yacht sinking hawaii

• Hawaii News
• National News
• International News
• Local Sports
• National Sports
• Letters to the Editor
• Entertainment
• Classifieds
• Print Ad Directory
• Browse notices
• Place a notice
• Statement of Values
• Terms of Service
• Submit News

• Today's Paper

Grounded yacht at Honolua finally freed but later sinks offshore

Luxury yacht, the Nakoa, was finally removed Sunday by rigging crews after it was grounded on the rocks and reefs for nearly two weeks at Honolua Bay. It later sank in 800 feet of water. DLNR photo

The Maui News 

A luxury yacht that had been grounded for nearly two weeks at Honolua Bay was finally freed Sunday afternoon after a rigging crew worked over the weekend to remove the boat, but the 94-foot-long boat later sank offshore. 

Just outside the Honolua-Mokuleia Marine Life Conservation District, the salvage ship Kahi, which is operated by Visionary Marine LLC, and a tractor tug called the Mary Catherine, operated by Sause Brothers Inc. of Honolulu, pulled the Nakoa off nearshore rocks and reefs during high tide. 

However, during towing, the yacht was scuttled in 800 feet of water, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation reported a few hours later. 

It had taken on water, was listing starboard and riding bow high after being pulled free by the tractor tug early Sunday afternoon, the DLNR said. 

A rigging crew worked all day Saturday and again Sunday morning securing the rigging to the Nakoa.

Prior to the 3,300-horsepower tug hooking up, the salvage crew used a carbon cutter to free either the yacht’s prop or rudder, believed to be the reason earlier attempts did not succeed, according to a news release. 

Sunday provided the best weather and ocean conditions for the complex operation to free the Nakoa, the DLNR said. 

DLNR Chair Dawn Chang watched the salvage operation with Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. and Maui County Council Member Tamara Paltin, who holds the West Maui residency seat.

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

• Daily Newsletter
• Breaking News

Shop and support Lahaina businesses at Kokua for Maui on Aug. 30 at the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa

Principal of Sacred Hearts School to speak at the Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunset

Japan records trade deficit as surging global prices pushes imports higher

Japan protests after saying a Chinese reconnaissance plane violated its airspace

Harris, Trump squabble over muted mics at upcoming debate

BEACHED SCHOONER IN KIHEI

Only $99/year, subscribe today.

Breaking News Alerts

Press "allow" to activate.

• Big Island News
• Big Island Polls
• Local Discussion
• Entertainment
• Guest Columns
• COVID-19 Updates
• Hawaii Sports
• Hawaii Volcano Blog
• Weather Forecast
• Surf Report
• Merrie Monarch
• ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi / Hawaiian Language
• Hawaii Activities
• Recent Job Listings
• Upcoming Events
• Map of Events
• Opioid Crisis
• Latest Videos
• About Big Island Now
• Get the App
• Advertising
• Meet the Team

Privacy Policy | About Our Ads

Luxury yacht finally freed from Maui near-shore reef only to sink in 800 feet of water

Nearly two weeks after a 120-ton, 94-foot luxury yacht grounded in Honolua Bay on Maui, a salvage ship and a tugboat from Honolulu finally freed the vessel named Nakoa from the rocky shoreline.

But there is no happy ending for the yacht.

It is now at the bottom of the ocean, about 800 feet deep.

The multimillion-dollar yacht had suffered severe holes in the hull during the days it was grounded, with the rough surf pounding it repeatedly against the rocks of the shoreline.

“It had taken on water, was listing starboard and riding bow high after being pulled free by a tractor tug early this afternoon,” according to the state Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation.

The yacht sank.

It was the end to an ordeal that began nearly two weeks ago when the yacht grounded just outside the Honolua-Mokulē‘ia Bay Marine Life Conservation District. Although the area has day-use moorings with a time limit of two hours, yacht owner Jim Jones told media that he didn’t know the rules  and stayed overnight with his family when one of the lines snapped and the boat hit the rocks.

It has been quite the ordeal to salvage the boat.

Once the boat stated leaking fuel, the U.S. Coast Guard federalized the vessel, meaning it has jurisdiction over the yacht which cannot be moved until all hazardous material was removed .

When that process was done the state Department of Land and Natural Resources took over because Jones said he did not have the money to pay for the salvage operation. The state organized and is paying for the operation, but will be sending Jones a bill, which initially was for $460,000 plus. But that will be sure to go up due to all the problems encountered during the salvage.

Once the hazardous material was removed, Visonary Marines’s salvage ship Kahi from Honolulu tried to removed the yacht from the reef but failed after multiple pulls. Sause Brothers’ tractor tug Mary Catherine was called in from Honolulu to help, but the second attempt with both boats also failed. Then bad weather forced both salvage boats to return to Honolulu.

They returned to Maui on Saturday.

A crew from the salvage ship rigged lines to the yacht Nakoa   all day Saturday and Sunday morning to prepare for the third attempt.

Prior to the 3,300-horsepower tug hooking up, the salvage crew used a carbon cutter to free either the yacht’s prop or rudder, believed to be the reason earlier attempts did not succeed, according to the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

On Sunday, there were ideal weather and ocean conditions for the complex and costly operation. Once the tug turned the boat 90 degrees it pulled out into deeper water. 

“The yacht was listing to one side and riding bow high and it’s unknown at this time whether it was successfully pulled all the way to Honolulu or had to be scuttled in 1,000-foot-deep water offshore,” the Department and Land and Natural Resources said.

Department Chair Dawn Chang watched the salvage operation on Sunday with Maui Mayor Richard Bissen and Maui County Council member Tamara Paltin. Chang said she heard almost immediately from Randy Cates, the owner and operator of Visionary Marine. 

“I’m beyond words,” Chang said. “I extended our appreciation to him and his crew for doing a tough, thankless job when others in the industry were questioning the wisdom of taking it on. We all thought today was it. It was either going to happen or not. I’m extremely pleased.” 

Chang said the state will aggressively pursue recouping all salvage costs from the owner, which originally were set at $460,000 plus before delays and the need for a second boat were included in the cost.

It also does not include the cost to repair damage to coral reefs and live rock. A team from the state Division of Aquatic Resources will return to the grounding location this week to conduct a post-incident damage assessment. 

To read more about yacht tales in Hawai’i waters involving a pop star, Russian oligarch, coral wrecker and thief, click here .

Sponsored Content

Subscribe to our Newsletter

• Send Me Daily Updates
• Send Me Weekly Updates

• Hawaii Videos
• Hawaii Jobs
• Events Calendar
• Meet the Writers
• Advertise With Us

Facebook YouTube Twitter Instagram

News That Matters Support us

Hawaii News

Investigative stories and local news updates.

• Latest News
• Environment
• Legislature
• Honolulu Rail
• Browse All Topics

2024 Elections Guide

Latest elections news, candidate info, ballot drop box locations, how to register to vote, financial disclosures and more.

• Candidate Q&As
• The 2024 Ballot
• Financial Disclosures
• Latest Stories

Coverage of the 2023 wildfire destruction of Lahaina.

Top Stories

• The Lives We Lost
• The Long Road Home
• Maui Events

Commentary, Analysis and Opinion.

• Community Voices

Special Projects

Award winning in-depth reports and featured on-going series.

• Browse Projects & Series

Newsletters

Get the week’s news delivered straight to your inbox.

• Terms of Service
• Reprint Policy
• About Civil Beat
• Jobs at Civil Beat
• Our Supporters

State Land Board Chair To Grounded Maui Yacht Owner: ‘This Is Not Over’

The vessel's investors were fined $117,000 but the board wants more time to decide what consequences the owner should face.

The vessel’s investors were fined $117,000 but the board wants more time to decide what consequences the owner should face.

The investors behind a luxury yacht that ran aground in Honolua Bay reached a tentative settlement agreement with state officials on Friday over environmental damages to one of Maui’s most pristine marine sanctuaries.

Kevin and Kimberly Albert of New Mexico agreed to pay nearly $117,500 in fines for the incident. The couple financed the vessel that crashed into the rocky shoreline and spilled diesel fuel in the ocean in February.

There are likely to be more damages to pay. Jim Jones, the Honolulu-based owner of the 120-ton, 94-foot Nakoa yacht, and his company Noelani Yacht Charters , are also at fault. 

The maximum penalty Jones and his company could pay is $1.76 million. But the Board of Land and Natural Resources deferred its decision about whether and how much to fine Jones and his yacht charter, saying it wants more time to consider public input on the less tangible cultural impacts of the crash.

“This is not over,” BLNR Chairwoman Dawn Chang said, adding that in her opinion Jones should not be allowed to operate any commercial business in Hawaii waters.

The BLNR unanimously approved the Alberts’ settlement proposal with the added stipulation that the couple refrain from bringing state employees and contractors into any legal claims, including the investors’ $2 million lawsuit against Noelani Yacht Charters, Jones and the captain on the day of the wreck. The concern is that salvage companies and other contractors might pass on working for the state in the future if doing so could open them up to litigation.

The Alberts’ attorney Randall Schmitt said during the regularly scheduled public meeting that he would consult with his clients about the extra condition. The board authorized Chang to finalize negotiations.

“DLNR normally does not go aggressively after vessel owners who ground their vessels and cause damage but in this matter, because of the public outcry and because of our own concerns — the vessel was so close to the marine life conservation district — we felt compelled to take this necessary action,” Chang said. “For some it may not be enough.”

It would be unprecedented for the BLNR to seek the maximum penalty from Jones and his yacht charter. 

Penalties for vessel groundings are usually calculated by the state based on considerations including the number, size and species rarity of damaged coral colonies. In this case, the amount of damaged marine resources is relatively low.

The yacht damaged 119 coral colonies, whereas other recent vessel groundings have damaged upwards of 1,000 colonies, according to Charlie Taylor, legal fellow for the DLNR’s Division of Aquatic Resources . The two species of coral that suffered damage are relatively common.

Nearly half an acre of rock that hosts marine life was also damaged by the Nakoa yacht.

“If this event occurred on the Kona coast, we would be talking millions of dollars because there’s so much higher coral cover there compared to Honolua Bay,” explained DAR Administrator Brian Neilson.

DAR officials recommended that the BLNR fine the responsible parties $117,500 — a sum equal to the amount of the tentative settlement agreement between the state and yacht’s investors. The settlement does not preclude the state from seeking further damages from Jones and his charter company.

Several members of the public who spoke at the meeting expressed dismay with this small sum.

“A slap on the wrist would be a slap in the face of the community,” said West Maui environmental activist Kai Nishiki.

Although state investigators thoroughly probed the toll of the yacht crash on the reef, several board members noted a lack of accounting of the crash’s impact on Hawaiian customs and traditions and public recreation. 

“I personally struggle with the fact that there is no abacus or calculator to even begin to quantify how much adverse effect to cultural resources this might have cost,” said BLNR member Wesley “Kaiwi” Yoon.

Chang also noted that the public was barred from accessing the bay for weeks in the aftermath of the yacht crash. The vessel remained stuck on the rocky coastline in extremely shallow water for almost two weeks, until it was hauled away and sank on its way to Oahu . 

Divers found that scars from the vessel stretched almost 250 feet into the deeper water. In that area, more than 100 coral colonies were affected, and damage to live rock covered nearly 2,099 square feet, according to a DLNR news release. 

The agency has said it won’t hold the salvage company or tug company that pulled the boat off the reef responsible for any damage. 

Civil Beat’s coverage of Maui County is supported in part by grants from the Nuestro Futuro Foundation and the Fred Baldwin Memorial Foundation.

--> Sign up for our FREE morning newsletter and face each day more informed. --> Sign up for our FREE morning newsletter and face each day more informed.

Do you feel more informed.

As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on the generosity of readers like you to keep all of our stories and resources free during election season—and every day.

Make a gift today to help us keep our news free and accessible for everyone . And if you’re able, please consider a monthly gift to support our work all year-round.

About the Author

Denby Fawcett: Good Luck Trying To Find A Working Water Fountain In Honolulu Parks

Honolulu EMS Sued For Wrongful Death Over Kailua Ambulance Fire

The Sunshine Blog: The Election’s Home Stretch, Tulsi And Trump And Our Popular Governor

Maui’s New Coastal Rules Are Full Of Loopholes, Environmental Group Says

2 More Tropical Cyclones Churn In The Pacific As Hone Moves Past Hawaii

Candidate Q&A: Maui County Council West Maui District — Tamara Paltin

Candidate Q&A: Maui County Council West Maui District — Lorien Acquintas

Get in-depth reporting on hawaii’s biggest issues, sign up for our free morning newsletter.

You're officially signed up for our daily newsletter, the Morning Beat. A confirmation email will arrive shortly.

In the meantime, we have other newsletters that you might enjoy. Check the boxes for emails you'd like to receive.

• Breaking News Alerts What's this? Be the first to hear about important news stories with these occasional emails.
• Special Projects & Investigations What's this? You'll hear from us whenever Civil Beat publishes a major project or investigation.
• Environment What's this? Get our latest environmental news on a monthly basis, including updates on Nathan Eagle's 'Hawaii 2040' series.
• Ideas What's this? Get occasional emails highlighting essays, analysis and opinion from IDEAS, Civil Beat's commentary section.

Inbox overcrowded? Don't worry, you can unsubscribe or update your preferences at any time.

The global authority in superyachting

• NEWSLETTERS
• Yachts Home
• The Superyacht Directory
• Yacht Reports
• Brokerage News
• The largest yachts in the world
• The Register
• Yacht Advice
• Yacht Design
• 12m to 24m yachts
• Monaco Yacht Show
• Builder Directory
• Designer Directory
• Interior Design Directory
• Naval Architect Directory
• Yachts for sale home
• Motor yachts
• Sailing yachts
• Explorer yachts
• Classic yachts
• Sale Broker Directory
• Charter Home
• Yachts for Charter
• Charter Destinations
• Charter Broker Directory
• Destinations Home
• Mediterranean
• South Pacific
• Rest of the World
• Boat Life Home
• Owners' Experiences
• Conservation and Philanthropy
• Interiors Suppliers
• Owners' Club
• Captains' Club
• BOAT Showcase
• Boat Presents
• Events Home
• World Superyacht Awards
• Superyacht Design Festival
• Design and Innovation Awards
• Young Designer of the Year Award
• Artistry and Craft Awards
• Explorer Yachts Summit
• Ocean Talks
• The Ocean Awards
• BOAT Connect
• Between the bays
• Golf Invitational
• BOATPro Home
• Superyacht Insight
• Global Order Book
• Premium Content
• Product Features
• Testimonials
• Pricing Plan
• Tenders & Equipment

Owners contest $1.8M fine after grounded yacht causes damage to Hawaiian coral reef

The owners of the 28.1-metre Nakoa have requested a formal case hearing to contest a $1,818,851.97 fine given by the Board of Land and Natural Resources. 

This follows an incident that saw the Sunseeker yacht break free of her mooring in the protected Honolua-Mokulēʻia Bay Marine Life Conservation District and cause damage to over 100 coral colonies and over 1,500 square metres of live rock on Maui’s west coast (20 February 2023).

Inclement weather resulted in Nakoa being stranded for two weeks and across three separate rescue attempts.

On 26 April 2024, the Board increased the fine from $117,000 to account for biological and cultural damages, as well as "emotional distress to the community".

"A slap on the wrist in this situation, would be a slap in the face of this community," said John Carty of the Save Honolua Coalition.

The owners' legal representative argued that there is no basis to impose liability as the grounding took place following the theft of the vessel. They also noted that damage from the initial grounding must be separated from the damage related to salvage.

Prior to the salvage, the DNLR confirmed that fuel, batteries and other pollutants were safely removed from the vessel. Around 470 gallons (1,779 litres) of petroleum products and 14 marine batteries were recovered from the yacht, with helicopters transporting 55-gallon (208 litres) drums of fuel from the boat to a staging area where it could be disposed of.

Before the defuelling began, eyewitness accounts reported considerable fuel leakage surrounding Nakoa.

At the time, DLNR first deputy Laura Kaakua said: "We understand everyone’s frustration with the grounding and harm to the reef at Honolua, a bay with abundant marine life that’s loved by many residents of Maui and visitors alike."

The initial fine was recommended by the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources and included $26,700 for damaging stony coral, $33,520 for damaging live rock, $56,851 for the cost of the investigation, and $400 for violations.

Sign up to BOAT Briefing email

Latest news, brokerage headlines and yacht exclusives, every weekday

By signing up for BOAT newsletters, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy .

More about this yacht

More stories, most popular, from our partners, sponsored listings.

Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More

Continue in Browser

Get hyperlocal forecasts, radar and weather alerts.

Please enter a valid zipcode.

Extensive coral damage from luxury yacht that ran aground off Maui

KAPALUA, Hawaii — The Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources sent divers to the site where a luxury yacht ran aground off Maui and found damage to nearly 20,000 square feet of coral and live rock.

What You Need To Know

A team with the division of aquatic resources assessed damage from when the yacht ran aground and when it was dragged off the flat reef into deeper water during the intitial grounding, 19 coral colonies were damaged when the boat was dragged off the reef, two parallel scars damaged 101 coral colonies dlnr said the yacht’s owner is responsible for costs related to salvaging the yacht and damaging coral.

The yacht, Nakoa, ran aground just outside the Honolua-Mokuleia Marine Life Conservation District two weeks ago and was finally freed on Sunday after three attempts. It then sank in 800 feet of water, where it will remain. 

The four-person DAR team assessed both initial damage from when the vessel was grounded and scars from when the boat was dragged off the flat reef surface into deeper water. 

The assessment revealed that, during the initial grounding, 19 coral colonies were damaged. 

From when the boat was dragged off the reef, there are two parallel scars that extend 246 feet into the water. The first 49 feet comprises deep, trench-like scars, which are about 16 feet apart. In this area, the DAR team found 101 damaged coral colonies, and damage to live rock covering nearly 2,099 square feet. 

After DAR completed the assessment, a team with the Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute collected more than 100 fragments from damaged coral. The team plans to recover more fragments soon. The Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute will grow out the coral fragments at its lab for future coral restoration projects. 

The Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute team also identified colonies of dislodged corals that will be reattached when the weather improves. 

DLNR said the yacht’s owner is responsible for costs related to salvaging the yacht and damaging coral and live rock. The salvage company and tug company will not be held responsible for any damage. 

A final version of the assessment will be presented to the Board of Land and Natural Resources. DAR will also recommend fines and penalties for the damage. 

Michelle Broder Van Dyke  covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii. Email her at  [email protected] .

LATEST NEWS

Tuesday, August 27, 2024 87° Today's Paper

Grounded yacht sinks to bottom of the sea after freed off Maui

By Star-Advertiser staff

March 6, 2023

• Share on Facebook
• Share by email

COURTESY DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

After two failed attempts, efforts to salvage the grounded luxury yacht in west Maui will continue this weekend.

The grounded luxury yacht Nakoa in west Maui as seen on Feb. 27. After several towing attempts and a fuel leak over the past two weeks, the luxury yacht Nakoa is now at the bottom of the channel between Molokai and Maui.

Select an option below to continue reading this premium story.

Already a Honolulu Star-Advertiser subscriber? Log in now to continue reading.

Get unlimited access

From as low as $12.95 /mo.

After several towing attempts and a fuel leak over the past two weeks, the luxury yacht Nakoa is now at the bottom of the channel between Molokai and Maui.

Officials from the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources announced Sunday evening that the yacht was scuttled at sea after taking on water.

It was pulled free by a tractor tug earlier that afternoon, but had been listing starboard, then sunk, with only its bow visible above the water a few miles offshore.

It is estimated to be resting about 800 feet deep, with no plans to bring it back up, officials said.

The 94-foot, 120-ton luxury yacht was finally pulled free after a third attempt Sunday. The original plan was to tow it back to Honolulu, according to officials.

The Nakoa first ran aground on President’s Day in February on a reef at Honolua Bay, just outside of the Honolua-Mokule‘ia Marine Life Conservation District on the northwestern coast of Maui, after slipping loose from a mooring.

The vessel belongs to Jim Jones, who runs Noelani Yacht Charters LLC, which business registration records show runs luxury yacht charters from a Honolulu address.

A business website advertises packages for chartered tours aboard Nakoa starting at $9,801.04 from Maui.

Dawn Chang, DLNR Chair, said this morning on “Spotlight Hawaii” that the department was working with the state attorney general’s office to fully investigate the situation and to hold the owner or owners accountable for the incident.

She said the owner was not authorized to be at Honolua Bay, nor to tie up to the mooring there.

At least 20 coral species have been impacted, she said, based on a DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources survey assessment prior to the vessel’s removal.

“We are going to utilize all of our resources to hold he and whoever owns that vessel accountable for all damages and all resources that were spent to take this action,” she said, “including the salvage crew, including administrative costs, including damages to the coral reef.”

DLNR said in a news release that DAR team would return for a post-incident damage assessment of the site.

Grounded yacht sinks to the ocean floor

Share this story

Courtesy of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources

Contractors attach tow lines to the Nakoa, a luxury yacht, on Sunday in Honolua Bay, Maui. The yacht had been stuck on a reef for nearly two weeks.

The luxury yacht Nakoa sinks off the coast of Honolua Bay, Maui, after it was freed from the reef it was stuck on for nearly two weeks. It was scuttled intentionally on Sunday.

HONOLUA BAY, Maui — The 120-ton luxury yacht stuck on the shore reef of Honolua Bay was finally freed over the weekend, only to then be sunk to the bottom of the ocean on Sunday.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources had been struggling to remove the yacht Nakoa since its grounding on Feb. 20, allegedly caused by a mooring line severing while its owner, Jim Jones, was aboard with his family.

After two failed attempts to refloat the craft last week, the yacht was pulled from the reef at around 1 p.m. on Sunday in a joint effort by the salvage ship Kahi, operated by Visionary Marine LLC, and tractor tug Mary Catherine, operated by Sause Brothers Inc., according to a statement from the department.

Shortly after, the DLNR reported the vessel had “taken on water, was listing starboard and riding bow high.”

The department’s initial plan was to take the yacht back to Honolulu, but that option became unfeasible when the boat started sinking due to holes in its hull. Instead, its contractors scuttled the vessel in 800 feet of water.

“Scuttling the vessel was always a possibility,” said Dan Dennison, DLNR’s senior communications manager, in a March 6 email response to The Garden Island.

According to Dennison, the yacht now lies at the bottom of the channel between Maui and Moloka‘i.

The Garden Island could not reach Jones for comment regarding his yacht being deliberately sunk at sea.

But Dennison repeated previous statements that Jones will be responsible for all costs associated with the removal, as well as additional costs for damage to the reef and live rock.

Dennison added that an increase in costs still remains to be determined, and that he was not aware of any contact between Jones and the DLNR since the salvage.

The department previously reported it would charge Jones $460,000 just for the yacht’s removal, not including any environmental damage.

Damage to the area, located just outside the Honolua-Mokule‘ia Bay Marine Life Conservation District, has been a major topic of concern for both government officials and community members since the incident first occurred.

Dennison claimed that sinking the yacht would not cause any significant marine pollution.

“As for the environmental impacts associated with the scuttling, they should be minimal, as all fuel and hazardous materials had been previously removed by a contractor working under the direction of the U.S. Coast Guard,” he said, adding any items that were on the surface or floated up were also collected.

State Board of Land and Natural Resources Chair Dawn Chang also addressed concerns about environmental damage in an interview shortly after the yacht’s removal, noting her appreciation of community members who have been monitoring and watching the scene to ensure that “this special resource is protected.”

“I will assure you, the department is going to use all of its resources, including the attorney general’s office, to hold this vessel and its owners accountable,” she said, “both for the damages to the reef, the environment, all the costs associated with the removal of the vessel, as well as all of the administrative costs.”

Chang said a team from the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources plans on conducting a post-grounding damage assessment of the coral and live rock later this week.

•••

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the TERMS OF SERVICE . An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. To report comments that you believe do not follow our guidelines, send us an email .

• 1 Unresponsive man found on Kalihiwai Beach
• 2 Obituary for Tuesday, August 27, 2024
• 3 Search continues for missing snorkeler off Nukolii Beach
• 4 Maui hotels woo back leisure travelers
• 5 Anahola brush fire extinguished, under investigation

VIDEO: Luxury yacht sinks in Maui

Published on March 10th, 2023 by Editor -->

Debris now litters Honolua Bay in the area where the luxury yacht now sits at the bottom of the ocean. Nakoa, a 94-foot 2004 Sunseeker, ran aground on February 20 and two weeks later sank in 800 feet of water before it could be towed to Honolulu, 90 miles away.

Located near the northern tip of Maui, the mooring it was on failed, and then the yacth drifted onto a reef near a marine sanctuary. Contractors provided pollution mitigation, putting absorbent materials inside the vessel to capture any loose products, and placed a containment boom around the vessel.

They also pumped diesel from the vessel fuel tanks into 55 gallon drums which were airlifted by helicopter and transported to land for disposal. Fourteen batteries were also airlifted for disposal.

Tags: accident , US Coast Guard

Related Posts

VIDEO: Stepping off a sinking boat →

Boating safety improves in 2023 →

Proper use of maritime radios →

Prioritizing safety on the water →

© 2024 Scuttlebutt Sailing News. Inbox Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved. made by VSSL Agency .

• Privacy Statement
• Advertise With Us

Get Your Sailing News Fix!

Your download by email.

• Your Name...
• Your Email... *
• Name This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Breaking News Alerts

Press "allow" to activate.

• Hawaii News
• Tourism News
• Visitors’ Guide
• Community Calendar
• Hawaiian Language
• Guest Columns
• Weather Forecast
• Surf Report
• Latest Videos
• About Kauai Now
• Get the App
• Advertise with Us
• About Our Ads

Privacy Policy | About Our Ads

94-foot yacht freed from Maui rocky shoreline only to sink 800 feet deep

Nearly two weeks after a 120-ton, 94-foot luxury yacht grounded in Honolua Bay on Maui, a salvage ship and a tugboat from Honolulu finally freed the vessel named Nakoa from the rocky shoreline.

But there is no happy ending for the yacht.

It is now at the bottom of the ocean, about 800 feet deep.

The multimillion-dollar yacht had suffered severe holes in the hull during the days it was grounded, with the rough surf pounding it repeatedly against the rocks of the shoreline.

“It had taken on water, was listing starboard and riding bow high after being pulled free by a tractor tug early this afternoon,” according to the state Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation.

The yacht sank.

It was the end to an ordeal that began nearly two weeks ago when the yacht grounded just outside the Honolua-Mokulē‘ia Bay Marine Life Conservation District. Although the area has day-use moorings with a time limit of two hours, yacht owner Jim Jones told media that he didn’t know the rules  and stayed overnight with his family when one of the lines snapped and the boat hit the rocks.

It has been quite the ordeal to salvage the boat.

Once the boat stated leaking fuel, the U.S. Coast Guard federalized the vessel, meaning it has jurisdiction over the yacht which cannot be moved until all hazardous material was removed .

When that process was done the state Department of Land and Natural Resources took over because Jones said he did not have the money to pay for the salvage operation. The state organized and is paying for the operation, but will be sending Jones a bill, which initially was for $460,000 plus. But that will be sure to go up due to all the problems encountered during the salvage.

Once the hazardous material was removed, Visonary Marines’s salvage ship Kahi from Honolulu tried to removed the yacht from the reef but failed after multiple pulls. Sause Brothers’ tractor tug Mary Catherine was called in from Honolulu to help, but the second attempt with both boats also failed. Then bad weather forced both salvage boats to return to Honolulu.

They returned to Maui on Saturday.

A crew from the salvage ship rigged lines to the yacht Nakoa   all day Saturday and Sunday morning to prepare for the third attempt.

Prior to the 3,300-horsepower tug hooking up, the salvage crew used a carbon cutter to free either the yacht’s prop or rudder, believed to be the reason earlier attempts did not succeed, according to the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

On Sunday, there were ideal weather and ocean conditions for the complex and costly operation. Once the tug turned the boat 90 degrees it pulled out into deeper water. 

“The yacht was listing to one side and riding bow high and it’s unknown at this time whether it was successfully pulled all the way to Honolulu or had to be scuttled in 1,000-foot-deep water offshore,” the Department and Land and Natural Resources said.

Department Chair Dawn Chang watched the salvage operation on Sunday with Maui Mayor Richard Bissen and Maui County Council member Tamara Paltin. Chang said she heard almost immediately from Randy Cates, the owner and operator of Visionary Marine. 

“I’m beyond words,” Chang said. “I extended our appreciation to him and his crew for doing a tough, thankless job when others in the industry were questioning the wisdom of taking it on. We all thought today was it. It was either going to happen or not. I’m extremely pleased.” 

Chang said the state will aggressively pursue recouping all salvage costs from the owner, which originally were set at $460,000 plus before delays and the need for a second boat were included in the cost.

It also does not include the cost to repair damage to coral reefs and live rock. A team from the state Division of Aquatic Resources will return to the grounding location this week to conduct a post-incident damage assessment. 

Sponsored Content

Subscribe to our Newsletter

• Kauai Weather
• Kauai Tourism News
• ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi / Hawaiian Language
• Kauai Videos
• Experience Kauai

Facebook YouTube Twitter Instagram

Growing concern amid spread of mosquito-borne viruses

Israel rescues hostage held by Hamas in Gaza

Afghan orchestra plays on despite Taliban crackdown

Reported tire explosion leaves two dead at Atlanta airport

Special counsel files revised election interference indictment against Trump

Tens of millions deal with scorching heat, severe weather

Trump says he will take part in first debate with Harris

Eli Lilly reduces price of weight loss drug for some patients

Growing threat of mosquito-borne diseases

State of emergency in Alaska after deadly landslide

Some patients now turn to copycat versions of popular weight loss drugs

Special counsel asks appeals court to reinstate Trump documents case

Trump and Harris campaigns disagree over September debate rules

Russia launches major barrage on Ukraine, killing at least 4

SpaceX prepares for historic spacewalk on Polaris Dawn mission

Harris-Walz campaign sees enthusiasm bump after DNC

Hurricane Hone passes near Hawaii as flash floods prompt rescues in Grand Canyon

Biden briefed with developments in Israel and Lebanon, says spokesperson

NBC News Exclusive: Ozempic and Wegovy Novo Nordisk CEO speaks out on high prices, drug shortages

Walk-on college football players receive surprise scholarships

Nightly news, bodies of five recovered after luxury yacht sinking.

Divers have recovered the bodies of five of the six missing people who were on a luxury superyacht when it sank in violent weather off Sicily. Two Americans were among those who were missing. NBC News' Steve Patterson reports. Aug. 21, 2024

Best of NBC News

Nightly News Netcast

Nightly news full broadcast (august 27th).

Advertisement

Supported by

Questions for Investigators Trying to Unravel Mystery of Luxury Yacht’s Sinking

The investigators searching for answers about the shipwreck, leaving seven dead, face questions about extreme weather and possible human error or problems with the yacht itself.

• Share full article

By Alan Yuhas

More than 180 feet long, with a mast towering about 240 feet and a keel that could be lowered for greater stability, the Bayesian luxury yacht did not, in the eyes of its maker, have the vulnerabilities of a ship that would easily sink.

“It drives me insane,” Giovanni Costantino, the chief executive of the Italian Sea Group, which in 2022 bought the company that made the ship, said after its wreck last week. “Following all the proper procedures, that boat is unsinkable.”

But the $40 million sailing yacht sank within minutes and with fatal results: seven dead, including the British technology billionaire Michael Lynch, his teenage daughter, four of Mr. Lynch’s friends and a member of the crew. Fifteen people, including the captain, escaped on a lifeboat.

Mr. Lynch had invited family, friends and part of his legal team on a cruise in the Mediterranean to celebrate his acquittal in June of fraud charges tied to the sale of his company to the tech giant Hewlett-Packard.

The Italian authorities have opened a manslaughter investigation, searching for answers from the survivors, the manufacturer and the wreck itself. They face a range of questions and possible factors.

An ‘earthquake’ in the sky?

When the Bayesian sank around 4 a.m. on Aug. 19, the waters in its area, about half a mile off the Sicilian port of Porticello, were transformed by an extremely sudden and violent storm, according to fishermen, a captain in the area and meteorologists.

But what kind of storm is still a mystery, compounded by the fact that a sailing schooner anchored nearby did not have its own disaster. Also unclear is whether the crew was aware that the Italian authorities had issued general warnings about bad weather the night before.

Karsten Börner, the captain of the nearby passenger ship, said he’d had to steady his ship during “really violent” winds . During the storm, he said, the Bayesian seemed to disappear behind his ship.

Severe lightning and strong gusts were registered by the Italian Air Force’s Center for Aerospace Meteorology and Climatology, according to Attilio Di Diodato, its director. “It was very intense and brief in duration,” he said.

The yacht, he said, had most likely been hit by a fierce downburst — a blast of powerful wind surging down during a thunderstorm. His agency put out rough-sea warnings the previous evening, alerting sailors about possible storms.

Locals have said the winds “felt like an earthquake.” A fisherman in Porticello said that he had seen a flare go off in the early-morning hours. His brother ventured to the site once the weather had calmed about 20 minutes later, he said, finding only floating cushions.

The Italian authorities have so far declined to say whether investigators had seen any structural damage to the hull or other parts of the ship.

Open hatches or doors?

The boat executive, Mr. Costantino, has argued that the Bayesian was an extremely safe vessel that could list even to 75 degrees without capsizing. His company, the Italian Sea Group, in 2022 bought the yacht’s manufacturer, Perini Navi, which launched the ship in 2008.

Mr. Costantino said that if some of the hatches on the side and in the stern, or some of the deck doors, had been open, the boat could have taken on water and sunk. Standard procedure in such storms, he said, would be to switch on the engine, lift the anchor and turn the boat into the wind, lowering the keel for extra stability, closing doors and gathering the guests in the main hall inside the deck.

At a news conference on Saturday, almost a week after the sinking, investigators said the yacht had sunk at an angle , with its stern — where the heavy engine was — having gone down first. The wreck was found lying on its right side at the bottom of a bay, about 165 feet deep.

12 guests occupied the yacht’s six cabins. There were also 10 crew members.

Open hatches, doors and cabin windows could have let in water during a storm, according to the manufacturer.

Open hatches, doors and

cabin windows could

have let in water

during a storm,

according to the

manufacturer.

Source: Superyacht Times, YachtCharterFleet, MarineTraffic

By Veronica Penney

Water pouring into open hatches or doors could have contributed to the sinking, experts say, but that on its own may not account for the speed at which such a large boat vanished underwater.

Asked about the hatches at the news conference, the authorities declined to comment on whether they had been found open at the wreck.

The authorities have also not specified whether the boat had been anchored, whether it was under power at the time or whether its sails had been unfurled.

A retracted keel?

The Bayesian had a keel — the fin-like structure beneath a boat that can help stabilize it — that could be retracted or extended, according to its manufacturer. On some yachts, keels can be raised to let the large vessel dock in shallower water, and extended downward to help keep a boat level.

But like the hatches, the status of the keel alone may not explain why a large ship sank with such precipitous speed. Investigators have not disclosed what divers may have seen at the wreck, aside from saying divers had faced obstacles like furnishings and electrical wiring in tight quarters. Officials want to raise the wreck to better examine it, a process that may take weeks.

Human error?

Ambrogio Cartosio, the prosecutor in charge of the case, said at the news conference that it was “plausible” crimes had been committed, but that investigators had not zeroed in on any potential suspects.

“There could be responsibilities of the captain only,” he said. “There could be responsibilities of the whole crew. There could be responsibilities of the boat makers. Or there could be responsibilities of those who were in charge of surveilling the boat.”

It remains unclear what kind of emergency training or preparation took place before the disaster, or what kind of coordination there was during it. So far, none of the surviving crew members have made a public statement about what happened the night the ship sank.

Prosecutors said they want to ask more questions of the captain and crew, who have been in a Sicilian hotel with other survivors. They said that neither alcohol nor drug tests had been performed on crew members, and that they have been allowed to leave Italy.

Prosecutors also said they were also investigating why the captain, an experienced sailor, left the sinking boat while some passengers were still on board.

Besides possible manslaughter charges, the authorities are investigating the possibility of a negligently caused shipwreck.

The bodies of five passengers were found in one cabin, on the left side of the yacht, the authorities said. The five were most likely trying to flee to the higher side of the boat and were probably sleeping when the boat started to sink, they said.

Italian prosecutors open a manslaughter investigation into yacht sinking off Sicily

ROME — Prosecutors in Italy said Saturday they have opened an investigation into culpable shipwreck and multiple manslaughter after a superyacht capsized during a storm off the coast of Sicily, killing seven people onboard. They included British tech magnate Mike Lynch and his daughter.

Termini Imerese prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio confirmed the investigation has been launched, but said no suspect is currently identified.

“We are only in the initial phase of the investigation. We can’t exclude any sort of development at present,” he told reporters at a news conference.

Cartosio said his team will carefully consider each possible element of responsibility, including those of the ship's captain, the crew, individuals in charge of supervision, the ship-builder and others.

“For me, it is probable that offences were committed, that it could be a case of manslaughter, but we can only establish that if you give us the time to investigate," he said.

The main question investigators are focusing on is how a sailing vessel deemed “unsinkable” by its manufacturer, Italian shipyard Perini Navi, sank while a nearby sailboat remained largely unscathed.

Prosecutors said the event was “extremely rapid” and information they gained seemed pointing to a “downburst,” a localised, powerful wind that descends from a thunderstorm and spreads out rapidly upon hitting the ground.

Initially, Civil protection officials said they believe the yacht, which featured a distinctive 75-meter (246-feet) aluminum mast, was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout.

Investigators were also asked why the crew was almost entirely saved, except for the chef, while six passengers remained trapped in the hull.

Local official confirmed that most of the bodies recovered were found in the same part of the ship — on the left side and closer to the surface — suggesting that passengers had sought safety in the cabins where the last air bubbles had formed.

Deputy Prosecutor Raffaele Cammarano said it was likely that the passengers were asleep, adding that one of the main focus of the investigation is to ascertain whether they were alerted by someone.

Cammarano confirmed that one person was on watch in the cockpit.

Rescuers on Friday brought ashore the last of seven bodies from the sinking of The Bayesian, a 56-meter (184-foot) British-flagged luxury yacht that went down in a storm near the Mediterranean island in southern Italy early Monday. The sailboat was carrying a crew of 10 people and 12 passengers.

The seventh victim was Hannah Lynch, 18, the daughter of Mike Lynch., whose body was recovered Thursday. He had been celebrating his recent acquittal on fraud charges with his family and the people who had defended him at trial in the United States. His wife, Angela Bacares, was among the 15 survivors.

Rescuers struggled for four days to find all the bodies, making only slow headway through the interior of the wreck lying on the seabed 50 meters (164 feet) below the surface.

The other five victims are Christopher Morvillo, one of Lynch’s U.S. lawyers, and his wife, Neda; Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley’s London-based investment banking subsidiary, and his wife, Judy; and Recaldo Thomas, the yacht’s chef.

Copyright 2024 NPR

Coast Guard responding after 80-foot boat sinks in Ala Wai Boat Harbor

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating after an 80-foot boat sank in the Ala Wai Boat Harbor on Thursday night.

Officials said they responded to the incident around 9 p.m.

The big concern is the potential for pollution.

The Coast Guard says it is possible some 200 gallons of fuel may have spilled from the vessel, and at this time, it is unknown the amount of motor oil that could also be leaking.

Pollution responders were alerted the boat was sinking and responded quickly.

This is the same boat officials were trying to deal with Wednesday night, in which crews were working with the owner to pump water out of the boat and ensure that this didn’t happen.

After that dewatering process Thursday morning the owner told the Coast Guard he was able to handle it from there, but that wasn’t the case — and the boat completely sunk underwater.

Now, the Coast Guard has done what they call “federalizing” this case — meaning that they will now handle the cleanup process.

Cleanup contractors, Penco, are on site and working closely with Coast Guard crews to assess the situation and remove what pollutants they can.

The Honolulu Fire Department also responded to the incident Thursday night, and at this hour officials say they believe they were able to contain most of the fuel and oil, but it will be difficult to say exactly how much was released until the sun comes up and they can get a better look.

Officials added there is likely minimal damage to vessels surrounding the sunken boat.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Copyright 2022 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

Gilma downgraded to tropical storm while Hone continues track away from Hawaii

‘Pretty scary’: Tropical Storm Hone lashes parts of Hawaii Island as a Cat 1 hurricane

Sister pleads for answers after brother found stabbed to death near Honolulu’s airport

Circumstances around death of young Deputy Sheriff under investigation

This young boy from Hawaii enters prestigious Mensa Society for intellectuals

Public help sought in locating 2 missing persons in separate cases

Hone brings toppled trees, raging rivers to Maui

Low morale, poor communication among complaints by HPD officers in internal survey

Latest news.

Prosecutors: Suspect in city bus shooting also faced sex assault charges

Maui-born violinist brings musical education to her home island

Corbett Kalama discusses finding common ground between the US military and Hawaii

Charges filed against husband of missing pregnant woman, military says

Okinawan Festival to share Uchinanchu aloha through music, dance and food

HNN News Brief (Aug. 27, 2024)

Inspire You & Me: Episode 251

Everything We Know About the Luxury Yacht Sinking in Sicily, Killing 7 After Celebratory Trip

The key unanswered question remains — how did this happen?

What started out as a celebration on a luxury yacht off the coast of Sicily ended in tragedy on Monday, Aug. 19, when the craft — the 183-foot-long Bayesian — seems to have sunk quickly into the waves of the Tyrrhenian Sea after what the Italian coast guard called a “violent storm.”  

Twenty-two people were aboard, including 12 passengers and 10 crew, authorities have said.

Fifteen people were soon rescued after the Bayesian sank. By Friday, Aug. 23, following complicated and protracted search and rescue efforts , the bodies of all seven victims had been found, sources told PEOPLE.

Among the dead are British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah.

Here’s what to know about the tragedy as Sicilian officials are expected to share more information this weekend.

What is the Bayesian yacht?

Built in 2008 by Perini Navi, with a much lauded interior designed by Rémi Tessier and naval architecture by Ron Holland, the luxury vessel was refitted in 2020 and included six suites for as many as 12 passengers, plus quarters for 10 crew — the size of the traveling party this week when the yacht sank. 

It has previously gone by the name Salute . But Bayesian appears to be a nod to Lynch’s career: It refers to a kind of mathematical modeling used in his software company Autonomy.

Notably, the Bayesian has been touted as having the world’s “largest aluminum mast” at some 246 feet.

Other features included design elements specifically to “favor alfresco entertainment” outdoors, such as a large covered saloon, as one charter company put it. And the interior was intended to “create familiar, pure, and natural atmospheres,” according to the charter description. Past photos show rooms bedecked in warmly lit neutrals and cream colors.

Where was the Bayesian yacht when the storm hit?

According to the Italian coast guard, the Bayesian was off the coast of Porticello in Sicily, on the northern tip of the island, when disaster struck on Monday.

A source close to the survivors previously told PEOPLE that the passengers were celebrating after Lynch, labeled in headlines as Britain's "Bill Gates," was acquitted in June in a financial fraud trial in the U.S. that was related to selling his software company Autonomy for $11 billion to Hewlett Packard in 2011.

“That's why he took his closest friends and colleagues on the trip,” the source said.

Lynch himself reflected on how his life had changed after coming out from under the shadow of his legal troubles. He told The Sunday Times in the U.K. in late July that he felt like he'd been given a "second life."

But "the question is," he said then, "what do you want to do with it?”

Who was on the yacht before it sank?

The 12 passengers included Lynch, his daughter Hannah and his wife, Angela Bacares; Chairman of Morgan Stanley International Jonathan Bloomer and his wife , Judy Bloomer; New York City-based lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his wife, jewelry designer Neda Morvillo; Charlotte Golunski , her partner, James, and daughter Sophie and Ayla Ronald , a colleague at Christopher Morvillo’s law firm. 

The BBC reports that Ronald was also with her partner.

The 10 crew included cook Recaldo Thomas , who was among the seven victims who died, as well as the captain, reportedly named as James Cutfield, and others. According to The New York Times , one of the deck stewards was a 19-year-old South African native on his first such voyage.

Who was rescued from the yacht?

Bacares, Ronald and her partner, Golunski and her family and nine of the crew survived the sinking. The coast guard has said that some of them were “initially rescued by a boat in the immediate vicinity.”

Karsten Borner was the captain on the nearby boat and said he saw the yacht sink quickly.

"It all happened in really little time," he told Italian news outlet Rai, according to the BBC.

“The storm was over. We noticed that the ship behind us was gone,” Borner told the BBC. “And then we saw a red flare, so my first mate and I went to the position and we found this life raft drifting [with] 15 people inside."

Who died in the sinking?

Italian authorities have not yet publicly named all seven victims, though a government official told Reuters that Lynch was among the dead and the chef’s body was also identified to PEOPLE and other outlets by local sources involved in the investigation. 

Five other passengers were initially described as missing and five more bodies have since been found in the wreck, sources said: Lynch’s daughter Hannah; Jonathan and Judy Bloomer and Christopher and Neda Morvillo.

Why did the Bayesian sink?

This has emerged as perhaps the key question in the tragedy , and the answer remains unclear.

One theory is that the boat capsized after being struck by a waterspout (which refers to a tornado over the water), though there may have been more factors at play that contributed to the sinking. 

"The dynamics aren't clear — lightning, mini tornado, water spout, it's not clear exactly what happened," one person close to the search efforts tells PEOPLE. "The most likely hypothesis is that the cause was indeed a tornado that began at land and then sped out off coast and became a waterspout at sea with a speed of more than [180 miles] per hour, to the point that it managed to practically sink the ship whilst causing minimum damage to both the mast and the hull."

"Eyewitnesses said the boat went down in minutes," this person adds.

The source says the vessel’s upper hatches could have been open at the time of the disaster, which would have caused the boat to quickly fill up with water. The source also says that large amounts of water may have flowed onto the ship through the hatches as the vessel rocked back and forth during the storm.

“This would be the only thing that could cause the hull to rear up which, as several survivors told the investigators, made the ship sink in literally 60 seconds​​​​​​​​​​​​​​,” the source says.

Another factor that could have caused the yacht to lose stability was its movable keel, which is an underwater blade designed to help keep boats upright and prevent them from swaying back and forth, the source close to the investigation tells PEOPLE.

They say that the 30-foot keel was allegedly retracted to about 13 feet when the storm hit, while natural experts say it would have been strange to retract the keel at that location if the crew knew bad weather was approaching.

The boat’s 236-foot mast may also have also played a role in allowing the boat to rock, similar to a pendulum.

"This episode sounds like an unbelievable story, both technically and as a fact," Giovanni Costantino — who leads The Italian Sea Group, the company that now owns Perini Navi, which built the Bayesian in 2008 — said, according to CNN .

Speaking with PEOPLE, Costantino was more circumspect.

“I obviously can't say for certain [what happened],” he says, “but what I'm sure of is that the only reason a sailboat, especially one with Perini Navi technologies installed, could sink is if it fills with water."

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People .

Factbox-What We Know About the Sinking of Mike Lynch's Superyacht off Sicily

Factbox-What We Know About the Sinking of Mike Lynch's Superyacht off Sicily

A rescue boat with rescue personnel on board conducts search operations for British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch's daughter Hannah Lynch, at the scene where a luxury yacht sank, off the coast of Porticello, near the Sicilian city of Palermo, Italy, August 23, 2024. REUTERS/Louiza Vradi/File Photo

ROME (Reuters) -The sinking of a luxury yacht on Aug. 19 off the northern coast of Sicily left seven people dead, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah and Morgan Stanley's Jonathan Bloomer. 

Here is what we know about the accident.

VIOLENT STORM 

The Bayesian, a British flagged 56-metre (184-feet) superyacht, was anchored off the port of Porticello, near Palermo, when it sank in the pre-dawn dark amid a very severe and sudden weather event. 

Prosecutor Raffaele Cammarano said on Saturday the event was most likely a "downburst", a very strong downward wind that is an intense but relatively frequent event at sea, rather than a waterspout which involves rotating winds like a tornado.

The coast guard said that given the weather forecast, there was nothing wrong about the Bayesian being moored offshore rather than at sheltering at port. Another yacht anchored nearby emerged from the storm unharmed. 

Twenty-two people were on board, and 15 survived, including nine out of 10 crew members as well as Lynch's wife, whose company owned the Bayesian. They were found on a life raft. Six out of the 12 passengers died. 

Prosecutors, who have put the yacht's captain James Cutfield under investigation for manslaughter and shipwreck, said the ship would have to be pulled out of the water before the investigation could be concluded.

STERN FIRST WENT DOWN

The Bayesian sent its last signal before sinking via the tracking Automatic Identification System (AIS) at 0206 GMT, according to the MarineTraffic website.

Chief Prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio said a red flare alerting rescue services about the emergency was fired into the sky at 0238 GMT, more than 30 minutes after the boat had gone down.

The head of Palermo's Fire Brigade, Girolamo Bentivoglio Fiandra, said the boat sank from the stern and is lying on its starboard side at a depth of around 50 metres (164 feet).

In the yacht, the bodies of the dead were found in the cabins on the left-hand side of the boat, where the passengers may have tried to search for remaining bubbles of air, he added.

Prosecutor Cammarano said the passengers were all probably asleep at the time of the storm which was why they failed to escape.

'INCOMPREHENSIBLE'

The sinking has puzzled seafarers and nautical engineers, who have said that it should have taken hours for the Bayesian to fill up with enough water to sink it, making its swift demise incomprehensible.

There have been suggestions that one or more portholes, windows or other openings may have been inadvertently left open by the crew, or broken or smashed by the storm, letting in water.

Experts also wondered if the yacht had been moored with its keel up, potentially compromising its stability. The keel is a fin-like stabilising structure under the hull, which can be partially lifted to reduce the depth of the boat in shallow waters or harbours.

Prosecutors have said it was too early to comment on either hypothesis. They also said crew members were not immediately tested for alcohol or drugs because they were in a state of shock when rescued. 

The Bayesian was built in 2008 by Perini Navi, an Italian luxury yacht maker. It featured the world's tallest aluminium mast, measuring 72 metres, but early reports that the mast broke in the storm have so far proven unfounded.

Giovanni Costantino, CEO of the Italian Sea Group, which owns Perini, said the yacht was "one of the safest boats in the world" and basically unsinkable.

He alleged that the sinking was due to a chain of human errors given that the storm was expected. He made his assertions partly based on data from the Automatic Identification System. The captain and other crew members have not spoken publicly about the disaster and attempts by Reuters to reach them have been unsuccessful. 

Costantino said that had the crew shut all doors and hatches, turned on the engine, lifted the anchor, lowered the keel and turned the yacht to face the wind, it would have suffered no damage.

He added that data showed it took 16 minutes from when the wind began buffeting the yacht, and it began taking on water, for it to sink.

Reuters has not been able to confirm his assertions.  

(Reporting by Giselda Vagnoni, additional reporting by Giulia Segreti, Alvise Armellini, Matteo Negri, Giulio Piovaccari and Josephine Mason in London; Editing by Sharon Singleton and Ros Russell)

Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .

Photos You Should See - July 2024

Join the Conversation

Tags: Canada , United States , Italy , United Kingdom , Europe

America 2024

U.S. News Decision Points

Your trusted source for the latest news delivered weekdays from the team at U.S. News and World Report.

Sign in to manage your newsletters »

Sign up to receive the latest updates from U.S News & World Report and our trusted partners and sponsors. By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy .

You May Also Like

The 10 worst presidents.

U.S. News Staff Feb. 23, 2024

The Best Cartoons on Donald Trump

Aug. 27, 2024, at 3:39 p.m.

Joe Biden Behind The Scenes

Aug. 20, 2024

GOP’s ‘Parallel’ Probe of Trump Shooting

Laura Mannweiler Aug. 27, 2024

2024 Election Improving Consumer Moods

Tim Smart Aug. 27, 2024

Trump Pledges Space National Guard

Laura Mannweiler Aug. 26, 2024

The Week in Cartoons Aug. 26-30

Aug. 27, 2024, at 3:40 p.m.

Economy, Campaign Enter Critical Period

Tim Smart Aug. 26, 2024

Trump on Defense After DNC

Cecelia Smith-Schoenwalder Aug. 23, 2024

RFK Jr. Campaign Comes to Bizarre End

Aneeta Mathur-Ashton Aug. 23, 2024