Classic Italcraft Yacht Burns Down Near Ostia Italy

A 21 meter Italian flagged motor yacht with eleven persons onboard of which six small children went ablaze as it was cruising four miles offshore to the beach of Capocotta, Ostia, Italy at 13:30 of Saturday seventeen August.  The Italian Guardia di Finanza which was closer to the yacht, gave the first assistance, with the Guardia Costiera CP836 following.  Following a medical check, the yacht passengers all turned out unharmed, and where later discharged at the Ostia yacht marina.  The yacht was reported departing Riva di Traino marina, and was mostly destroyed by fire although reports indicated it did not sink.

The yacht in this fire is an Italcraft C70, as produced from 1991 up to 96 in a couple of units.  The C70 is a tamed up to thirty knots version of Italcraft record breaking M78, which was the fastest large yacht when launched in 1985 clocking 58 knots.  This same hull was subsequently used for the hard-top Drago 70 model which launched in 2000.   

Custom Italian Sportfish Yacht Saved from Fire in Scarlino

A custom build sportfish yacht of nineteen meters in length was saved from a fire which developed as it was berthed at Marina di Scarlino, Grosetto, Italy on the afternoon of Sunday eleven August. The yacht had a fire develop in its engine room, with the fire fighters from the vigili dell fuoco of Scarlino which are stationed at the 960 berths Marina.  The fire fighters responded with there emergency rib, saving the yacht and nearby yachts from the fire and where also helped by the fire fighting section of Follonica.

The custom Italian sportfish yacht in this fire is a Castagnola Fisherman 60 Piedi as designed by Formentini, and build by wood at the Lavagna located shipyard.  The Fisherman 60 is one of the few yachts which the custom yacht builder has build in two units, launched in 1999 and 2000 respectively.

Super Yacht Destroyed by Fire in Costa Smeralda

The 47 meter super yacht m/y Atina was engulfed by a huge fire when anchored off Saline, in the Gulf of Olbia, to the North East of Sardinia for a fire which started before 19:00 hours of Saturday tenth August.  The yacht was reported to carry a total of sixteen persons when the fire started, with all persons safely evacuated by tender.  Olbia's Vigili dell Fuoco and Guadia Costiera responded to the fire, with this reported controlled at 20:00 hours.  The super yacht later sank in a debth of seven meters.  On Sunday an emergency was issued for environmental damage caused by the yacht blaze, with debris from the fire arriving on the natural beaches of the area.  The cause of the fire is not reported, though on photos and videos it appeared to have started from the aft port side, tender garage part of the super yacht.

M/y Atina, the super yacht in this fire is a Heesen 47 meters model which was launched in 2008.  Designed by Omega Architects for exterior with interiors by Bannenberg and Rowell, Atina was launched as Elandess, the debut model for Heesen's 47 meters series which replaced the 4700 and delivered in eight units, four of which in 2009.

Sirena Yachts Facility Fire in Bursa Turkey

A fire broke out at Sirena Yachts facility in Bursa, Turkey at about 07:30 morning time of Wednesday seventh August.  The fire was reported to have started in a chemical storage warehouse, with protocols immediately put into place and all workers evacuated safely.  Fire fighters with seventy personnel and twenty vehicles fought the blaze, which was reported to have been controlled in a timely manner minimizing damage.  Sirena's Bursa is where the Turkish builder produces its molds, hulls and decks, though according to a press release by Sirena the fire did not impact any production.

Sirena was founded in 2006 by Kiraca Marine, entering first sailing yacht building and then motor yacht construction in 2016.  Sirena debuted with the 68 model, and today offers six models, from 48 to 88 foot.

Aquila Power Cat Burns Down at Longboat Marina Florida

An unattended 21 meter Aquila power catamaran titled m/y Steady AF went ablaze while berthed at Longboat Key Club, Florida at 20:30 hours of Monday fifth August.  The owner who was in Canada at the time of the fire, called Longboat Key Fire Rescue Department as he received an alert from the yachts feed system showing smoke.  The fire rescue department replied to the call, with the US Coast Guard also coming later to control the fire.  The boat burned through the night, with the fire officials determining that Lithium powered batteries where involved in the fire, although in later statements they did not confirm they where the cause of the blaze.  Ultimately Steady AF partly sank and was boon protected by the coast guard for any pollution that might come out. 

M/y Steady AF is an Aquila 70 Luxury, the power catamaran boat and yacht builder current flagship which debuted in 2021.  Aquila was a brand created in 2013 by MarineMax with Chinese company Sino Eagle Group which builds the power catamarans in Hangzhou City, China.

Classic Motor Yacht Burns and Sinks Offshore to Punta Licosa

A 21 meter classic motor yacht registered under Italian flag and with two persons onboard developed a fire first and then sank later five nautical miles offshore to Punta Licosa, offshore of Agropoli at about 13:00 hours of Monday fifth August.  Guardia Costiera Agropoli section intervened in the accident, saving the two crew from the burning yacht. The classic motor yacht ultimately was wrecked by the fire first and sank in a depth of one hundred meters into the Tyrrhenian sea.

The yacht in this sinking is reported to be a Cantieri Navali di Livorno Drake m 22 as designed by Aldo Cichero.  Debuting in 1974 the Livorno Drake is known by classic Italian yacht connoisseurs for managing to offer a raised pilot house in just 22 meters of length.

Two Yachts Destroyed by Fire in Turtle Point Marina Alabama

Two motor yachts of about nineteen meters in length were destroyed by fire at Turtle Point Marina, Killen, Alabama on Sunday fourth August.  Fire fighters where alerted of a yacht fire at 07:00 morning time, involving one yacht.  As Killen Fire and Rescue arrived in the scene, they found two burning yachts moving to other yachts, with the first action being to remove the main yacht on fire to prevent other boats from being exposed to the flames. Several people on nearby vessels were safely evacuated by first responders.  Officials said the secondary yacht on fire was controlled quickly, while the primary yacht was placed on a secondary pier, with floating booms around it to contain hazardous runoff.  Killen Fire and Rescue was helped by eleven other fire fighting agencies.  An investigation on the cause of the fire is under investigation.

One of the yachts in this fire is a Hampton Yachts 650 as designed by Howard Apollonio and debuting in 2016 and still in production today.

Two Super Yachts Destroyed by Fire at Zea Marina Near Athens

A fire which originated first on a tourist vessel burned down and wrecked two super yachts in a blaze which developed in Zea Marina, Piraeus, to the South West of Athens at about 23:00 time of Thursday first August. The flames are reported to have started on the tourist vessel which was berthed in between the two burned super yachts, with the classic 42 meter Libra Y to its port side, and the 32 meter O'rianna to its starboard. Reports also indicate explosions occurred during the blaze with emergency response coming in with 26 firefighters, ten fire engines, three coastguard boats, and a fire brigade vessel. One firefighter was hospitalized due to breathing issues, and the coastguard evacuated ten persons from the pier.  Following the control of the fire a floating barrier was deployed to manage potential sea pollution with authorities investigating the cause of the fire.

M/y Libra Y the yacht burned down in this blaze is a classic one off Picchiotti build in 1977, to a design of Jon Banenberg with naval architecture by Don Shead.  Offering accommodation for ten guests Libra Y was available for charter in the Eastern Mediterranean with prices starting at 79,000 EUROS per week.

M/y O'Rianna the other super yacht destroyed by the fire is a just completed Golden Yachts 32m from 2024, with its first owner reported to take delivery of the vessel this Spring.  The Golden Yachts 32m was originally an uncompleted fourth hull of the Cantieri di Pisa Akhir 108 as designed by Carlo Galeazzi, which debuted in 2008 and was delivered in three units.  This is the second uncompleted Cantieri di Pisa finished by Golden Yachts, with the Greek yacht builder a 36m in 2024 on an uncompleted Akhir 118 hull.

Maiora Super Yacht Destroyed by Fire in Isla Mujeres

A 27 meter Maiora titled m/y Dominic with eight persons had an onboard fire in Isla Mujeres, to the East of Cancun just South to the Gulf of Mexico which started at about 20:00 time of 26 July.  The fire was reported to start at the center lower deck of the yacht, with the two crew and six guests trying to control the fire.  The yacht was first assisted by a passing Ultramar ferry who tried to help to extinguish the fire, to no success before the Isla Mujeres emergency services made up of firemen and Civil Protection arrived at the burning vessel by a Navy boat.  Ultimately Dominic burned down and sank and according to Coordinación Estatal de Protección Civil, there were no injures or fuel spill reported, with the yacht shown sunk and half burned on the morning of 27 July.   

M/y Dominic the Maiora yacht in this fire is a 27 model from 2009.  A design of Roberto del Re and produced from 2004 to 2012, the Maiora 27 was a replacement and evolution of the 26S, and was produced in fifteen units.

Another Lurssen Facility Fire

A massive fire broke out at the Lurssen Rensburg facility in Schacht-Audorf on the Kiel Canal, Germany starting at 09:00 morning of Tuesday second July.  Over one hundred personnel where evacuated from the facility when the fire started, with one being hospitalized for smoke inhalation and 24 treated on site.  A nearby resident area with about thirty people was also ordered to evacuate.  300 firefighters, two evacuation helicopters, and multiple ambulances were dispatched to the area, with fireboats also involved in the fire fighting for what took about twenty hours to fully extinguish. Firefighters reported that they could not enter the hall due to severe temperatures of over 500 degrees Celsius in it, so they had to fight the fire from the outside, with the hall ultimately having its roof and part of its external walls collapse.

This is Lurssen third yard fire since 2018, with the most recent one coming in June of last year at the Lemwerder premises, while in December of 2023 the German shipyard also suffered a yacht falling which then damaged a shed door and injured one person in Bremen.

The unconfirmed damaged super yacht seems to be Lurssen Project Honolulu a 74 meter which was due for delivery in a couple of weeks.  Founded in 1875 Lurssen is a specialist in the larger sized super yachts above one hundred meters, currently reported to have seven vessels under construction, including of which is 142 meter Project Ali Baba.

Viking Sportfish Destroyed by Fire in St. Andrews Bay

The US Coast Guard responded to a fifteen meter Viking sportfish yacht which starting burning at 16:30 hours of thirty June, in St. Andrews Bay near Panama City Florida.  No injuries or deaths came from the fire, with the sportfish reported to be unattended when the blaze started.  The US Coast Guard is also asking for more information as no identification could be found on the sportfish yacht.

The sportfish yacht in this fire looks to be a Viking 50 Convertible, a model produced from 1991 to 2001 in about 120 units.  The 50 Convertible came out as a replacement to the 48 Convertible Sportfisher and was replaced by the 52 Convertible.

Ferretti Super Yacht Destroyed by Fire in Makarska Croatia

A 34 meter Ferretti Custom Line super yacht titled m/y Acceptus with Malta flag was destroyed by a fire in Makarska, Croatia on the night between Friday 28 and Saturday 29 June.  The fire started at 23:10 hours with the yacht having at the time three crew members onboard.  The fire was reported as starting from the stern with the Public Fire Brigade Makarska and police officers, who secured the land access to the fire site, and a maritime firefighting unit of the Public Fire Brigade JVP Kaštela fighting the fire for four hours with fifteen units.  When the fire was extinguished the yacht partly sank and listed to its starboard side.  

Acceptus is reported to be owned by Croatian entrepreneur Mišel Čolak and used to charter at 90,000 euros a week, and the morning before the incident had six guests depart.  The yacht was also refitted in 2023.

Acceptus is a Ferretti Custom Line 112 Next from 2011 to a design of Giovanni Zuccon.  The Custom Line 112 Next came out as an evolution of the standard 112 which debuted in 2001, and was produced from 2008 till 2013 in twelve units.

Super Yacht Accused of Starting Hydra Island Forest Fire

A fire works display allegedly launched from the 54 meter super yacht Persephoni I has caused a wild fire to the only Pine forest on Hydra Island, one of Greek's Saronic islands, thirty nautical miles South West to Athens on the night of Friday 21 June.  The blaze was controlled the following Saturday morning, in a difficult operation involving both air and sea fire fighting as the pine forest is not road accessible.  Following this fire the crew of Persehoni I were arrested by arson unit investigators on Sunday 22 June, while the yacht is currently held in custody.  The captain of a nearby yacht has testified that the blaze was started by fireworks originating from the alleged super yacht on Friday evening.

Super yacht Persephoni I is a 2012 Mariotti 54 meters super yacht as designed by Luca Dini.  Mariotti build only two 54 meters models, with the first unit launched in 2008.  Founded in 1928 and located in Genoa, Mariotti had in 2005 entered a partnership with Cantieri Navali di Lavagna Admiral for the building of steel super yachts above fifty meters in length.  This collaboration was ended in 2011 as Admiral was taken over by the Italian Sea Group.

Itama Yacht Burns Down Near Elba Island

A 22 meter Itama sport yacht titled La Corsa with three passengers aboard, went ablaze and eventually sank ten nautical miles offshore to the South East of Elba Island at about 13:30 of Thursday thirteen June.  The Portoferraio station received a Mayday call at about 1200 hours, from the yacht captain that smoke was coming from the engine room of the yacht, after this it is reported that in some minutes the yacht went ablaze with the three passengers having no option but to abandon ship and jump into the life-raft.  Patrol boat SAR CP892 responded to the mayday and eventually collected the three passengers, later dropped at Marina di Campo for a medical visit.  For this yacht fire the Livorno station also re-routed a Military ship and a helicopter from the Sarzana base of the Guardia Costiera.  The yacht fire and sinking is reported to having caused no pollution, although Portoferraio has still issued the owner with the notice to make all necessary arrangement to prevent this.

Aboard this yacht with the captain were Italian member of parliament Stefania Craxi daughter of previous Italy President Bettino Craxi, along with her husband Marco Bassetti the current Banijay CEO.

M/Y La Corsa is one of two Itama 76 as produced in 2001 and 2002.  A project of Mario Amati, his biggest Itama has been a long time coming, first announced as a 65 in the mid nineties, and then as 70 with initial construction starting in around 99.  Eventually the first unit was sold and delivered with a second hull coming a year later.  The Itama 70/76 was replaced by the Marco Casali designed Ferretti Group era Seventy Five in 2008, a model which is still in production today and has so far sold over thirty units.

Sunseeker Yacht Loses Power Off Torquay

A fifteen meter Sunseeker sport yacht with five passengers onboard went black out and lost power when located over twenty nautical miles East of Berry Head off Torquay, United Kingdom on 12:42 hours of Sunday 26 May.  Crew from Devon responded to the call with the Exmouth all-weather lifeboat for an operation which took five hours to complete, including the tow of the sport yacht to Torquay.  Upon arriving on the scene the RNLI crew assisted the five passengers aboard the sport yacht who were all suffering sea sickness and then found out that the vessel went black out because of the automatic fire suppression system which was preventing the engines from operating.  Following this the Sunseeker yacht was eventually towed to Torquay in rather challenging three meter waves rough seas conditions. 

The Sunseeker in this unlucky endeavor is a Predator 50 as produced from 2018 till 2020.  The Sunseeker Predator 50 came out as a replacement to the 485 San Remo, although in reality she was a different bigger yacht with more comfort and powered by shaft drives. In 2020 Sunseeker evolved the model into the Predator 55 Evo.

Croatia Medulin Marina Fire Burns 22 Boats

22 boats and yachts from five to 22 meters in length burned in a fire which started at 03:54 of the morning of fifteen May in Medulin Marina, Priveziste, Puntica, Croatia.  It is a miracle how no one was injured, with fire fighters from Pola responding to the fire with four vehicles and fifteen fire men, turning off the fire just after seven morning time.  The fire left no one injured with some people jumping in the water just as the blaze expanded to the whole pontoon from left to right.  An investigation is ongoing by the Port Authority of Pula and Istrian Police Directorate on how the fire started.

Some boats in this fire look to be a couple Bavaria sport cruisers, Innovazioni Progetti Mira, Rinker sport cruiser, Estensi Goldstar, Sasga, Sunseeker 47 Portofino, and what looks a Taiwan build motor yacht of about 22 meters which so far cannot be deciphered.

Fire in Fiumicino Boat Yard Burns Four Boats

A fire in a boat yard located on the Tiber river in Via della Scafa, Fiumicino, Italy involved four boats and yachts from twelve to sixteen meters was started on 05:40 morning of Monday thirteenth May.  Fire fighters from the Ostia Vigili dell Fuoco responded to the fire with four trucks.  No one was injured in the fire, also because no one was in the boat yard when the blaze started with an investigation ongoing by the Carabinieri on how the fire started.

We can only picture one yacht in this fire, which seems to be a not so good but probably practical for fishing conversion to a nice and classic Akhir 16.60 m as designed by Pier Luigi Spadolini and produced from 1972 to 78.  A replacement to the Atlas 16.90 the first Akhir for Cantieri di Pisa was a turn around in motor yacht design which then evolved into the Akhir 19 in 1979.

Saint-Laurent du Var Fire Destroys Five Boats Damages Two

Five boats and yachts between twelve to twenty meters where fire destroyed and eventually sank, while two yachts of nineteen and 21 meters received fire damage for a blaze which started at around 22:30 hours of Monday first May in Saint Laurent du Var, to the West of Nice in the South of France.  Sixty fire fighters with 34 fire engines responded to the fire, which was extinguished after four hours at around 03:00 hours the following morning second May.  No one was injured in the fire with the yacht marina of Saint Laurent du Var closed for the public the following day, for clean up operations while the prosecutor of Nice has opened an investigation.  From the photos and videos circulating on line the fire looks to have started from the second boat in this photo, which then jumped to the other three boats on its port side, and to the sport yacht in its starboard side.  The same marina had a fire which affected six restaurants in April 2021.

Three of the five destroyed yachts in this fire look to be a third generation Princess V65, second version Sunseeker 52 Manhattan, and a Canados 70 S, with the two smaller boats so far unidentified.  The two damaged yachts are an Arno Leopard 21.50m Open left of the photo, and a Riva 63 Virtus to the right.

VisionF Power Catamaran Burns Down in Miami River

A 2023 build VisionF power catamaran titled Flagship went ablaze and ultimately was destroyed by a fire which started in a covered water shed at the Merrill-Stevens Yachts repair yard, on the Miami river, North-West to Downtown Miami, at 11:15 on the morning of Sunday 28 April.  Miami Fire Rescue responded to the fire, with 32 rescue units and 100 fire fighters, including the Hazmat Team and a Fireboat.  This was a delicate fire fighting operation, also because the yacht was located in a close shed with nearby yachts, and other burning materials, with the first course off action being that to tow the yacht outside.  The fire took about one hour to control, with the yacht ultimately partly sinking in the Miami River.  No one was injured in the fire, with Merill-Stevens yard manager saying it was lucky that the accident happened on a Sunday.  The causes of the fire are under investigation, and are also being followed by VisionF, due to the relatively young age of less to a year of the yacht.   

Flagship is a 2023 VisionF 82 Alu, alumimium build in Turkey.  The VisionF 82 was first announced a project under the Silent Yachts brand in 2022, ultimately the brands separated in around 2023, and VisionF decided to launch the project under its own brand.  Three Vision F82 Alu have so far been delivered, with the yard having further projects for a smaller 80 and bigger 100 model.

Motor Yacht Explodes Then Goes Ablaze in Calanova Mallorca

A 23 meter motor yacht titled Tomi had an onboard explosion which then set an onboard fire while moored and berthed in Calanova, Palma, to the South West of Mallorca Island on Monday fifteen April.  Reports say a malfunctioning bow thruster set an explosion which then started a fire onboard the yacht.  Palma fire fighters rushed to the scene to control the flames, while Calanova marina personnel moved the yacht to a safe location out of harms way in order not to damage other yachts.   At this stage it is not reported if anyone was injured in this explosion and subsequent fire.

Tomi is a 2015 Pearl 75, a model designed by Bill Dixon with interiors by Kelly Hoppen presented in 2011 and produced till 2016.  The 75 apart being Pearl's new flagship at launch marked also the change to a midships-fore cabin area from the aft cabin design which made the brand famous in the noughties.  The 75 was replaced by the Pearl 80 in 2017.