Custom Sportfish Sinks then Recovered in Fort Lauderdale Marina

An unattended custom sportfish yacht of eighteen meters in length partly sank as it was berthed in Fort Lauderdale Marina, Fort Lauderdale, Florida on the early hours of Friday 22 July.  TowboatU.S Fort Lauderdale was called, coming  to the scene with three trucks, the Sunken Vessel Recovery Unit, and a crew of seven men an hour later to the call.  After deploying containment and absorbent boom to ensure no environmental damage, TowBoatU.S divers started rigging the sportfish with eight lift bags, and as these were inflated, slowly rose the yacht from the bottom. As the gunwales rose above the surface of the water, seven water pumps were put in operation to dewater the yacht. As the yacht was floated and derigged, she was towed to a local haul out facility for preservation and surveyor inspection.

The sportfish yacht in this sinking is a Buddy Davis 61 as designed by Donald Blount and Davis himself.  The Buddy Davis 61 was produced from the end eighties in fiberglass, up till the end of the noughties.  Buddy Davis is an important part in the cold-moulding evolution and the Carolina style sportfish boat and yacht.  Buddy Davis started to learn boat building in Winter 1967 and opened his company in 1973, which he sold in 2003 to Dr. Ira Trocki.

Pershing Super Sport Yacht Fire in Amalfi

A 27 meter Pershing super sport yacht titled m/y Cinque with eight persons onboard went on fire on the morning of 22 July, near the Li Galli islets off the coast of Amalfi.  Some swimmers alerted the coast guard off the fire who came with a rib to safe the eight persons onboard; a British family with four children and two Italian crew, to safety.  The coast guard later dispatched a helicopter to turn off the fire, which succeeded in the operation temporally, and avoided the yacht from total sinking immediately, with it sinking later in the day.  Cinque was reported on charted duty at the time of the fire.  No persons where injured in the fire beside the shock of the accident.

M/y Cinque is a 2000 Pershing 88 as designed by Fulvio de Simoni and produced from 2000 till 2004 in seventeen units.  The 88 was Pershing's flagship at launch and changed how sport yachts above and below 24 meters look. The Pershing 88 was replaced by the Pershing 90.

Sport Cruiser Fire in Sorrento

A sport cruiser went on fire in Piano di Sorrento while moored in its berth at around 0830 hours of Friday 22 July.  Upon seeing fire coming from the sport cruiser the marina personnel towed it out from its mooring, while the ferry ships Freecia D'Argento and Blitz helped in extinguishing the fire immediately.  No injuries are reported as no one was onboard at the time of the fire, which is suspected to have originated from a short circuit.

Some minutes later to this fire on the same morning, a super sport yacht of 27 meters also went on fire about three nautical miles away from this incident, making the news confusing. 

The sport cruiser in this fire is a Chaparral Signature 24 as produced from 1993 till 1997.  The Chaparral 24 was replaced by the more spacious and higher freeboard 240 Signature.

Project: Otam 90 GTS

Otam present the project for a 90 GTS set to launch in 2024.  Designed by Giuseppe Bagnardi, the 90 GTS is another version of the 80 Record hull as designed by Fabio Buzzi, which has been the successful story of the 80/90 Otam series which keeps on re-writing the manual what a custom boat really is, even though the basic foundations are those of the 80 Record boat, which smashed the Round Italy Venice to Monte Carlo, Monte Carlo to London, and Round Britain records in 2001.  The 90 GTS, if we include the 85 GTS should be the eight hull based on the 80 Record, though rightly so since upwards from the waterline this a total different yacht Otam is calling the 90 hull number one.  The first 90 GTS will mostly serve as a day and chase boat to the owners larger vessels, but Otam is already proposing various variations on the theme above from a soft top version, full or half-height windows, and single or double hull windows for the master stateroom at midships. The first Otam 90 GTS is to be powered by twin MTU 2600hp engines with surface drives propulsion with an estimated over forty knots top speeds estimated. 

www.otam.it

New Model: Ranger Tugs R-43 Command Bridge

Ranger Tugs from the USA present the new R-43 Command Bridge.  Based on the lines of the S-version, the new Command Bridge distinct itself for having a second helm flybridge up top.  The flybridge is accessed via molded steps to starboard, and features a helm station also to starboard, with a wet-bar with grill behind, and wrap around settee to port side.  Tender storage is also on the flybridge in the extended part aft.  Accommodation wise the Range Tugs R-43 offers a living main deck with an astern galley located to port side, with a dinette forward, and a J-shaped lounge with two relaxing sofas to starboard behind the helm station.  Down below the R-43 offers two cabins; owners room forward, and guest cabin at midships.  Further aft behind the second cabin with entrance from under the dinette, the R-43 also features an utility room; with a second large fridge freezer and laundry with washer drier.  Powered by twin Volvo 340hp with IPS pods the Ranger Tugs R-43 Command Bridge reaches speeds up to 29 knots and cruises at 23 knots.

Technical Data:

LOA - 14.25 m (46.9ft)

Beam - 4.27 m

Draft - 1.07 m

Displacement - 14514 kg

Fuel Capacity - 1135 l

Water Capacity - 454 l

Accommodation - four berths in two cabins

Engines - 2 x Volvo D6 340hp

Propulsion - Volvo IPS450 dual propeller forward looking pod drives

Speed - 29 knots max. 25 knots cruise. long range seven knots

Range - 1000 nm at seven knots

Hull Shape - semi displacement

Construction - Vinilester resin with foam filled structural system

Certification - NMMA

www.rangertugs.com

Project: Galeon 450 HTC

In the last two decades Galeon has been one of the most forward thinking boat builders, and after presenting the project for the 440 Fly, the Polish builder as it is usual present the HTC for hard-top-coupe variant. Designed as most Galeon's of the last two decades by Tony Castro, the 450 HTC replaces the flybridge with a glass filled sunroof forward of the coach roof, while an extension aft makes sure to cover the extended deck from too much sun or rain.  Below the Galeon 450 HTC will offer the three possible layouts of two or three double cabins, and master stateroom to midships or forward.  The 450 HTC like the 440 features the Galeon tricks; opening side bulwarks aft, and for moving the beam as forward possible with the tri-hexagon shaped bow.  The Galeon 450 HTC is powered by twin Volvo 480hp possibly in both line shafts or IPS pod drives. 

www.galeon.pl

Sportfish Cuiser With Six Persons Sinks in Cabo San Lucas

A sportfish cruiser of about ten meters in size called m/y Protocol with six persons onboard sank while sportfishing off Cabo San Lucas in the Pacific Ocean, on 1500 hours of eighteen July.  The sportfish cruiser had some technical problem, according to the Captain report coming after a 45 minutes Blue Marlin battle, and the boat taking too much water.  After all this Captain Alex Rogers and the five crew had to abandon the sinking boat and jump in the life-raft.  After this a storm arrived in the area with Cabo San Lucas closing its harbor and making person recovery more difficult. Hearing this Cabo San Lucas Sporfishing Community started a rescue operation, and Captain Pancho Bojorquez with a 24 meter super sportfish yacht eventually saved the six persons in the life raft.  

M/y Protocol was a Rampage 33 Express as produced from 2005 till 2008.  The Rampage 33 Express had a huge following due to its four meters plus of beam in a length just over ten meters.

The super sportfish yacht which saved the Protocol's crew is reported to be m/y Hooray a Viking 80 Enclosed Bridge with Skybridge from 2020.

New Model: Austin Parker 54 Mahon

Austin Parker continue to make its magic, and with the help of Fulvio de Simoni present the new 54 Mahon. If the perfect balance exists in mixing traditional and modern yacht looks along with interior and exterior comfort, the 54 Mahon gets pretty close to it.  The 54 Mahon offers a three double cabins lower deck, with an owners stateroom located forward to starboard which has nothing less to a full beam cabin in size and comfort.  All living, dining and galley is located on the main deck in the enclosed area, while exterior spaces offer two chaise lounging looking back with a central dinette located aft.  Tender storage is on the bathing platform in traditional style.  The Austin Parker 54 Mahon is powered by twin Cummins 715hp in line shafts or Volvo 725hp with IPS pod propulsion.  No speed data is yet communicated.

Technical Data:

LOA - 16.50 m (54ft)

Beam - 5.10 m

Displacement - 22 t unloaded, 25 t loaded

Fuel Capacity - 2000 l

Water Capacity - 600 l

Max Persons - twelve

Accommodation - six berths in three cabins, one crew cabin berth

Engines - 2 x Cummins QSM11 715hp, Volvo D11 725hp

Propulsion - line shaft, or Volvo forward looking dual propeller IPS pod drives

Project - Fulvio de Simoni

Certification - CE A

www.austinparker.com

Hatteras Yacht Capsizes in LA Conner

A Hatteras  motor yacht of about eighteen meters in length with a couple went aground and later capsized on the night between Sunday seventeen and Monday eighteen July in the Swinomish channel, La Conner, state of Washington.  Reports on this are difficult to find but some  are saying that the yacht hit the South side of the breakwater which with high tide is covered in water and difficult to navigate especially for inexperienced yachtsman not from the area, and after the impact rolled him to his side and capsized the yacht.  Latest news is that on 23 July a team of TowBoatUS was waiting for high tide in order to upright the yacht and tow it away for repairs.  The couple are reported unharmed in the accident.

The Hatteras in this accident was a 58 Cockpit MY as designed by the Carolina builder lead designer of the time Jack Hargraves and produced from 1977 till 1981.  The Hatter 58 Cockpit MY was replaced by the 61 Cockpit MY.

Sportfish Runs Aground Leaving One Injured

An Ocean Yachts sportfish yacht of about seventeen meters in length was filmed running aground in the morning of eighteen July, in Fire Island, off the New York state in the Atlantic Ocean.  One of the crew, which was the passenger staying at the aft of the boat was injured and according to reports had to be taken to hospital.  The sportfish was in a delivery trip by a professional captain who from some unconfirmed news was reported as falling asleep at the time of the accident, with the sportfish yacht on the autopilot ending up beached at a speed of over twenty knots.  The extent of the damage has not been reported.

The sportfish yacht in this accident is an Ocean Yachts 56 Super Sport.  Produced from 1999 to 2002, the 56 Super Sport was a shortened cockpit of the 60 SS, and was replaced by the 57 in 2003.  The Ocean Yachts 56 Super Sport offered a comfortable interior with three double cabins, while twin Man 1050hp gave her a top speed up to 35 knots, and a fast cruise of 32.