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.

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.

Hurricane Otis Goes Apocalyptic in Acapulco

Hurricane Otis made an apocalyptic arrival in Acapulco on Wednesday 25 October, devastating the waterfront of the Acapulco Yacht Club in the North-West of the bay.  Otis was a compact and so far the most powerful Tropical storm category five hurricane of the 2023 Pacific Season reaching speeds up to 143 knots on the morning of October 25. Forming on the 22nd November, and reaching its peak on the 04:00 hours of October 25, Otis hit and made landfall in Isla de la Roqueta, to the South of Acapulco, killing 49 people, with 57 still missing, and is estimated to have made seventeen billion US dollars in damages.     

Scene from the North part of the of Acapulco Yacht Club, you can see an Azimut 54, and a Sunseeker Predator 63 Open to the left corner, along with a few Sea Rays.

Here is the South side is a Ferretti 800, followed by a Sunseeker Predator 57, a mid nineties Horizon Elegance 82, and an Azimut 100 Jumbo.

A before and after Hurricane Otis view of Acapulco Bay.  Possibly one of the biggest single areas destructions, and devastations ever seen.

Hurricane Norma 2023

Norma is the ninth hurricane of the Pacific 2023 season.  Forming from a low pressure appearing on the fifteen October to the Southern Coast of Mexico, which on the seventeen became a Tropical storm, and becoming a Hurricane the morning after of the eighteen. For the next 24 hours Norma will increase speeds from sixty to 112 knots becoming a category four Hurricane and causing chaos in the Southern Western Coast of Mexico.  Norma started to weaken on October 20, but made a second round of seventy knots winds on the 21st doing damage to the West-North-West of Cabo San Lucas, with a third round on the 23rd at Sinaloa near El Dorado.  After this Norma became a remnant low pressure.  

Hurricane Norma has caused major damage to La Paz and Marina Cortez to the East of Baja California Sur, with about fifty boats reported lost or damaged.  Above is a photo screen from a one of the videos circulating on social media showing the damage to La Paz marina.  This video showed a few catamarans and sail yachts sank, with the above motor yacht looking like a Hampton 490 Pilothouse semi-sank, and other motor yachts showing damage to the bathing platforms and hull sides.  

A video on YouTube by Your Saltwater Guide also showed a Cantieri di Pisa Akhir 30 S which was taken aground by the storms surge power.

While Alan Flores Ramos on Twitter showed the 2021 Ferretti Custom Line Navetta 33, hull #16 m/y Ricacha mostly sank vertically with its port side anchor out.  It is reported on some sources that Ricacha sought refuge in La Paz only for it to sustain damage in a collision and then sink.  The crew were rescued, with an operation to salvage Ricacha being underway.

Sunseeker Sport Yacht Runs Aground in Pijavica, Croatia

A 28 meter Sunseeker sport yacht titled Code, with a captain and two crew ran aground in the islet of Pijavica, near Trogir Bay in Croatia at 06:35 hours of Monday 23rd October.  No one was injured in the grounding with Telegram news reporting that the captain of Code deliberately ran the yacht aground in order to save her from sinking. During the preliminary inspection by Split harbour master, Code is reported to have its hull fully resting on the island cliff, and carrying just over 3,000 liters fuel, and as precaution was surrounded with floating dams by the Voluntary Fire Company of Kastela.   

M/y Code is a Sunseeker Predator 92 Sport from 2009 powered by twin MTU 2434hp engines for top speeds up to 38 knots.  Designed by Don Shead the Sunseeker Predator 92 offers an eight double cabins, plus two crew layout.  The Sunseeker Predator 92 was produced from 2008 till 2010 in ten units, with the same hull evolving into the slightly shorter Predator 84 in 2009.

Classic Motor Yacht Sinks in Terracina

An unattended twenty meter classic Cantieri di Pisa motor yacht partly sank at the exit of the Portatore river, at the exit of the Badino yacht harbour, in Terracina, Latina, Italy on the morning of Saturday 21 October.  The classic yacht was found partly sank with its stern resting on the river bed, and the bow and part of its super structure still floating. The Gaeta Guardia di Finanza along with the Maritime Office of Terracina where quickly on the case, contacting the ownership, so it removes the yacht and put it to safety, in order to avoid any damage to the environment and the river.  According to reports on the LatinaOggi news the ownership of the yacht accepted this call, and even with the bad weather of the day started the organization to remove the yacht and put it to safety.  An investigation is ongong for why did the yacht sink.

This classic motor yacht is a Cantieri di Pisa Akhir 20 a design of Pierluigi Spadolini produced from 1979 till 1984.  Build in wood planking the Pisa Akhir 20 offered an interior of three double guest cabins plus a crew cabin for two, and is powered by twin 750hp GM for top speeds up to 27 knots.  A replacement to the 19, the Akhir 20 was replaced by more modern and bigger 22 in 1985.

Hatteras Sportfish Ends Aground Then Sinks

A sixteen meter Hatteras sportfish yacht titled Rae Mar ended aground and then sank near Boston, in Massachusetts, on the morning of Saturday 23 September.  The cause of the collision and grounding are not reported, with the situation getting worse as the sportfish later sank, probably due to high tide coming in.  Some unconfirmed reports are saying the sportfish yacht was on a sea trial at the time of the accident.  It is a strange turn of events to what looks a visible islet.  This Hatteras sportfish yacht was advertised for sale at the time of the collision.

Rae Mar is a 1989 Hatteras 52 Convertible powered by twin 735hp Detroit engines.  As all Hatteras up till the nineties the 52 Convertible is a design of Jack Hargrave, who presented a two or three cabin layout choice, and a modified Vee hull closing rather flat to aft.  Launching in 1982 the Hatteras 52 Convertible received a look upgrade in side windows and flybridge in 1986.  Produced till 1990 the 52 Convertible was a replacement to the 53 Convertible and was replaced by the 54 Convertible series I.

Motor Yacht Sinking in Belleair

A 23 meter motor yacht titled Christmas Spirit, partly sank near Belleair boat ramp, in Tampa on the afternoon of third September.  United States Coast Guard and Police Community Support Officer went to the scene to assist the boater and evaluate the scene.  The boater sustained no injuries and during inspection it was seen that the yacht was leaking fuel in the sea, and was later surrounded and protected with a hard boon and absorbent pads.  The motor yacht had to be left boomed till Tuesday fifth September when a cleaning up process had to be made.  

M/y Christmas Spirit is a 1992 Lazzara 76.  Produced from 1992 to 2002, Lazzara build 48 units of the 76, which offered a five stateroom layout and two important options; wide-body deck house and enclosed skylounge flybridge.  Lazzara made thirty in each of these versions.  The Lazzara 76 was powered by twin MTU 1150hp for speeds in the mid twenties. The Lazzara 76 was replaced by the 80 in 2003. 

Unfortunately the last twelve months have been tough on m/y Christmas Spirit, which was sold as salvage from the aftermath of Hurricane Ian from end September 2022, the worst hurricane to hit Florida since the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935.

Classic Yacht Sinks Then Recovered Near Caprera Island

A classic seventeen meter motor yacht titled m/y Vintage was recovered in Maddalena Island, near Caprera to the East of Sardinia on the morning of Saturday second September.  According to news Vintage had a structural plank collapse in rough seas, opening a hull breach at about 06:50 hours of Monday 21 August and then sinking in about forty meters of deep sea.  On the morning of second September a detailed operation in recovering the classic yacht, with a team by Marina di Porto Massimo, and Costruzioni Marittime e Edile from Olbia and assistance and monitoring by the Guardia Costiera and Harbour Masters of Olbia was organized.  This was a difficult job, with two tug boats and three water craft, towing the yacht to a boat yard in Palau in Sardinia some five nautical miles from the point of sinking.

M/y Vintage is a Cantiere Navale di Chiavari Paraggina 1000 build in 1968 and delivered in 1970.  17.20 meters in length and built in triple planking the Paraggina 1000 was designed by Gino Solari, with an aft cabin layout of two double guest suites, and a two berth crew cabin forward.  The Paraggina 1000 was powered by twin GM 480hp for top speeds up to 22 knots.  Gino Solari will evolve the Paragina 1000 looks into the larger Portofino twenty meter.  Cantieri Navale di Chiavari was founded in the eighteen century, building about seventeen boats a year in the sixties Italian pleasure boating renaissance and closing its doors in 1975. 

According to reports m/y Vintage is the last Cantieri Navali di Chiavari Paraggina 1000, receiving an important refit in 2023.  For details of this refit I am leaving a link in the comments section.

Hurricane Idalia

Hurricane Idalia started to form on the 26th August from a low pressure in Central America and the Eastern Pacific Ocean.  Idalia touched briefly category four on thirtieth August, when it reached the Big Bend region of Florida, and later become a category three as it crossed to South East Georgia.  Hurricane Idalia later pushed into the Carolinas as it became a Tropical Storm.  Idalia reached 110 knots of wind speed as it made landfall in Florida although it biggest damage came from the storm surge, with water level rising by over two meters.  Since August 31 Idalia has dissipated in the Atlantic, near the Bermuda's.   Idalia was the third hurricane, second major one, and the tenth storm of 2023.

Idalia caused damage to tens of boats and yachts mostly from the storm surge.  Videos on social media showed drifting boats in the Florida canals, while some home owners ended with boats in the court yard in the aftermath of Idalia's storm surge.

Classic Yacht Saved from Sinking in Camerota

A 24 meter classic Cantieri di Pisa super yacht titled m/y Dea Tuda with ten persons onboard nearly sank near Marina di Camerota, to the South of Salerno at around 12:30 hours of fourteen August.  The classic yacht was cruising about one nautical mile away from the coast, near Marina di Camerota when a hull breach materialized, and the yacht started to be flooded with its engine room semi-flooding in some minutes.  Immediate the response of the Italian Guardia Costiera which assisted the guests and crew, taking them to safety, and then with the help of the harbour assistants of Marina di Camerota towed the yacht to the marina jetty, and with water pumps saved it from sinking.  

Motor yacht Dea Tuda is a Cantieri di Pisa Pegasus 24. Released in 1974 to a design of Pier Luigi Spadolini, the Pegasus 24 has an interior with four double cabins, and a crew cabin forward for three persons and is powered by twin MTU 900hp as standard, or optional 1350hp, reaching speeds up to 32 knots with the large engines.  When released the Pegasus 24 was Cantieri di Pisa flagship for three years replacing the Pegasus 23 as the yard largest offer, replaced by the modern looking Akhir 26 in 1984.

Aicon Yacht Ends Aground in Greek Ithaki Island

A nineteen meter Aicon motor yacht with seven persons onboard ended aground in Agios Nikoloas, in the North East of Ithaki Island at about 12:00 hours of eleven August.  It is not reported if the yacht was cruising in the Marmagas sea, or ended aground while at anchor in near Agios Nikoloas.  A patrol boat was immediately dispatched in the area, first taking the seven passenger aboard the flybridge yacht to safety, and subsequently organizing motor vessel Dimitra for the towing of the yacht to the harbour of Lefkada, for inspection and repairs.  No pollution was reported from the grounding.

The yacht in this grounding is an Aicon 64 Fly designed by Marco Mannino with naval architecture by Sergio Cutolo, it offered an interior of three or four cabins plus a crew cabin, and was powered by twin Man 1360hp engines for top speeds up to 34 knots.  Third model of the short and fast Aicon life which lasted about twelve years, the 64 Fly was produced from 2004 to 2012 selling in over thirty units.  Reopening in 2019 Aicon actually started by evolving the 64 in the new Sergio Cutolo designed 66 Vivere presented in 2022.

Sport Yacht Aground Near Porto Rotondo in Sardinia

A seventeen meter Alfamarine sport yacht ended aground in Cala Sabina to the South of Porto Rotondo on the late morning of eleven August.  The Alfamarine yacht departed Porto Rotondo and hit the reef to port side during its entry to Cala Sabina.  The sport yacht was later assisted by a private yacht yard, and towed for repairs. The damage to the yacht was not reported extensive, with water intrusion coming from a slipped damaged shaft entry.

The Alfamarine in this grounding is the 55, released in 1990 to a design of Franco Harrauer, offering a three cabins plus crew cabin layout and line shafts or forty knots surface drive propulsion.  Stopped in production in 1994 only five Alfamarine 55 were made, with the model evolving into the 58 with a redesigned stern and radar arch in 2002 and still offered as build to order today.  The hull of the 55 was also used for the tri-engines record breaking fast 65, and the still produced 60 introduced in 1998.

Maiora Yacht Ends Aground in Saint-Florent

A twenty meter Maiora motor yacht ended aground in Saint-Florent, to the North of Corsica on the morning of tenth August.  The causes of the accident are not reported but some reports are saying the yacht ending on the reef at about ten knots.  The yacht was later in the day protected with an oil boon for pollution control as it tipped more to its starboard side, and then taken to a nearby yard for repairs.  

The yacht in this grounding is the popular Maiora 20 produced from 1992 till about 2012, to a design of Roberto del Re.  The 20 was Maiora's best success for the Viareggio based builder founded in 1971.  A custom made to order flybridge motor yacht the Maiora 20 dominated the twenty meter size for its modern yet clean looks, selling over eighty units in two decades of production, and including the 20S longer stern version released in 2000.

Sad News Cujo Sinks Near Beaulieu-sur-Mer

Motor yacht Cujo, a one off very special Baglietto 20M with seven persons onboard sank just about seventeen nautical miles from Beaulieu-sur-Mer on the early afternoon of Saturday 29 July.  As reported by the Gendermerie des Alpes-Maritimes, Cujo called a May-Day on 12:30 hours of 29 July reporting that the yacht is taking water fast and in danger of sinking, with French coast guard arriving on the scene and the crew assisted by a sailboat which was nearby in the area.  The seven guests and crew onboard Cujo were safe, unharmed with no injuries, and in good health and where later transported to Bealieu-sur-Mer.  Cujo sank in a depth of over seven hundred meters with French Gendermerie reporting no pollution, although they are monitoring the situation as the yacht was reported carrying around seven thousand litres of diesel fuel.

Cujo was a special one-off Baglietto 20M ordered by California Porsche dealer Johnny Von Neumann a repeat client of the Varazze shipyard who wanted something fast and unique.  For this Baglietto build this one off 20M with a unique super structure and twin 1350hp CRM engines reaching speeds over forty knots in 1972.  After Neumann, Cujo was sold to Adnan Khashoggi who then passed the yacht to nephew Dodi Al-Fayed who refitted her at CARM Shipyard in Lavagna.  It is in this ownership that Cujo becomes famous, thanks to it being paparazzied with Dodi and Diana in Summer 1997 in the Italian and French Riviera's.  Following Dodi and Diana deaths Cujo will be decommissioned in 1999, until Al-Fayed cousin Moody rediscovers it in 2015 and spends over a million in a refit including upgrading the CRMs to 1650hp.  After this the boat is sold in a bid to Simon Kidston in 2020, with him selling in auction less to a year to an Italian noble family.

This is a sad day for motorboat enthusiasts as Cujo was one of the most special yachts around, a jewel made by Baglietto on the successful 20M platform which warps time like a black hole.  Rest in Peace Cujo, until memory serves me you will not be forgotten!

Palmer Johnson Super Yacht Scuttled as Artificial Reef

The 38.5 meter super yacht titled m/y Time has been scuttled in fifty meters of deep sea as an artificial reef near Hutchinson Island, at Fort Pierce Sportfishing club reef, about fifteen nautical miles South East to Fort Pierce inlet off the Florida coast on the morning of Saturday fifteen July.  Time was abandoned and unused at Marlin County, American Custom Yacht yard for seventeen years.  Marine Cleanup Initiative and St.Lucie County artificial reef programme with Mc.Mulley Marine services took care of the scuttling.  The super yacht was donated by Martin County Anglers Club in August 2022.

Designed by Tom Fexas with interior by Diane Atwood and Juan-Carlos Espinosa m/y Time is a Palmer Johnson 126 Atwood launched in 1987.  When launched Time was the largest aluminium yacht build and powered by twin 4800hp GM engines reached a top speed up to 31 knots.  Time was refitted in 1992 before sitting abandoned since 2005.

Azimut Yacht Saved from Sinking Near Livorno

In the early afternoon of Thursday thirteen July a sixteen meter Azimut motor yacht called a may-day for assistance as it was taking water in its engine room and in risk of sinking.  The Azimut motor yacht left Livorno harbour going direction Cecina, with two persons onboard, when the helmsman noticed that the Azimut yacht slowed down and started to ride bow high.  The Azimut yacht was assisted by two Guardia Costiera vessels, the CP 867 which came from Livorno and the GC B60 fast rib from Cecina, who after calming down the two crew, assisted the yacht to Cecina where a travel lift was ready to take the Azimut up for inspection and eventual repairs.

The Azimut in this near sinking is a 50 Fly model which was presented in the Summer of 2014, and as today is still in production. Coming from a Stefano Righini design the 50 Fly has a three double cabin layout, with an owners stateroom at midships and powered by twin 650hp Cat engines reaches speeds up to 31 knots.  Nine years in production the Azimut 50 Fly has received one modification over the years, with a galley up option available since 2017.

Vitech Super Yacht Sinks off Hastings

A 27 meter Vitech super yacht titled m/y Astor with two persons and a dog on board sank while cruising off Hastings, on the East Sussex coast on Thursday April six at about 1700 hours.  A coast guard helicopter rescued the crew while the dog was later saved by a life boat.  M/y Astor was reported sold in end January, after the yacht has sat untouched in Brighton marina for many years.   

M/y Astor is a 1993 Vitech 90 designed by Bill Dixon and build in Taiwan.  The Vitech 90 features an accommodation for eight guests in four cabins and is powered by twin Man 1100hp engines with a top speed up to 23 knots.  Astor was the first and one of two 90 models build with the second launching in 2006.

Sportfish Runs Aground in Stuart Florida

A fifteen meter sportfish cruiser ran aground in Stuart Florida on the morning of 28 February. The sportfish cruiser finished on top of a sand bar damaging the propeller, rudder and shaft and causing a breach in the hull, with the sportfish yacht taking in water.  Quick assistance came from TowBoat U.S. who covered the hull breach with a temporary fix, and then towed the sportfish cruiser to a yard for lift up and repair.

The sportfish yacht in this grounding is a Lydia 48 Sportfish Convertible from 1988.  Lydia is a custom sportfish and commercial boat builder from Oakland, Florida founded in 1968 and continued operating till 2002.  An unknown name today Lydia was famous in the nineties for building some of the largest super sportfish custom yachts in the cold moulding method including of which are the 92 and 95 feet builds.

Sunseeker Aground in Honolua Bay Hawaii

A 28 meter Sunseeker super yacht titled m/y Nakoa ended aground in Honolua Bay, on the island of Maui, Hawaii at 06:45 hours of Monday 20 February morning.  The yacht reportedly broke its mooring lines as it was preparing to leave the bay.  Nakoa was also reported pumping out some fuel discharge in the protected area, a day later, also because the bilge pumps where left on.  Since then the bilge pumps has been turned off by the crew.  The company which owns Nakoa, Noelani Yacht Charters who also operates another smaller 23 meter Sunseeker said the accident was not due to negligence but unfortunate circumstances.  

After a couple of salvage operation attempts, Nakoa was removed from the area on Sunday March fifth, only for the operation to be a bad success with the yacht sinking during towing in a depth of 300 meters a couple nautical miles away from where it grounded. 

Nakoa is a 2004 Sunseeker 94 Yacht, a model produced from 2002 to 2006 to a Don Shead design.  The Sunseeker 94 Yacht offers a four double cabins lower deck with two crew cabins, and was powered by Cat of MTU 1800hp engines.  Sunseeker build thirteen 94 Yacht with the model replaced by the 90 Yacht in 2006.