Classic Chris-Craft Hits and Runs Power Cable Lines in Ponchatoula

A towed classic Chris-Craft eleven meter cabin cruiser is being searched after it hit and run and damaged power and cable lines on the evening of Sunday seventeen December in Ponchatoula, Louisiana.  The accident was reported to happen at about 21:15 hours in front of Circle K on E. Pine Street.  The classic Chris-Craft is reported to have left its top canopy ripped off, and with the collision broke and knocked down some utility poles leaving the area without electrical power.  The towed classic Chris-Craft was reported heading East on Hwy. 22 by Hwy. 445. For this hit and run the Ponchatoula Police are asking about information in order to charge for damages.

The towed Chris-Craft in this accident looks to be a classic 37 Constellation.  Build in wood planking the Chris Craft 37 Constellation was produced from 1963 to 67, as replacement to the 36 Constellation, recognizable by the straight shear line, and then replaced by the fiberglass 38 Commander Express introduced in the fall 1964.

South West Florida Hit by Strong Low Pressure

A strong low pressure hit the South West Florida on Sunday seventeen December, with various streets being flooded in the area, a storm surge of one meter, over five centimetres of rain water, and winds up to Force seven Beaufort of intensity.  Punta Gorda which has still not recovered from Hurricane Ian from September 2022, was one of the most hit areas, along with Forty Myers, and Palm Beach.  

Many weather forecast models are saying this and previous recent storms, along with a particularly unusually strong Pacific Hurricane Season are the affect of El Nino which finally has arrived.  The 2024 El Nino is forecasted to be a strong one, because of record heat in recent Summers, and also because it delayed by a year. 

A classic Hatteras 53 Motor Yacht suffered the affect of the storm surge, with crew trying to resolve this.

This is a Chaparral 28/29 Signature which ended beached after breaking free from its mooring.  

A first version Ocean Yachts 38 Super Sport also suffered the affect of the storm, and partly sank.

Classic Benetti Super Yacht Saved from Sinking in Spain

A classic 45 meter Benetti super yacht titled Tumberry C under Spanish flag was ran aground in Carabuxeira Beach, Sanxenxo, Pontevedra, to the North West and Atlantic sea side of Spain on the morning of Saturday sixteen December.  The yacht is reported to having had a leak water intrusion in the engine room while moored in her berth, which prompted the Nauta Sanxenxo, Real Club Náutico de Sanxenxo, Salvamento Marítimo Emergencies, and the Civil Guard towing the yacht and running her aground in order to prevent her from sinking.  In this spot the team of four yacht saviour teams patched and plugged the leak and then towed the super yacht to Juan Carlos I dock were now she is awaiting a full repair.

M/y Tumberry C is a Benetti 45M launched in 1988 and designed by Stefano Natucci for exteriors, with interiors by Terrence  Disdale.  Tumberry C was previously owned by x-Real Madrid vice President Fernando Fernández Tapias, and has guested among many personalities also King Juan Carlos of Spain. She is now reportedly owned by a Chinese businessman.  Benetti build four of the Stefano Natucci 45M semi-customs in between 1987-94, with the last two featuring a totally renewed exterior design but sharing the same hull.

Super Yacht Utopia IV Hits Miami Bridge Barrier

A 63 meter super yacht titled m/y Utopia IV collided with the protective barrier of NE 63 Bridge which leads to the Port of Miami on 18:00 hours of Wednesday thirteen December.  The cause of the collision was caused from current created by a cruise ship prop wash, with twenty knots gust winds not helping the situation.  According to a declaration from the yacht ownership the cruise ship had no departure declaration, putting the super yacht in a difficult spot and causing the collision with the bridge barrier in that time.  Utopia IV was reported as having only the crew onboard, with no injuries to personnel, and yacht and bridge barrier sustaining little damage.  Probably this news made more headlines because ten days short of two years ago, Utopia IV had a collision with the 48 meter cargo vessel Tropic Breeze in Nassau Bahamas.  This is more a case of a wrong place and right time to be filmed and social media shared, with the bang noise coming out of the collision making this sound worse then probably it actually was.  

Super yacht Utopia IV is a 63 meter Rossinavi hull number FR031 and launched in 2018 to a design by Angelo Gobbi Team 4 Design for both exterior and interior, with naval architecture by Arrabito.  Utopia IV is listed for charter at half a million dollars a week and for sale at just under 48 million US$.  Utopia IV is owned by Loren Ridinger, commissioned by her husband and Market America founder JR Ridinger who passed away suddenly on thirty August 2022. 

Floating Yacht Dock Sinks in Kocaeli Turkey

A 145 meter floating dock owned by Yachtley Shipyard and with 24 persons onboard, sank while in the Kocaeli free zone area, Basiskele district, Turkey, on the morning of Wednesday thirteen December.  The Yachtley floating dock was reported in doing yacht retrieval preparation operation before it started to sink down.  All the 24 persons onboard where saved, with two being hospitalized but are reported to be in stable condition.  The 145 meters 4500 tons capacity floating dock had the tall crane booms still visible after the sinking.  The Kocaeli Port Authority reported no pollution from the sinking.

Turkish Yachtley shipyard was founded in 2005, in Kocaeli, and is owned by Saudi Arabian Fal Group.  Since its founding Yachtley has gained a name for refits, although it did deliver two super yachts; 65 meters Nourah of Riyad designed by Donald Starkley in 2008, and the 80 meter Elements in 2019 to a design of Alpha Marine and interiors by Christian Gatto.

Sea Ray Boat with Two Persons One Dog Ends Aground in Chesapeake

A classic nine meter Sea Ray boat with two persons onboard ended aground in the shallows of Tydings Parks, upper Chesapeake Bay when it broke anchor in heavy wind and rain on Sunday tenth December.  The Sea Ray boat and the two persons; Sarah Rae and her partner Bella Eldridge and Lily dog where ultimately stuck in the shallows for two days running out of energy, food, and medications with a rescue mission impossible to do by TowBoatUS cause of low tide.  This rescue mission ultimately fell in the hands of the Department of Natural Resources who hired Susquehanna Hose Company which on Tuesday twelfth December evening saved the two boaters and their dog with Air Boat Five.  Thanks to the heavy rain and high tide the classic Sea Ray will also be saved by Argentino Marine Sales and Service, and TowBoatUS Chesapeake Bay on Tuesday nineteen December.

The classic Sea Ray in this grounding is an SRV 300 Sedan Bridge model as produced from 1976 up to 1982 with the model replaced by the slightly larger 340 Sedan Bridge in 1983. The Sea Ray SRV 300 platform debuted in 1975 and was offered in five other model variants up to 1982.

Tornado Capsizes Boats in North Shannon Ireland

A tornado which dropped down in Leitrim Marina, North Shannon, Ireland on the after noon time of Sunday tenth December, capsized three boats and damaged others.  Beside the damaged boats the tornado is reported to have also swept some roofs, and flattened some trees in Leitrim County.  After all calmed down the Civil Defence went down to the area, and surrounded the capsized boats with oil protection boons, to control any fuel spillage that might happen.

One of the capsized boats is reported to be an Aquafibre 12 meter, although the one in the picture above looks more to be a Broom Monarch of 40ft.

Lurssen Bremen Yard Damage Injures One Employee

A 130 meter plus Lurssen super yacht currently under construction has injured one employee when falling and damaging the shed doors in the Bremen shipyard, Germany on the afternoon of Thursday seventh December.  The one employee was reported slightly injured in the accident, with the super yacht fall damaging the shed doors and the bridge connecting the dock, which partly sank in the water.  The accident was assisted by rescue workers, which included a helicopter, water rescue units, and fire brigade teams.  The 150 meters floating dock was later secured by the Bremen police, and fire department.  Lurssen reported the accident with a press release on the same evening.  This is the second incident for Lurssen in 2023, following a fire on June 28 at the Lemwerder facility which involved one worker. 

According to unconfirmed reports the Lurssen super yacht in this accidental fall is the 142 meters Project Alibaba which is set to launch in 2024.

Baywood Marina Boat Fire

An unattended ten meters sports cruiser went ablaze at Baywood Marina in Brick, New Jersey at 04:46 hours of Thursday seventh December.  Jersey Shore Fire Response and Pioneer Hose Volunteer Fire Company responded to the blaze, while East Dover Fire Company came to the scene with Fire Boat 28 from the water.  It took over an hour to extinguish the fire with no damage to other boats and property being sustained thanks also to the quick response of the fire fighting crew.  The boat was later removed and towed away from the dock, with the cause of the fire being under investigation.

The sport cruiser in this fire is a Wellcraft 3200 Martinique, produced from 1994 to 2000.  The 3200 Martinique sleeps six in a typical North American express-sport cruiser open layout, and was powered by twin stern drives or V-drive line shafts for speeds up to the mid thirty knots.  The 3200 Martinique came as a replacement to the 3200 St.Tropez and was replaced by the 3300 Martinique in 2000.

Super Yacht Ends Aground in Dubai

M/y Indigo Star I, a 38 meter super yacht ended aground and beached in Dubai, near Marina Harbor on the evening of Friday first December.  Indigo Star I is reported to have had a technical fault, with the captain losing controls of the engines and the super yacht ending beached.  With high tide coming in, the super yacht was towed away on the same night, with the yacht reported to have received no damage from the grounding.  

Indigo Star I is owned by German fashion designer Robert Geiss since about ten years, who have used the yacht to cruise around the World since taking ownership.  Robert and his wife Carmen have been cruising on Indigo Star I in the Persian Gulf for over a week, with the yacht attending the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix the previous week-end.  The Geiss's where in Dubai when the accident happened but not on the yacht, and were informed about the accidental grounding over the phone, with Robert Geiss joking on Instagram that now he has a private beach club.  Indigo Star I is currently available for sale for 3.9 million US$.

M/y Indigo Star I is a custom Siar-Moschini 38, launched in 1995 to a design of Andrea Bacigalupo with interiors by Studio Vafiadis. Siar-Moschini from Fano was a joint venture founded between Siar a yacht interior fitment specialist firm, and Moschini a high-end large sizes advanced fiberglass builder in 1986, which will build a dozen yachts from 21 to 43 meters, launching its first yacht in 1988, and its last in 2004.  Carlo Moschini was also one of the three founders of Ferretti Custom Line brand in 1996, with this lasting two years after he sold his yard to Azimut-Benetti Group in 1998, sale completed in 2002.

Ferretti Yacht Sinks in Baker Beach San Francisco

A fifteen meter Ferretti flybridge yacht with two persons onboard sank two hundred meters away from the shore of Bakers beach, to the North of San Francisco at around 12:00 hours of Thursday thirtieth November.  San Francisco fire department said they received the call of the yacht sinking just before noon, with the two boaters jumping in the water and then rescued by three rescue swimmers from Bakers beach who took them to a nearby San Francisco Police Department boat.  The two boaters where then taken to San Francisco Marina Yacht Harbor for a health evaluation.  The Ferretti Yacht cause of sinking was not reported, with the yacht sitting in about four meters of water and its flybridge still visible. 

The Ferretti Yacht in this sinking is a 510 model, designed by Zuccon and introduced in the fall of 2007.  Mimicking the features of the two years before presented 630 bigger sister in a smaller size, the 510 was a yacht ahead of its time for its full beam owners midships cabin, and astern galley layout.  The 510 came out as a replacement to the 500 and 530 models, and was renamed as 530 in 2010 and produced till 2014, then replaced by the Ferretti 550 model.

Apreamare Ends Aground in Fiumicino

A sixteen meter Apreamare traditional yacht with two persons onboard ended aground at the entrance of Fiumara Grande, Fiumicino to the outskirts of Rome on the early afternoon hours of Tuesday 21 November.  The Fiumicino Harbour Master and Civil Protection was immediately on the scene, saving the two boaters, who had no injuries.  The Apreamare yacht was coming from Sardinia direction to Fiumicino, when at the end of its trip had trouble with one engine, making manoeuvring in the Fiumara entrance difficult and ultimately ended aground.  An operation to remove the yacht is scheduled for tomorrow morning.

The Apreamare in this grounding is the 16 model presented in the 2002 Genoa boat show. The 16 is a design of Tommaso Spadolini with naval architecture by Umberto Tagliavini featuring three lower deck layouts, in three or two double cabins, and was powered by twin Man 730 up to 800hp engines for speeds up to 32 knots.  The Apreamare 16 evolved into the 54 in 2005 with the standardized patio door, and a renewed stern bathing platform design and then produced till 2009.

Fairline Squadron Burns Down in Swansea Marina

A thirteen meter Fairline flybridge cruiser went ablaze while berthed at Swansea Marina, to the Southwest of Wales at 17:52 hours of Sunday nineteen November.  Five fire fighting crews from Swansea Central, Swansea West, Morriston, Gorseinon and Llanelli responded to the fire, taking about an hour to control and two hours to extinguish.  No one was injured in the fire, with the causes of the blaze reported as accidental, with the flybridge cruiser ending half sank, and her flybridge deck burned out.  A fire involving two small boats happened in the same Marina on the end of May of this year.

The Fairline in this fire is a 43 Squadron, a flybridge cruiser designed by Bernard Olesinski and produced from 1994 to 97.  Available in two or three cabins layout the 43 was the entry level Squadron, Fairline's flagship flybridge range which in that time arrived up to 65 foot.  The 43 Squadron came as a replacement of the 43 and was replaced by the Phantom 46 in 1999.

Tropical Storm-Force Winds Hits South Florida

Tropical storm-force winds hit South Florida and the Treasure Island on Thursday, sixteen November.  The winds started gusting at over fifty knots at around 04:00 hours of the morning with the storm calming down jest before 18:00 local time.  The storm caused a lot of damage in the area, toppled a lot of trees, destroyed tents, broke loose a few boats, and three hundred power cuts happening during the day.  In Jensen beach a catamaran ended slamming in a dock, while a ketch finished beached and aground and partly toppled into a seawall after it broke loose.  The picture above shows also a sport-boat-cruiser of about eleven meters in length which partly sank, and was hanging with the dock near Gateway Boulevard in Boynton beach.

The sport-power-boat-cruiser in the above sinking is a Formula 419 SR-1.  Designed by  Formula designer John Adams, the 419 SR-1 was introduced in 1991 as a flagship of the range, with triple engines for speeds up to seventy knots, and the trademark 24 degrees deadrise aft.  In 1997 the 419 evolved into the FasTech updated with a three-step hull, and produced till 2001.  Formula never really replaced the 419, with the 382 FasTech taking it's place as flagship, 

Fifty Foot Sportfish Yacht Lost to Fire in San Pedro Harbour

A fifty foot sportfish yacht was lost and destroyed by a fire in Berth 85 just outside Harbour Boulevard near the Los Angeles Maritime Museum in San Pedro Harbour, California on 16:08 of Saturday eleventh November.  One person was admitted to hospital following smoke inhalation during the accident, although the yacht was reported unattended when the fire started.  Los Angeles Fire Department controlled the blaze in just fifteen minutes, with investigation on what started the fire currently ongoing.

At this stage I cannot decipher what this fifty foot sportfish yacht was, but it looks like this was also wooden build.  If someone knows more, send a message and will update.

Princess Yacht Burns and Sinks in Isle of Wight

An eighteen meter Princess sport yacht titled m/y Peroni with two persons onboard caught fire near Ventnor, to the South of the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom at 10:20 hours of Saturday eleventh November.  The coast guard responded to the May Day call with Bembridge RNLI picking the two persons onboard, while Sandown and Shanklin independent lifeboat and its crew monitored the yacht on fire, and its debris, as it drifted to the South East until it eventually sank at about 13:30 local time.

M/y Peroni is a 2017 Princess V58, an eighteen meter sport yacht designed by Bernard Olesinski with a three double cabins accommodation and a DS saloon patio door or full Open main deck option.  Peroni had the enclosed Deck Saloon option and was powered by the large Volvo 900hp for speeds up to 37 knots.  Produced from 2014 to 18 the V58 came out as a replacement to the V57, and was replaced by the V55 in 2019.

Viking 92 Beaches in Delray Beach Following Black-Out

A 28 meter Viking super sportfish yacht titled m/y Pastime under US flag with three crew onboard ended beached in the East area of Delray Beach, Florida on about 15:00 hours of Friday third November.  The 28 meter sportfish yacht lost total electric and mechanical power while underway from Palm Beach to Fort Lauderdale, with the engines stopping to run and all electrical systems going in black out South of Boynton inlet, becoming an incapicated vessel, in three meter wave seas, and thirty knots Easterly winds.  As it stopped without power and already beached TowBoatU.S arrived on the scene trying to tow the yacht, with no success as Pastime snapped multiple lines in all the towing attempts, with over tens of tries in pulling the ninety tons behemoth failing both on Friday and Saturday.  Success for the towing arrived on Sunday fifth November, at about 15:15 as finally with a higher tide, and removal of fuel and liquids, Pastime was removed from Delray beach and towed for a three hour trip by TowBoatU.S to the Viking Yacht Service Center in Riviera Beach, Florida.  TowBoatU.S used twenty persons and five vessels to clear the Viking sportfish, in what was a delicate, difficult, and unusual operation.  No one was injured in the beaching and operation of towing, with Pastime reported to lose power because of a malfunction to the fire suppression system which switches all electrical and mechanical systems off.  According to photos from the Viking Service Center, Pastime had both rudders bent, minimum prop damage, and a scratch to its Vee bottom.  On ten November Viking Yachts released a press statement about this beaching incident, which to be fair has little to do about them also because this a seven year old yacht. 

Pastime is a Viking 92 Convertible from the fall of 2016, hull ten and the first to launch with the open bridge layout.  The 92 Convertible offers accommodation for five double cabins sleeping ten, with two crew cabins, and is powered by twin MTU 2600hp for speeds up to 36 knots.  Launched as the Enclosed Bridge in 2014, the 92 was Viking's flagship at launch, expanding its size by ten foot from the 2009 launched 82.  21 units of the 92 have been made till 2022, with the model replaced by the Viking 90 at the start of 2023.

Previously named m/y Sweet Tuna, this Viking 92 Convertible was sold in 2022 for under nine million US$, and renamed to Pastime and according to some reports was displayed just one week ago at the 2023 Fort Lauderdale boat show as a brokerage.

Fire Burns Five Boats in La Paz Mexico

A fire which broke out the early morning of second November burned down and sank five yachts from eleven to 32 meters at Marina Palmira, in La Paz, Mexico.  The fire is reported to have started on a seventeen meters Azimut yacht, which then moved to the other four burned out boats, and damaged at least five more.  Tim Prouty gave an account of the accident on the Latitude38 website, when he saw the first seventeen meters flybridge yacht starting to burn on its stern port side at about 03:00 hours early morning time.  With a soft breeze blowing starboard to port the fire eventually jumped to the next boat, then the other, until five boats totally burned down and sank, including of which, and last to get the fire a 32 meter Hatteras super yacht.  Fire fighting crew response came at about 03:30 but an hour later to this the fire had already engulfed the five boats and yacht which burned down and sank.  

The yachts in this fire are an Azimut 58 Full a model produced from 1998 to 2002, the one that looks to have started the blaze, followed by what look to be two Riviera models, and then jumping to another Azimut 43S.  The Hatteras super yacht which burned was a 2019 100 RPH m/y Optimus and hull number five, which was also the last build of this Enrico Gobbi designed series which debuted in 2013.

Sunseeker Yacht Destroyed by Fire in Haulover

A 26 meter Sunseeker super yacht went ablaze in Bal Harbour, Haulover Park Marina, 10800 Collins Ave, Northeast Miami-Dade County, Florida on 04:45 early morning time of Saturday 28 October.  The yacht was reported unattended at the time of the fire, with Miami-Dade Fire Recsue finding it difficult to arrive to the yacht due to the length of the dock.  The fire was controlled at about 07:00 hours although fire controls and checks where still ongoing, in order to avoid the possibility of a second burn out from the heat and fumes that had not yet stopped.  Miami-Dade Fire Rescue dispatched a total of 24 units including a few fireboats to control this fire.  No one was injured on the fire, with the cause of the blaze being under investigation.

The Sunseeker super yacht in this fire is a first generation 86 Yacht produced from 2008 till the fall of 09 in nine units.  The 86 Yacht has an interior with four double cabins and two crew cabins, and is powered by twin Man or Cat 1670hp for speeds up to thirty knots.  The 86 replaced the Sunseeker 82 Yacht, and evolved into the 88 Yacht in 2010 with standard hard-top and glazed hull windows replacing the three and four part large port holes.

Viking Sportfish Ends Aground in Long Island, Bahamas

A fifteen meter Viking sportfish yacht titled Oh Reely under Montenego Bay, Jamaica flag ended aground on Long Island, Bahamas reportedly on the morning of Friday 27 October.  According to reports the Oh Reely was navigating from Jamaica on the way to Florida, where it developed a technical mechanical problem which unfortunately ended the sportfish aground and on the rocks.  Unfortunately for Oh Reely things got even worse as with the tide going up and waves rolling, the sportfish became a total wreck splitting in the aft cockpit side, with the starboard hull side completely opening up with the wave-rock crushing.

Oh Reely is a second generation Viking 50 Convertible produced from the fall of 2008 up to 2013.  The 50 Convertible offers a three double cabins layout with a midships starboard side owners stateroom, and is powered by twin Man 1100 or 1360hp engines, with top speeds up to forty knots from the large engine option.  The 50 Convertible came as a replacement to the Viking 48 Convertible and was replaced by the 52 Convertible in 2014.