Sportfish Cruiser Destroyed by Fire in Pittwater Sydney

A sportfish cruiser of eleven meters in length went ablaze in Morning Bay, Pittwater, Sydney, just after 08:00 morning time of Tuesday fifteen June 2021.  The sportfish cruiser was reported to have two persons onboard, and was tied with two other boats, when an electrical fault is reported to have caused an onboard fire.  The two boaters evacuated the boat while the two nearby boats dropped the lines to avoid any damage.  NSW Police Marine Area Command and Rural Fire Service West Pittwater Brigade intervened for the blaze which ultimately saw the boat destroyed and semi-sunk.  Following this a Hazmat team from Fire and Rescue NSW Forestville Station was called to the scene to assist with securing booms around the vessel to prevent fuel leakage into the surrounding waterway. The cause of the fire is being investigated by NSW Police.

The sportfish boat in this fire is a Luhrs 41 Convertible as produced from 2004 up to 2009.  The 41 Convertible came out as a replacement to the bit bigger 44 Convertible and ultimately was not replaced as Luhrs went bankrupt in 2010.  A Luhrs return have been announced in 2012 and 2017 but so far none ever materialized.

Classic Aft Cabin Cruiser Partly Sinks in Marsascala Malta

An unattended classic aft cabin cruiser of ten meters in length started sinking in Marsascala, to the South East of the Island of Malta at around 21:00 of Friday twentieth May 2022.  The classic aft cabin cruiser was moored to a swing mooring, in the bay of Marsascala.  By about 23:00 local time about eight persons are seen on the spot trying to save the cruiser from sinking, with a pump also being used.  Ultimately the boat was seen partly sank and secured to numerous ropes.  According to local news outlet Lovin Malta which covered the sinking, the incident was not Police reported.  

The aft cabin cruiser in this sinking is a first generation Moonraker 36 with the flybridge option.  The Moonraker 36 was replaced by the 350 in the end seventies.  Moonraker was founded by Colin Chapman a British car designer famous for founding sports car maker Lotus in 1952, and then involved in Formula One from 1958 to 1994.

One Woman Dead in Yacht Fire on Stella River Udine Italy

One German woman was killed, and a man was grievously injured as a yacht of seventeen meters in length went ablaze at Marina Stella, in Palazzolo della Stella, on the Stella River, province of Udine, to the North East of Italy on 03:00 early hours of Wednesday 23 April.  The fire was reported first by onlookers who launched the alarm, with the Vigili del Fuoco of Latisana and Lignano Sabiadoro taking the call.  The couple, the man explained in the late morning, were surprised in their sleep, after hearing some suspicious noises and had gotten up to check.  Then, however, he was no longer able to return below deck to help his wife, and in an attempt to reach her was seriously burned and inhaled smoke.  When the flames reached him, he jumped into the water.  The man was urgently transferred by helicopter to an emergency room at the Santa Maria della Misericordia hospital in Udine for treatment.  The search for the body of the dead woman is still ongoing, as the Carabinieri of Latisana are investigating the fire.

The yacht in this fire is a Horizon Elegance 57 as produced from the late nineties till 2004. The Elegance 57 was replaced by the Horizon Elegance 54.  Elegance was a brand created by German Yacht brokerage firm Drettmann bringing the design input and Horizon in Taiwan building the yachts, with this collaboration lasting from 1993 till 2010.

40 Boats and Yachts Destroyed by Fire in Nautica Aqua Olbia Sardinia

Forty boats and yachts from ten to thirty meters in length were destroyed in a super fire at Nautica Aqua yacht yard shed in via Madagascar, Cala Saccaia, Cipnes industrial area, Olbia for a blaze which started just after 15:30 of Tuesday 22 April.  The Olbia, Arzachena and Tempio Vigili dell Fuoco, plus the specialized units of Costa Smeralda airport, coordinated by the Sassari fire station responded to this complicated extinguishing operation, which with a shed full of boats and yachts, made it become an oven fuelled by glass fibre and the fuel inside the vessels.  The fire fighting operation lasted till the following morning, and seventeen hours to turn off and extinguish.  In a miracle no one was injured in this fire with the exception of one yard worker which suffered little smoke inhalation and was treated on the spot.  The 118 Emergency helicopter was also involved, along with the local police and Carabinieri.  It is not confirmed how the fire started, if from a boat or yacht, or an electrical failure in the shed, with an investigation being opened to find out on what really happened.

Nautica Aqua was founded in 2012 by Raffaele Virdis a previous service manager with Ferretti Group, and Gruppo Gaias a property developer from the area.  With this synergy Nautica Aqua grew fast, operating two big sheds; Aqua and Aquarius adjacent to each other in Madagascar street.

It will be impossible to note all the boats and yachts in this fire, but information has come that a Cerri 86 Flying Sport, Magnum 53 Maltese, and an Otam 65 have been lost.  We will update this list if more information will come along.

Liveaboard Yacht Aground in Key West Florida

A sixteen meter trawler type aft cabin explorer yacht ended aground and partly sank in Bahia Honda, Key West, Florida on the morning of Saturday twelfth April.  The explorer yacht which is a live aboard for three; one man and his two sisters and a dog, is reported to have hit an object and started to take on water.  Seeing this the captain anchored at the bay, with the boat then ending partly sunk and listing to its starboard side, damaging its central keel, and running gear.  With the tide becoming a bit lower by Tuesday fifteen April, the explorer cruiser was righted by the crew and the people who are helping, with the next aim now to  make a temporary repair so they can take the yacht to a haul out yard for full repairs.  Interestingly and according to Trawler Tom who is sharing the story on social media said the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conversation Commission, US Coast Guard, local police, park rangers were watching the story happen but did not intervene. 

Trawler Tom who has been assisting the trawler since the accident, also opened a fund raiser on GoFundMe of which I will post a link on the comments section.

The explorer yacht in this part sinking is a Gulfstar 53 Trawler as produced from 1975 to 76 in ten units.  The 53 Trawler shared hull with the 53 Motorsailor, with both models being Gulfstar flagships in that time of production, with the model replaced by the full planning hull 48 Motor Yacht in 1981.  Gulfstar Yachts was founded by Vince Lazzara and existed from 1970 to 1990, and produced both sail and power boats, with the company selling some of its assets to Viking.

Four Yachts Destroyed by Fire in Fethiye Turkey

One sail boat and three super yachts which lengths go from 24 up to forty meters were destroyed by fire in the Port of Fethiye, province of Mugla, to the West of Turkey for a fire which started about 08:30 morning time of Thursday tenth April.  The fire is reported to have started on a sailing boat of about twelve meters in length, and then jumped to a larger 24 meter Ferretti yacht and then onto two larger yachts, of about thirty and forty meters in size respectively.  Four persons were intoxicated with smoke inhalation and were treated on the spot with additional oxygen, for a fire which took two hours to control, and involved Police, Ambulances, Fire Engines, and the Coast Guard which ultimately towed the four yachts off the pier.  The cause of the fire is not reported with the Fethiye authorities investigating how the blaze started.

The 24 meter motor yacht in this fire is a Ferretti 810 as designed by Zuccon and produced from 2002 to 2005 in ten units.  The 810 was also available as the 810 RPH with raised pilot house, and was a replacement and evolution of the 80, and then replaced by the 830.  The two other super yachts, are not identifiable although both of them look to be of Turkish origin.

Azimut Yacht Destroyed by Fire at Portonovi Montenegro

A 29 meter Azimut super yacht titled m/y Ramonda was destroyed by fire in Portonovi marina resort, Montenegro, for a blaze which started at 18:25 of Wednesday 27 March.  The fire was attended by the Herceg Novi Protection and Rescue Service who rushed to the yacht with two trucks, to find that the flames had already engulfed most of the yacht lower deck, with the decision being taken at 19:50 hours to tow the Azimut out of the marina.  Ultimately Ramonda was wrecked by the fire and partly sank.  The wreck was ultimately boon protect for pollution as it was reported that the yacht might have about eight thousand litres of diesel fuel.  No injuries are reported from the fire, and at this time it is not known if the yacht was attended or not.  The cause of the fire is reported as under investigation.

M/y Ramonda is a 2023 build hull number five Azimut Magellano 30M as designed by Ken Freivokh and produced since 2022 so far in eighteen units.  The 30M is the flagship largest model to date of Azimut's Magellano line which debuted in 2009 with the 74, and to date featured eleven models upwards of 43 foot.

Out of Control Hatteras Yacht Collides Into Pershing in Miami River

A 24 meter Hatteras yacht titled m/y Top Shelf was filmed as it collided with a fifteen meter Pershing yacht and then a sailing yacht of about thirteen meters at the Miami River, on the afternoon of Monday 24 March.  The cause of the collision was not reported though in the short clip shared on social media outlet Facebook by Lacey Meade, it seems the yacht is only running on the port engine, but still pushing to port.  The yacht collided with a Tiki Company cocktail boat first, then colliding scrubbed its port side with the Pershing yacht port side, and to the smaller sailing yacht.  The incident was reported to the police, who came to the scene and took photos of the cocktail boat and damaged yachts, and is doing an investigation on the incident.

M/y Top Shelf is a 2007 Hatteras 80 Motor Yacht as produced from 2004 up to 2015 in twenty units.  The involved Pershing is a 50.1 model as designed by Fulvio de Simoni and produced from 2010 to 2015 in about forty units.

Azimut Ends Beached in Bucerias Nayarit Mexico

A fourteen meter Azimut flybridge cruiser titled m/y Yalusa with seventeen people onboard ended semi beached and partly sunk at the mouth of the Arroyo del Indio river in Bucerías, Bahia de Banderas, on the Mexican Pacific Coast on Friday seventh March. Yalusa is reported to have first crashed in an Oyster farm, and then partly sunk and ultimately ended part beached.  Five days after the sinking on Wednesday the twelfth March, an excavator was filmed removing and wrecking the vessel, all this without any authorization from the federal agencies responsible for the care of maritime-terrestrial zones.  The oyster farmers in the area, pointed out that this would jeopardize the production of the mollusc for the Oyster Festival, which takes place annually at the end of March.

The Azimut in this accident is an AZ 46 model as designed by Stefano Righini for exterior and Carlo Galeazzi for interior, and produced from 1997 to 2004.  The Azimut AZ 46 came out as a replacement to AZ 43 Quarantatré, with the model evolving with minor modifications into the 46 Evolution in 2004 and then replaced by the 47 in 2007.

One Boat Two Yachts Wrecked by Fire in Northwest Miami

One boat and two yachts were destroyed by a fire off Northwest North River Drive near the Miami Marine Center marina and Jones Boat Yard, Miami River at 03:30 early morning time of Friday seven March. A nearby resident which works at Jones boat yard reported that the fire started as the smaller boat of the three exploded, with its fire then expanding to a yacht in-front, and a super yacht of thirty meters docked at its stern. Miami Dade Fire Rescue intervened for the fire with thirty units fighting the blaze from the land and water.  All three boats and yachts were wrecked, the smaller boat which started the fire sunk completely, the eighteen meter yacht mostly sunk with its bow left sticking out, and the large third one did not sink but had its super structure completely destroyed.  No one was injured in the fire as all yachts were unattended with this controlled just after 06:00 morning time.  An oil boon was deployed between the yachts to contain pollution as Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office arson investigators are probing the cause of the blaze.

The large super yacht wrecked in this fire is m/y Nirvana, a 2005 Rodman 105 as designed by its Spanish builder and reported to be delivered in only one unit.  The 105 is the largest Rodman build to date, with the Spanish builder being more known for its flybridge cruisers from ten to twenty meters.  The yacht further forward is an Azimut 62 Evolution, with the smaller boat in the middle looking to be a center console of about thirteen meters in length not identifiable.

M/y Nirvana was also in the Miami news in more or less the same spot on the night of Sunday 23 July 2023, when a group of seventeen people who chartered the yacht, held the captain and crew at gunpoint demanding their money back. No one was injured in this accident with one of the guest reported to be a known rapper whose name was not mentioned.

Carver Cruiser Destroyed by Fire in Little Creek Norfolk

 

A 72 year old man escaped uninjured as a ten meter Carver aft cabin cruiser was destroyed by a fire in Little Creek, Norfolk, Vancouver for a blaze which started at about 20:30 of Thursday sixth March.  Norfolk Fire-Rescue tended to the fire first, and were later assisted by the US Coast Guard.  The fire was tamed with both foam and water for a boat which ultimately was wrecked and half sunk.  The man who escaped the boat fire uninjured, was a live aboard on the aft cabin cruiser.  Norfolk Fire-Rescue, the Coast Guard, and the Environmental Protection Agency worked together to ensure any threats to the environment are minimized.

The boat in this fire is a Carver 36 Aft Cabin as produced from 1990 to 1992.  The 36 Aft Cabin was a replacement to the Carver 3607 Aft Cabin, and soft evolved into 370 Aft Cabin and then produced up to 1996.

Boats Damaged as Boat Sheds Snow Collapse Near Ontario

Over sixty boats were damaged as boat sheds collapsed in record snowfall at Starport Marina, in Ramara Township, Orillia, near Ontario on late Monday evening 24 February.  The shed collapse came after Orillia made a new record for snow fall in February 2025 making 180 centimetres of snow, forty centimetres more to the previous February 2007 best.  Orillia has received record snowfall, with more than 460 centimetres of snow fall thus far in Winter 2025, this causing damage to roofs, decks, and gas lines..

Most of the boats in this shed collapse are Carver, Sea Ray's, and a couple of Cruisers also in the mix, all about ten to thirteen meters in length.

New Rochelle Marina Fire Injures Two Wrecks Seven Boats

A woman and a child were injured in a fire which totalled seven boats at Imperial Yacht Club, in New Rochelle, at about 00:45 of Saturday 22 February.  Fire fighters responded to the blaze, with New Rochelle Police Harbor and Port Washington Long Island Marine all this coordinated by the New Rochelle Harbor master.  The fire got eventually more complicated as the boats burned there lines and freed themselves from the dock, burning other boats.  The fire took about two hours to contain, with the woman and child escaping from one of the boats suffering from smoke inhalation treated by firefighters at the scene before being taken to Jacobi Hospital in the Bronx.  Clean up operations were still ongoing Saturday as two of the boats sank, with one of these blocking the marina canal.  Details how the fire started are not reported, as an investigation is ongoing.

The boats in this fire are not identifiable as most of them are sank, though I can spot a Fleming 55 with what looks as mostly cosmetic fire damage to its starboard side.

Two Women Killed in Newark Boat Fire

Two women were killed in a fire which developed on a boat, at a boat storage facility located in the intersection of Pennsy Place and Pershing Avenue, to the West of Newark Liberal Airport, in Newark, New Jersey shortly before 20:55 of Friday 21 February.  Newark Police responded to the fire and took the two women to University Hospital, were they were pronounced dead.  An adult man was also grievously injured as he was taken to Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, who was reported to be in stable condition.  The fire involved two boats, which were trailer parked next to each other in a boat yard.  An investigation on this fire is ongoing, with arson reported to be a possibility.

The damaged boat to the left in this fire is a Sea Ray 230 Overnighter as produced in the mid to late nineties.

Classic Motor Yacht Partly Sinks in Englewood Florida

A classic US style motor yacht of sixteen meters in length ended part sinking and aground near Redfish, in Englewood, Manasota, Florida on Monday seventeen February.  The news of this partly sank motor yacht was shared on the Boat Fails Facebook Group.  The classic motor yacht reportedly hit a submerged object and started to take on water, with its helmsman deciding to ground the yacht, drop the anchor and part save it.  Eventually the classic yacht was salvaged, and was reported to have salt water damage to its engine, electrical system, and furnishings. 

The yacht in this sinking is a 1989 DeFever 53 POC Motor Yacht, as designed by Arthur DeFever and produced from 1986 to 1989 in about sixty units.  DeFever was founded by naval architect Arthur Defever, existing from 1960 to 1991, and returning in 2004 till 2019.  A total of 21 DeFever models from 34 to sixty foot were made in fiberglass, steel, wood in various boat yards from California were it started, then Mexico, Japan, Taiwan, and latest builds coming in China.

Classic Riviera Sinks in Queensland Australia

A classic fifteen meter unattended Riviera flybridge cruiser was filmed as she was partly sank in North Mackay, Queensland, Australia, on the morning of Friday fourteen February.  The classic cruiser is shown stern in the water as its bilge pumps alarms are ringing, and marina crew securing her with the pontoon dock to slow it from going totally under water and to make saving operations easier later on.  The cause of the sinking are not reported though a trough hull failure, coupled with the heavy rain the area experienced the previous days might have lead to it.  A salvage operation to float the flybridge cruiser is being organized.

The Riviera in this part sinking is a 48 Open Flybridge as produced from 1992 to 2004 in 169 units.  The Riviera 48 Open Flybridge was a replacement to the bit larger 52, becoming the down under flagship model, and was replaced by the first generation 51 Open Flybridge.

One Person Injured as Three Boats Go Ablaze in North Palm Beach

Three boats caught fire at Safe Marina Harbor, to the South of Parker Bridge, North Palm Beach, Florida at 23:10 of Thursday thirteen February.  The fire is reported to have started in a fourteen meter catamaran, which then jumped to a sixteen meter motor yacht, and then to a sailing boat of about twelve meters.  Palm Beach County Fire Rescue responded to the fire first, and were later assisted by North Palm Beach Fire Rescue and Palm Beach Gardens Fire Rescue, with the blaze extinguished at 03:00 early morning time.  Paramedics reported one man had injuries, but refused going to hospital.  Crews were cleaning the area all day on Friday, with an investigation of what caused the fire being carried by North Palm Beach Fire Rescue.

The motor yacht wreck in this fire is a Maritimo M54 Flybridge Motor Yacht as produced from 2016 to 2021.  This M54 was the latest version with the large hull glazing as in its last two years of production.  The Maritimo M54 was a replacement to the M53 Cruising Motor Yacht and was replaced by the M55.

Owner Refuses Help as Classic Boat Ends Aground in Latisana

A classic twelve meter Italian build flybridge cruiser with one man aboard ended aground in the Lagoon of Marano, near Latisana, not so far from Aprilia Marittima to the North East of Italy at about 17:00 hours of Wednesday fifth February.  Advised of the accident the Porto Captaincy of Lignano Sabbiadoro and Vigili dell Fuoco went to the area.  But when the response squads arrived on the spot, the German owner refused the help, advising that he was in good health and will wait for high tide, for which the boat will remove itself with less damage then eventual towing.

The classic boat in this grounding is a Camuffo 40 Fly as designed by Marco Camuffo and build in wood lamellar method in the mid seventies.  Camuffo is the most long standing dynasty of boat builders having its origins since 1438, with the current Porto Gruaro near to Venice premises existing since 1843.

Two Men Saved from Burning Yacht Near Cagliari Sardinia

Two men where saved as a seventeen meter flybridge yacht had an onboard fire as it was cruising two miles off Porto Columbo, in the Gulf of Cagliari to the South of Sardinia on 14:30 hours of Wednesday fifth February.  Following the may-day call the two 55 year old Sardinian men jumped in the water and where later picked up by the Port Captaincy CP320 boat.  After this the Guardia Costiera and Vigili del Fuoco squads tended to the fire, as the yacht eventually sunk in about thirty meters of water depth.  The fire was reported to have started from the engine room, as the yacht was cruising from Portoscuso to Capitana.

The yacht in this fire is a Conam 54 Chorum a project of Giuseppe Cimino, and produced from 1994 up to 2002.  The Conam 54 Chorum was replaced by the 60 Wide Body, a direct evolution with an extended bathing platform and larger rounded port-hole windows. Cimino apart being the naval architect was also the founder and owner of Conam, which he founded in 1980 and sold in 2002 to the Gruppo Rodriguez, with Conam closing in 2010.

Viking Sportfish Destroyed by Fire in Playa Flamingo Costa Rica

A fifteen meter Viking sportfish yacht was destroyed by a fire in Playa Flamingo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica with the blaze starting just after 13:00 hours local time of Monday third February.  The cause of the fire is not reported and how many people were onboard the sportfish yacht, with the Bomberos de Cruz Roja attending to the blaze and turning it off.  The news of the Viking yacht fire was reported by Noticias Repretel de Costa Rica, who posted a short video clip on its Facebook page.

The Viking in this fire is a 50 Convertible as produced from 1991 to 2000 in about 120 units.  The Viking 50 Convertible came out as a replacement to the 48 Convertible Sport Fisher and was replaced by the 52 Convertible.