.  Gosport Lifeboat arrived six minutes later on the scene finding the two crew with life jacket's on, standing on the boats edge.  After rescuing the crew, the lifeboat towed the boat, with the duty fire tug SD Independent also arriving on the scene, with the boat sinking before arriving to its planned destination of shallow water.  Following the sinking a clean up to retrieve about 1800 liters of fuel and debris from the boat was started.

The boat in this fire is an Aquastar Oceanranger 38 Aft Cabin.  The Aquastar Oceanranger 38 Aft Cabin was introduced in 1984, following customers requests for more accommodation to the 38 Aft Cockpit which debuted in 1978, the model subsequently evolved into the Ocean Star 118 in 1995, with a soft super structure re-design but all similar elements.