Azimut Yacht Burns and Sinks in Otok Zut Croatia

A seventeen meter Azimut 55 with no persons onboard went ablaze near the island of Otok Zut, in the Kornati archipelago, Croatia on the early evening of Sunday sixth August.  No one was onboard the Azimut yacht at the moment of the fire, although the owners where reported to be nearby the yacht.  Local fire fighters rushed to the scene and towed the yacht outside the bay and then let it sink in the depths of the sea.  Nearby boaters reported as seeing the fire starting from the main deck of the yacht.

The yacht in this fire is the popular Azimut 55 Evo, released in 2005 and produced till 2009 to a design of Stefano Righini and interiors by Carlo Galeazzi.  A soft evolution of the standard 55 presented the fall of 2000 main differences in interior woods, and midships cabin windows.  The Azimut 55 was a top seller in its class, selling in over three hundred units in an eight year production run, the success coming for its unique at the time full beam midships stateroom layout.  The 55 was a replacement to the 58 Full and was replaced by the Azimut 58 in 2009.

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!

Princess Yacht Fire in Florida Kills One Woman

 

A 21 meter Princess motor yacht went on fire while berthed at Perry Hotel and Marina Key West, Stock Island Florida on 00:10 hours of Wednesday July 26.  The fire is believed to have left one 51 year old woman and her dog dead, with 59 year old husband and son badly injured.  The family was visiting the Florida Keys for the lobster mini season. The yacht was already engulfed in flames when Monroe County Fire Rescue arrived in the scene, taking them three hours to extinguish the fire.  According to reports the presumed dead woman returned back to the boat to rescue her dog, with husband and son also following her and getting injured in the process.  Husband and son where airlifted for treatment to Ryder Trauma Center in Miami.  Another family was on the boat but suffered no injuries.  The Princess motor yacht sank, and is a total loss.  Some unconfirmed reports are saying that the cause of fire is from Lithium batteries.

The Princess yacht in this fire is a 21M model produced from 2004 to 10. Designed as all Princess from the early eighties till today by Bernard Olesinski the Princess 21M offered a four double cabins interior with a crew cabin for two and is powered by Man 1050hp or optional 1300hp engines.  The Princess 21M was replaced by the 72 MY in 2010. 

Yacht Fire in La Paz Mexico Kills One Person, Injures Three

A fire onboard a 23 meter motor yacht at Puerta Cortes Tourist Complex, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico on 07:00 hours of Monday 24th July killed one person and injured three more, with the fire also jumping and partially burning another smaller fourteen meter Grand Banks explorer cruiser.  The fire was reported starting in the engine room of the 23 meter motor yacht, as crew where doing some work.  Three teams where dispatched to control the fire; Heroic La Paz Fire Department, La Paz Municipal Traffic and Security Directorate, and Municipal Civil Protection.  The person which was identified dead on the scene ended trapped in the engine room with the fire, while three more persons had injuries with a 37 year old also suffering extensive third grade burns.  The big 23 meter yacht eventually burned totally and became a total loss, while the smaller fourteen meter had its fire controlled, although it also received extensive damage to its bow area.

The 23 meter motor yacht in this fire is a Numarine 78 Flybridge as produced from 2008 to 2017 designed by Can Yalman and Tommaso Spadolini.  The smaller explorer cruiser is a Grand Banks 49 Classic as produced from 1980 to 99, with over 120 units sold.

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.

Motor Yacht Burns and Sinks in Korcula Channel

A 21 meter motor yacht titled La Belle with Croatian flag and four persons onboard, went on fire and then sank in the Korcula channel, North Dalmatia islands in Croatia on Saturday 24 June at around 13:00 hours.  The motor yacht was cruising in the Korcula channel between the islands of Korcula, Hvar, and Vis when it developed a fire.  Immediate the response of the Croatia safety agencies with a rescue boat departing the port of Lostovo first on the scene and saving the four crew members, and a fire brigade from Smokvica arriving a bit later to extinguish the yacht fire, with no success as it eventually burned down and sank in a depth of about seventy meters.  No injuries where sustained by the four crew, and the yacht left no pollution in the aftermath of the fire.  According to the crew testimony the yacht fire was developed from one of the engines.

M/y La Belle is a Yaretti 2110 from 1994, refitted in 2015, and was powered by twin Man 680hp engines with accommodation for eight guests in four cabins, and two crew forward.  Yaretti was founded in 1987 by Austrian Walter Sigl with boats sub contracted and build by Horizon in Taiwan.  For example the Yaretti 2110 was based around the Horizon 58 Pantera launched in 1990, extended in length for the extra cabin and some styling differences.  Yaretti stopped production in around the end nineties to restart in 2003 and then stop again in around the 2008 financial crisis.  In its second life Yaretti also sold two 2520, 25 meters super yachts.

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.

Classic Bertram Catches Fire in Biscayne Bay

A classic Bertram sixteen meter sportfish yacht with three people onboard went ablaze near the Coral Gables Waterway in Biscayne Bay, Miami on the afternoon of Saturday March eighteen.  Coral Gables Police Department spotted the smoke first and assisted the three people onboard, while Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and Miami Fire Rescue went to the scene to put out the flames.  According to reports no one was grievously injured, and the causes of the fire are unknown.  The condition of the Bertram yacht after the fire is unknown, though in the videos online the fire looks extensive, and most probably is a wreck.

The Bertram in this fire is the Dave Napier designed 54 launched in 1981 and produced till 2001 and sold in over 130 units.  A modern classic since launch the Bertram 54 had in those twenty years three versions, the first version up to 1985 is recognizable by the central pillar in the side windows, from 1997 it had a soft exterior refresh and interior by Faggoni from Italy.  The Bertram 54 was replaced by the 570 in 2002 which used the same hull with a new design outside and inside by Zuccon.  

Bertram 54 classic post here

Mangusta Lost to Fire in Hungary

A 25 meter Overmarine Mangusta super sport yacht titled m/y Le St. James went ablaze while in her berth at the Viking Yacht Club, by the Arpad Bridge, in Budapest, Hungary on fourteen February at around 1230 hours.  The yacht was unattended, with the fire being reported to have started on the main deck in the cockpit.  The fire was extinguished at 1400 hours with four fire engines, twenty fire fighters, and the Szent Florian fire boat.  No one was injured and material damage was limited to the 25 meter Mangusta which looked a total semi-sunk wreck when all was finished.

M/y Le St.James is an Overmarine Mangusta 80 from 2004, a semi custom super sport yacht designed by Stefano Righini and produced from 1992 to 2011.  Produced in 73 units the Mangusta 80 is Overmarine best success to date, with the model spawning four different versions over the years, forward radar arch till 1995, aft looking radar arch 1996 to 2005, and two hard-top version introduced in 2005 and fully enclosed from 2007.

Yacht Burns and Sinks in Rio de la Plata

A twenty meter motor yacht titled m/y Azimut III with three crew onboard burst into flames and eventually sank in Rio de la Plata, Argentina at about 06:45 hours of 27 December.  The motor yacht departed San Fernando at 05:15 bound Punta dell Este Uruguay, and one hour and half into the trip it went ablaze.  The crew was assisted by nearby yacht Le Plus.  Victor Silveira the captain who was given this duty for the yacht for the coming two months told the story and how in three minutes the yacht was ablaze and eventually burned down and sank.  

M/y Azimut III is a Segue 62 a model produced from the late nineties up to the early 2000s.  Founded in 1974 Segue yachts is an Argentina yacht builder popular in South America, though recently it has also been entering into the North American market.  Today Segue builds twelve cruisers and yachts from 32 up to 94 feet.

New Orleans Yard Fire Burns Five Boats

A fire broke out at Seabrook Harbour and Marine in New Orleans, USA at around 0545 hours of the morning of Sunday thirteen November.  According to reports the fire started in the office before it moved to a dry docked yacht stored near the building.  The fire is reported to have destroyed a total of five boats, three in dry dock, and two docked in the water.  Due to the strong winds of the day the fire took over two hours to extinguish, with 21 units and fifty five fire fighters controlling and extinguishing it on 0815 local time. No injuries have been reported.  

Of the boats damaged and wrecked one is the 23 meter m/y Bougie build in 1929 as a custom commuter vessel and refitted in 2013.  Bougie actually was at Seabrook for a make up job.  An other totalled yacht is a Hatteras 65 Convertible Series I, a model the famous Carolina brand build from 1986 up to 98.  A further sportfish as in the above photo is a 1989 to 1997 Bertram 72 Convertible in enclosed bridge version which looks to have sustained some burning damage.

Sunseeker Super Yacht Fire in Hamilton Island

A 25 meter Sunseeker super yacht titled m/y Time Out went on fire in Hamilton Island, Queensland, Australia at around 1000 hours of 24 October.  Time Out burned out for about five hours before it was extinguished, with the fire fighting work hindered by windy weather. The yacht was reported unattended at the time of the fire, with the flames looking to have started from the main deck. The fire was contained to Time Out and did not extend to nearby yachts, with the emergency services working to save the yacht from sinking to avoid further pollution damage.  No one was injured in the fire, although some people who went to close to the yacht have suffered minor smoke inhalation.  

M/y Time Out is a Sunseeker 82 Yacht model produced from 2002 till 2007 in twenty units.  Designed by the Sunseeker design team and Don Shead, the 82 Yacht offers a four double cabins interior and is powered by twin Man or Cat engines from 1500 to 1700hp.  The 82 Yacht was replaced by the 86 Yacht mark.1 in 2007 produced for two years in only two units.

Hurricane Ian

Hurricane Ian is the ninth named storm and fourth hurricane of 2022.  Ian originated from a tropical wave which formed on 19 September on Windward Islands before moving to the Caribbean sea where it brought wind and heavy rain to the ABC Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, and North coasts of Venezuela and Columbia on September 21-22 where it became a storm.  As it neared the Cayman Islands Ian reached hurricane grade three hitting Cuba, Southern East gulf of Mexico, and Dry Tortugas.  As it entered into Florida on 28 September Hurricane Ian hit high end grade four status, causing tremendous damage to South-West Florida especially to the cities of Fort Myers and Naples. After this damage Hurricane Ian returned to the Atlantic Ocean where it weakened for a couple of hours to a tropical storm, where it has returned to a Hurricane Two status touching the Carolinas on October one.  Hurricane Ian dissipated on second October. Hurricane Ian has killed at least 88 people, and has displaced over forty thousand.  Ian is considered the fifth deadliest storm to have hit the United States of America mainland, with sustained 75 gusting to ninety, and peaking 134 knots winds, with its heavy flooding and storm surge causing billions of US dollars in damage.

Hurricane Ian caused damage to over a hundred of boats and yachts, to what is the most boat and yacht rich state in the United States and the World; Florida.  Pictured above is the Legacy Marina in Fort Myers, so far the worst reported extensive single area damaged.  Other damage is also reported in Venice, Florida and all the canals and small marina around the area of Fort Myers. 

Gouvia Marina Fire Destroys Four Yachts

Four yachts where destroyed on the North looking Pontoon P in Gouvia marina in Corfu, in a fire which started around 1600 hours of Wednesday seventh September.  The fire first started on a twenty meter Princess sport yacht, which then jumped to a sailing catamaran of about sixteen meter, then another catamaran, and lastly the classic 29 meter sailing yacht Halcyon.  An explosion from the Princess twenty meter sport yacht was reported as being heard before a huge plump of smoke was seen coming up.  Nineteen fire fighters, five fire engines and a fire fighting boat where involved in the containment and control of the fire, along with volunteers who where untying and towing away nearby yachts.  Luckily no one was injured in this fire, which was rather extensive, in one of the largest Greek yacht marinas, with the four yachts being totalled and mostly a wreck.

The Princess sport yacht which started the fire is a V65.  Produced from 2000 to 2004 to a design of Bernard Olesinski the V65 was a successful model from Princess, selling in over fifty units in this mark.1 version. 

S/y Halcyon is a classic 29 meter schooner build in 1929 as a commercial vessel by Vosper Thornycroft, turned into a yacht school in 1957 and kept in this use for 32 years.  In 1988 she started its yacht conversion, which was finalized in 2004.

Azimut Yacht Fire in Aventura Florida Leaves One Injured

A 21 meter Azimut motor yacht went ablaze and severely injured one person on 1925 hours of Friday second September in 1520 Island Blvd, Aventura, Florida.  Miami-Dade fire rescue responded to the fire with twenty persons from both land and water.  One man which is reported the only person onboard the yacht was air-lifted to Ryder Trauma Center with severe burns.  The fire was extinguished at about 2200 hours of the night, with it not spreading into other yachts and the marina. 

The yacht in this fire is an Azimut 70 a model produced from 2008 till 2015 to a design of Stefano Righini.  Released in the fall of 2008 as a replacement to the successful 68 Plus and Evolution, the 70 was also an evolution of the 68 with a larger fourth cabin, and the choice to separate or open the galley on the main deck.  The Azimut 70 is powered by twin 1360hp Man engines which give her speeds up to 32 knots.  She was replaced by the Righini designed 72 in the fall of 2015. 

Sunseeker Yacht Destroyed by Fire in Saint Mandrier

M/y Black Diamond a 28 meter Sunseeker super sport yacht went ablaze while berthed at the IMS shipyard in Saint Mandrier, on the early morning of Friday second September.  Explosions where heard at 0100 hours before the yacht went ablaze.  Forty fire fighters flighted the flames up till the early morning in order to avoid the fires from jumping onto other yachts and the yard facilities.  The yacht is now a wreck and mostly submerged, with only the hull remaining.  Black Diamond is reported as arriving at Saint Mandrier on the 28 August.  No one was reported injured in the accident.  

M/y Black Diamond is a 2010 Sunseeker Predator 92 Sport, powered with the large MTU 2400hp engines and surface drives option for speeds up to 42 knots.  Designed by Don Shead and presented in the fall of 2008 the Predator 92 Sport was Sunseeker first model to feature a mini sport bridge up top, a style which eventually the Poole based builder named the Sport Yacht range.  Sunseeker sold ten Predator 92 Sport replacing it with the larger 101 Sport Yacht in 2013.

Viking Sportfish Burns in Jupiter Florida

A twenty meter sportfish yacht caught fire while in its berth at Johnathan's Landing, Jupiter, Florida at around 1730 hours of Friday 26 August.  The yacht was moored in its berth when the fire started, with fire fighting crew arriving both from land and water in order to control it.  The vessel was towed away immediately in order to stop the fire from moving to other boats and areas of the marina.  At some point the yacht developed an explosion from its stern area.  No one was injured in the fire, though the sportfish yacht is a wreck.

The yacht in this fire a Viking 65 Enclosed Bridge Convertible from 2001 name m/y Talk N' Thrash which had a repower in 2008 and an electronics upgrade in 2013.  Viking first generation 65 Convertible was produced from 2000 till 2005 in about eighty units, and offered a layout with three cabins sleeping six or seven with an optional crew cabin for two.  The 65 was replaced by the Viking 68 Convertible in 2006.

Super Yacht My Saga Sinks in Gulf of Squillace

M/y My Saga a 39 meter super yacht with nine Italian crew onboard sank in the Gulf of Squillace, eight nautical miles from Catanzaro Marina on 1300 hours of Saturday 20 August.  The crew reported a water intrusion in the early morning of Saturday, after evacuation a team of four remained whilst a tug boat from Crotone came to tow the yacht to safety, which ultimately did not succeed. Before sinking the yacht tilted heavily to starboard while under towing. The crew and yacht where assisted first by a Romanian patrol boat on behalf of Frontex, and a Guardia Costiera boat CP321 from Crotone second.  The yacht was traveling from Gallipoli on the Adriatic sea to Milazzo in Sicily, after arriving from Turkey.  The Italian Coast Guard released a statement that rough sea conditions did not help in saving and towing the yacht to Crotone with My Saga sinking at 1300 hours.

M/y My Saga previously named Yuko was build by defunct commercial ship builder founded in 1999 Cantieri San Marco from La Spezia, to an exterior design by Tim Heywood and naval architecture by Alberto Acenzi.  Monaco Yacht and Technologies inherited the project of the 39.4 meter yacht and with an interior design by Jean-Marc Achy sold it in 2007.  Twin Cats 503hp engines powered My Saga to a fourteen knots speed and a cruise of eleven will give a range up to 4000 nautical miles. This 39.4 meter is the only super yacht build by San Marco, known for building Tug boats with some commercial ships in between, though when Monaco Yacht and Technologies took over the yard they had two yachts, a 72 and 74 meter of about 1500GT of volume inbuild.  My Saga is owned by Russian coal magnate Gennady Ayvazyan who is reported as owning at least another super yacht.

Medicane in Corsica 2022

A fierce storm with hurricane strong winds hit Corsica on the morning of Thursday eighteen August.  The worst hit was the West and Northern part of Corsica with winds reaching record speeds of 121 knots, this recorded at Marignana to the West of Corsica.  The same storm also hit the North Tyrrhenian sea particularly the region of Tuscany couple hours later.  Over five hundred boats and yachts received some damage, with about one hundred of these receiving extensive damage which made them unusable to use before repairs are done.  Some of these unusable boats and yachts also ended up beached or sank and are a wreck.  Six people where reported dead in Corsica with three dying in Italy because of the storm with one of these being related to boating. 

The 2022 Mediterrean Summer season was particularly hot, with sea temperatures reaching thirty degrees at the beginning of August, result is that a medium strong cold front ends turning in a Medicane, a Mediterrean Hurricane.  Storms like this has happened in the past, possibly of lower intensity, but it is also important to note that our weather reading has become much more precise and sophisticated in recent years.  Being in high season and Corsica a popular destination created the right dooms day environment for all this chaos to happen.  

A Mondomarine Arrow 50 is seen before sinking outside the Saint Florent marina.  Designed by Cichero the Mondomarine Arrow was released in 1984 first as 52 and then rebadged as 50.  The model was produced till 1992 with an Open version released on the same hull in 1987.

This eighties Raffaelli Middle Flying mt 12 was a lucky one at Saint Florent who ended starboard side on the South West breakwater of the harbor, while a sail boat unknowingly pulled him to the middle of the marina before the boat suffered further damage, and possibly a sinking. 

A Princess V53 is seen beached in Calvi the worst hit area with tens of boats, most of which sailing yachts finishing beached.  In Calvi most of the swing moorings failed with boats ending up hitting each other, with the end result being tens of boats and yachts damaged.

Another Calvi victim here a Beneteau Swift Trawler 34 ended in a difficult beaching, in between rocks and extensive damage to its bow.

Possibly this was the worst damage in a beach near Calvi where this Cranchi E52 F Evoluzione has separated from its upper deck and had its hull split in two.  Forward to this was also a beached Beneteau Antares 9.80.

An Absolute got some damage to starboard stern side when a classic sailing yacht broke its moorings in Marina di Carrara in Tuscany.  Important damage in Carrara also happened to dry stacked racing sail yachts, which flew off there cradle.  The World beating Maserati trimaran of Giovanni Soldini also sustained damage in this storm.

New ISA Super Yacht Burns Down in Formentera

M/Y Aria SF a new one month old ISA 45 meter super yacht burned down in Cala Soana, Formentera, near Ibiza on Thursday 11 August at about 1700 hours.  The super yacht had nine guests and seven crew at the time of the fire, with the Spanish coast guard sending immediately two rescue boats for assistance.  None of the guests where injured.  Initial attempts to control the fire where unsuccessful, with the super yacht remaining ablaze for more then 24 hours.  After the fire a salvage boat from Salvamento Maritimo was towing Aria SF, with the yacht located in Cap Martinet, when this operation was abandoned and the owner taking charge of the salvage, with the yacht sinking a day later on the fourteen August in twelve meters of depth.  The cause of the fire are not yet reported but neighboring boats reported of hearing explosions some minutes before they saw the yacht burning.

M/Y Aria SF is the first ISA Yachts GT 45m, ordered in 2019 and completed in June 2022, to a design by Enrico Gobbi with interior by Luca Dini. The first GT 45m had a ten guest cabin interior with seven crew in four cabins including of which is a captains cabin in the pilothouse, while power came from twin Cats 1300hp engines which gave her a top speed of sixteen knots, and a cruise of fourteen.  Owned by Italian car components businessman Paolo Scudieri the first GT 45 was planned to debut at the Cannes 2022 boat show.  A second GT 45 is currently under construction set for delivery in 2023.