Viking Sportfish Yacht on Fire in Miami River

An unattended sixteen meter Viking sportfish yacht titled Lola, went ablaze while slipped moored in a covered shed in Northwest 24th Avenue and Fifteen Street, Miami River on the late morning of Sunday 21 February.  YouTube channel Boatsnaps filmed as US Coast Guard, City of Miami Police, City of Miami Fire Rescue, Miami-Dade Rescue, and Miami-Dade Police Department responded to this fire with a total of seventeen units, which included a Fireboat and Foam Truck, with the quick response avoiding the fire to jump to other nearby yachts, although the Viking sportfish yacht was reported to receive extensive fire damage.  No one was injured in the fire, with the causes of the blaze currently under investigation.

Lola is a year 2000 Viking 55 Convertible, a three stateroom sportfish yacht produced from 1997 to 2003 in 115 units.  The 55 Convertible is regarded as the model which made Viking as the top production sportfish yacht maker.  The 55 Convertible came out as a replacement to the 53 Convertible and was replaced by the equally successful 56 Convertible in 2003.

Ocean Alexander New Web Site

Ocean Alexander from Taipei, Taiwan presents its new World wide web showroom. The Ocean Alexander story starts in 1973, when Alex Chueh lends money to a friend, and this ends in a boat yard ownership. A few years pass and it is 1977 and after a meeting with naval architect Ed Monk Junior, Alex Chueh founds Ocean Alexander. After this meeting and a year later the first Ocean Alexander yacht is launched and this is the 50 Classic Mark I. Since then its history and Ocean Alexander has in the last fifteen years been managed by Alex's son Johnny Chueh. Today Ocean Alexnader offers four series; Divergence, Revolution, Explorer, and Legend divided into six models which start with the outboard powered centre console 45 Divergence, and goes up to the 36 Legend. Ocean Alexander new website is available in English,  Spanish and Chinese languages and takes you around with the following buttons; Home, Series, OA Advantage, Media and Events, Dealers, Shop, and Contact. Ocean Alexander is also on social media with buttons at the button of the page taking you to the; Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube pages.

www.oceanalexander.com

Project: Baglietto Superfast42

Italian boat builder Baglietto has revealed the first renderings of its latest 42m project, a planning hull aluminium yacht pencilled by Francesco Paszkowski for a European Owner. The La Spezia based shipyard is thus going back to its origins, reinterpreting its iconic planning line with an eye to the future.  This new 42m yacht is indeed characterised by a slender hull and a modern, aggressive design, further enhanced by the extensive use of multi-level glazed surfaces, resulting in a very contemporary exterior look.  The highly performing, brand-new hull, designed by Plana Design, can reach a remarkable maximum speed of 28 knots thanks to three MTU 2600hp engines with traditional shaft line external drives and a VOITH linear jet central drive.  The limited draught of just over two meters also deserves mention, as it allows to easily and comfortably cruise even in very shallow waters. The compact Hard Top superstructure, limited in height, makes a significant contribution to this yacht’s charming, stylish look. The stern, too, features innovative design solutions, with the transom door opening downwards to create a pleasant swimming platform on the sea featuring a lounge area furnished with sofas and a bar, while a side door makes launching and hauling the tender fast and easy.  Impressive volumes characterise this vessel, which has been mainly conceived to enjoy wonderful sunny day at sea and outdoor activities with friends. Inside, the layout is a traditional one, with the full-beam master stateroom located forward on the main deck and fitted with a large ensuite bathroom and a spacious walk-in wardrobe. A conversation area welcomes guests as they board the yacht on this deck, where the dining area and the galley can also be found.  The night guest area, situated on the lower deck, includes four guest cabins: 2 double VIP cabins and 2 twin cabins with an additional Pullman bed. On the same deck, at the bow, are the crew quarters, with the Captain’s cabin, a dinette, and 3 cabins with bunk beds.  The wheelhouse is on the upper deck and is directly connected to the large sky lounge, where guests will be able to enjoy a conversation area and a cinema room. The dining table is outside. Moving towards the stern, the sunbathing area can be reached, furnished with loungers and seats. Another sunbathing area is available at the bow, also on this deck.  Baglietto Superfast42 will be classified with Rina and is scheduled to be delivered by summer 2022.

www.baglietto.com

Marquis Yacht Totalled to Fire in Compass Marina

A 21 meter Marquis motor yacht was totalled and lost to fire in Compass Cay, in the Exumas, on seventeen February, 2021. The yacht started burning at Compass Marina and was then towed away to Compass Cay.  Some photos are running in social media showing the sank debris.  The yacht was unattended at the time of the fire, which according to some reports lasted for over three hours before it was totally destroyed. No further fire to neighbouring boats or yachts occurred, and no one was hurt in the accident.

The Marquis in this fire is a 720 as designed by Nuvolari Lenard and produced from 2008 to 2016.  The Marquis 720 came was as a replacement and evolution of the 690.  The Marquis 720 was also offered in an enclosed bridge version called the Tri-Deck called version.

Improve-it = Evo Yachts R6

A new unit was recently launched of the Evo R6, the 18-metre yacht that epitomises the long-term vision of the Blu Emme Yachts yard. Compared to her two sisters, this custom EVO R6 features new layouts, both externally and internally, and alternative furnishing solutions developed together with the German owner, who envisaged a boat with a more aggressive look perfect for celebrations and parties. The exterior layout has been modified to create a bar with a linear and functional design behind the stern sun-pad. The brushed stainless steel structure and apparently suspended teak counter are seamlessly integrated with the unit containing a fridge, freezer and icemaker unit. The spacious sun-pad sofa is a small masterpiece of design. Technological, transformable and extendable, it encapsulates all the brand’s distinctive characteristics. Guests can use this feature to revolutionise the layout of the area in seconds: the backrest can be adjusted manually and transformed into seating for the bar, while the sun-pad can be extended in width using an electric mechanism to form a C-shaped sofa overlooking the water. Even the smallest details have been designed with the greatest care: the sofa seems to hang in the air thanks to its clever structure and, unlike the previous two units in which the sun-pad has a 2.8-metre tender housed beneath it, there’s a special hatch to gain access to the jet boards. The lateral Xtension bulwarks, on the other hand, contain two Seabobs, with a sliding system for ease of use.  In the cockpit, the kitchen unit is in the same style as the bar and has been redesigned to accommodate a bigger grill. Also transformable are the new hanging pilot’s seat, the cockpit sofa with a backrest that can be used as an extra seat, and the cockpit table, which has an electric “up and down” mechanism and can be used either for lunch or drinks. The windscreen has two openings at the bottom to allow fresh air to circulate and make the cockpit even more comfortable.  The forward sun-pad and sofa have also been revolutionised in this new version of the Evo R6 by adding mobile backrests.  Below deck, the interior design is in a Northern European minimalist style, with clean, simple and squared off lines combined with a palette of pale colours. The owner has chosen a layout with three cabins plus a spacious dinette that can be turned into a fourth cabin. Once again, the Yard and designer Valerio Rivellini have shown their ability to customise the layout of a 58-footer and translate the owner’s needs into a masterpiece of functionality and design. First presented with two cabins plus crew and then revisited in a three-cabin version on the Open model, this third version of the Evo R6 offers four guest cabins and three bathrooms.

www.evoyachts.com

Project: Absolute 48 Coupe

Absolute 48 Coupé inaugurates a new range for the North Italian boat builder, and sees the shipyard in Podenzano return to a sport cruiser offer sub fifteen meters, which is how the Italian builder offer actually started in 2002 and 3 when it was founded.  The main novelty of the 48 Coupe aim at a new concept of life aboard, with solutions to reduce the energy consumption and stimulating new levels of comfort and liveability, thanks to the use of solar panels on the coach roof.  Outside in the above rendering the Absolute 48 Coupe seems to be very much based on the 47 Fly model, with identical hull windows and featuring new stern design.  Super structure is also completely new with everything again as per rendering above looking leaner.  The Absolute 48 Coupe is to be powered by twin Volvo 480hp with IPS pod drive propulsion, which will give top speeds up to thirty knots and a cruise of 25.  

www.absoluteyachts.com

Custom Sportifsh Yacht Hits Whale and Sinks

A sixteen meter custom sportfish yacht titled m/y About Time with eight crew onboard sank after hitting a whale in the inbound channel to Conch House Marina in St. Augustine Florida just before 1830 hours of February 12.  About Time was cruising at 21 knots when it hit a young calf whale female and its mother, stopping at a standstill and both its engines turning off on impact.  About Time received substantial damage in the collision with its starboard strut and propeller cutting into the hull and opening a breach, and only the capable hands of captain Shane Ryan made this a lesser accident, with him managing to turn the port-side engine on and taking the crew to safety before leaving the sportfish yacht partly sink in a mudflat outside the inlet.  The young calf whale was found dead a day later on the beach of Anastasia state park near the inlet with visible propeller wounds on its back and a fractured skull.  The sportfish yacht was recovered and taken to a boat yard for extensive repairs.

Georgia officials reported that there have been at least five reported whale collision in the South East coast since 2005, which include a collision with a thirteen meter Grand Banks in 2005, and another with a thirty foot Pursuit in 2009.

M/y About Time previously named Starlite the sportfish yacht in this collision is a fully custom Jarrett Bay 54 Sportfisherman hull #25 launched in July 1999, and build in cold moulding with the jig method.

New Model: Astondoa AS8

In the fall of 2020 Astondoa launched its AS8 model, a flybridge pocket super yacht which measures just over 25 meters in length over all.  The Astondoa AS8 presents its self as a modern looking super yacht with not so high free board, and a main deck all surrounded by glass.  Accommodation is the traditional four doubel cabins layout with owners stateroom at midships.  To aft is two crew cabins which can sleep to four persons.  The Astondoa AS8 is standard powered by twin Man 1600hp which give top speeds up to 32 knots.  An optional twin 1900hp engine is available.

Technical Data:

LOA - 25.25 m (82.8ft)

Hull Length - 23.2 m

Beam - 6.04 m

Draft - 2.21 m

Displacement - 61 t dry

Fuel Capacity - 6200 l

Water Capacity - 1100 l

Accommodation - eight guest berths in four cabins, four crew in two cabins

Engines - 2 x Man V12 1600hp, o V12 1900hp

Propulsion - line shaft

Speed - 32 knots max with Man 1600hp

Hull Shape - modified Vee

www.astondoa.com

Azimut Super Yacht Partially Sinks Near Marco Island

A 26 meter Azimut super yacht partially sank near Marco Island to the South of Fort Myers beach in Florida on eleventh February, when it hit a sandbar in the area.  According to the locals this particular sandbar in the area tend to move and make the markers put by the coast guard the previous days practically useless.  Locals have been asking local authorities to dredge the channel, as with the sand bars increasing the channel is always becoming smaller.  No one was injured in the accident but the Azimut super yacht was still seeking assistance to re-float two days after the accident. 

The Azimut in this sinking is a 2001 build 85 Ultimate as designed by Stefano Righini and produced from 2000 till 2005 in 45 units.  The Azimut 85 Ultimate was replaced by the 85 model.

Bertram and Tiara Yacht Burn at Trinidad and Tobago Yacht Club

A similar fifteen meters sized Bertram and Tiara yacht went ablaze while moored at the Trinidad and Tobago Yacht Club, Carenage on the North-West side of the island of Trinidad and Tobago on 14:15 hours of Thursday eleven February 2021.  The fire was reported to start on the Tiara yacht which then jumped on the Bertram to its starboard side.  Firefighters from the Four Roads, Chaguaramas and Wrightson Road Stations responded, and were later assisted by the Eric Miller Company with water supply via a Century Rescue Boat.  The causes of the fire are under investigation.

The two yachts in this fire are a hard-top version of the Tiara 5200 Express as produced from 2003 to 2006, with the Bertram being a 50 Convertible model as produced from 1987 to 96.