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Report finds inadequate lookout led to Utopia IV collision with tanker
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An accident report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has found that the collision between 63 metre superyacht Utopia IV and a gas tanker was caused by the crew not maintaining a lookout.
The two vessels collided on December 23, 2021, approximately 15 miles north-northwest of New Providence Island. Utopia IV was carrying seven charter guests and 12 crewmembers at the time and was making passage to Bimini Island when she hit the stern of the 49 metre steel tanker Tropic Breeze at 10pm. The force of the collision pierced the stern of the tanker, which caused it to sink to a depth of 2,000 metres and its crew to abandon ship.
The report details that Utopia IV was travelling at 20 knots when she struck Tropic Breeze. The captain was not in the wheelhouse when the incident occurred having left 12 minutes prior to check on the guests. According to the report, the bosun, who was left in the wheelhouse, was not certified as mate or captain and therefore was not allowed by regulations to perform watchstanding duties by himself. It is also understood that the bosun was multitasking and logging navigation data "and therefore was distracted from performing effective lookout duties", the report detailed.
The tanker was travelling at a speed of five knots and carrying a cargo of marine gas oil and liquid petroleum gas. The captain of Tropic Breeze had also left the wheelhouse to use the restroom prior to the incident.
None of the watchstanders on Utopia IV or Tropic Breeze reported seeing the other vessel on radar, which is set to a three-mile radius, while visibility was understood to be "good" in spite of bow spray reported to have been collecting on the windshield of Utopia IV . The report determined that, given the relative speed of both vessels, it was likely that none of the watchstanders had looked at the radar in the 12 minutes before the collision or completed a visual assessment of the surroundings.
CCTV in the galley of Utopia IV captured the moment of the collision. Equipment and several of the yacht's crew were thrown to the deck or into bulkheads; three crew sustained minor injuries. Utopia IV ’s captain was in the main dining area and was thrown into the forward bulkhead and door frame.
The chief engineer of Tropic Breeze investigated the damage and discovered that the engine room was flooding rapidly. The captain made a VHF distress call and decided to abandon the vessel; a liferaft was launched. Meanwhile, Utopia IV ’s chief engineer restarted the yacht’s engines, which had shut down after the collision, and a distress call was made from the wheelhouse. The yacht attempted to rescue the crew from the tanker but sea swells prevented them from boarding. The tanker crew were eventually rescued by a passing motor yacht, Amara , which heard the distress calls and diverted its course to assist.
Utopia IV ’s chief stewardess told investigators she saw the Tropic Breeze ’s navigation lights illuminated following the collision. According to the Utopia IV’ s crew, the Utopia IV ’s lights were all on.
As well as damage to both vessels, 156,500 gallons of marine gas oil was lost with the tanker. The accident resulted in nearly $7.9 million in damages, the report revealed.
As Utopia IV approached Tropic Breeze from directly astern, the yacht (as the overtaking vessel) was required by 72 COLREGS to give way to the tanker. However, as the watchstanders on both Utopia IV and Tropic Breeze failed to maintain a proper lookout, both were unable to identify the risk of collision and respond suitably. The report said: "Although the Utopia IV bore responsibility as the overtaking vessel to manoeuvre away from the tank vessel, once the yacht’s intentions were unclear and a close-quarters situation had developed, the tank vessel should have taken action."
NTSB investigators concluded that the probable cause of the collision was Utopia IV ’s wheelhouse crew not maintaining a proper lookout and therefore not identifying the vessel they were overtaking, but with contribution from Tropic Breeze’s bridge team also not maintaining a proper lookout.
“A proper lookout by suitably trained crewmembers is required by the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 and is essential in determining the risk of collision,” the report said. “The effective use of all available resources by a bridge team, including visual scanning, radars, electronic charts, and an automatic identification system, increases collective situational awareness and contributes to a safe navigation watch. Operators and crews should ensure that vessel bridge teams are staffed with certificated/credentialed mariners who are familiar with all bridge navigation equipment and able to independently take immediate action.”
The owners of the vessel had previously said in a statement that they were "terribly saddened" by the incident.
The full accident report can be found here .
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By SuperyachtNews 31 Oct 2022
Crewmember claims yacht was 'unseaworthy' when it collided with 49m tanker
There are still unanswered questions concerning the incident that involved a 63m superyacht and a 49m tanker in the bahamas….
On 23 December 2021, the 63m motoryacht Utopia IV was involved in a collision with the 49m tanker Tropic Breeze in the Bahamas . The tanker subsequently sank but, fortunately, no lives were lost, and according to various sources, the tanker’s cargo on board included ‘non-persistent materials only’.
While this accident could have been far worse, it should also be highlighted that the initial reports surrounding the incident were limited and somewhat insubstantial considering the gravity of it.
One can’t help but question the deafening silence that followed after hurried official statements had been made praising the rescuers while showcasing gratitude for the limited environmental consequences. While that may be fair, there are still questions that remain unanswered from patchy reports. Now, almost one year later, one of the crewmembers who was on board at the time has decided to speak out against what they deem to be injustices leading up to, and following on from, the incident.
It should be noted that some of these claims have not been verified by evidence. Multiple individuals and organisations were contacted for this article, but very few were willing to go on the record to either confirm or deny these allegations.
What happened?
Utopia IV was involved in a collision with tanker Tropic Breeze on 23 December, 2021, sometime between 10pm and 10.15pm. The yacht was on an eight-hour passage through the Bahamas, cruising at a speed of 22 knots, with seven guests on board who were chartering the vessel.
The captain was on watch for the first four hours of this passage, but the crewmember has claimed that they actually left the bridge twice in the first hour, disappearing for up to 20 minutes at a time. Twelve minutes into the second disappearance, the superyacht was in a collision with the tanker.
The radar and all the electronic equipment on board the yacht were in working order. However, the crewmember claims that the issue was that the radar was only zoomed out to about a six-mile radius, and in the time that the captain had disappeared from the bridge, the vessel had already travelled around 12 nautical miles.
The tanker sank in a matter of minutes, but unfortunately, nobody on board Utopia IV could rescue the seven crew on Tropic Breeze. According to the crewmember, Utopia IV didn’t have a rescue tender or a ladder or a pilot door. The crewmember said several of the crew on board sustained major injuries during the collision.
Utopia is a 10,000HP jet boat driven by 4 MTU engines, therefore, even if the vessel did have a stern ladder, it would have beeen impossible to recover anyone from 2m below the swim platform with the main engines still running. M/Y Amara, a nearby 57m Feadship, was able to deploy its crew on its rescue tender and save those on board the tanker.
The collision led to the tanker sinking 2,000 feet below sea level. The crewmember claims the tanker was carrying 150,000 gallons of gasoline and 10,000 gallons of propane, although the management company in charge of the tanker has denied these claims. The tanker’s cargo on board included non-persistent materials – all of which floated to the surface of the water and subsequently dissipated into the atmosphere, meaning the clean-up action was deemed only minimal.
The 32-year-old tanker was found by the authorities to be fully compliant with all national and international safety and vessel integrity standards just a few weeks before the incident. Due to the depth of the ocean at the location where the incident occurred, it was decided by authorities that the tanker could not be salvaged safely.
What has happened since?
The crewmember shared a recording of a meeting which took place early afternoon on Christmas Day (roughly 36 hours after the collision). The meeting involved the owner’s in-house lead attorney, the DPA of the charter company, and the Captain and Crew (apart from the Chief Engineer).
In the clip, the attorney promises every crewmember that their wages would be paid to them until they were fit for duty or until they reached maximum medical improvement. Despite this, the crew were informed that the owner had refused to pay their wages the very next day once their January paycheck never showed up.
At least one of the crewmembers has a long-term injury; they are awaiting life-changing surgery and say they haven’t been given a penny since the day of the crash. The legal team who were involved in this have not yet responded to a request for an interview.
Tropic Breeze was one of the smallest tankers in a fleet used to deliver resources to some of the less accessible islands in the Bahamas. Because of its size and specifications, it was the only tanker capable of delivering to these smaller islands, and there were initial worries about the need to dredge around some of the ports to allow space for bigger tankers.
The management company that looks after the fleet has confirmed that the situation will be ‘looked after’ by other vessels currently in the fleet and by the acquisition of another ship. The management company also confirmed that nobody on board Tropic Breeze was seriously injured, but they could not speak on behalf of those on board Utopia IV.
These claims are incredibly illuminating and, if anything, showcase just how easy it is to uncover all the facts of a major incident in the superyacht industry. There is also evidence that suggests the yacht was placed under arrest on the 1st of December 2021. The owner’s legal team were contacted but there have not yet replied, the yacht management company were also contacted but have not responded. The insurance company that were allegedly associated with the yacht were also contacted for an interview, but did not formally respond. This is an ongoing investigation, and SuperyachtNews will report on the case with caution. If you are an industry expert who would like to offer any insight or thoughts on this incident, please reach out to [email protected]
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UPDATE: 63m M/Y Utopia IV spotted in Miami following collision
M/Y Utopia IV has been spotted in Miami following an incident involving a collision with a tanker on Christmas Eve
2 years ago
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NTSB Investigation: Yacht’s improper lookout leads to collision with tanker
Credit: NTSB
NTSB published its accident report on the collision between the private Yacht Utopia IV and the tanker Tropic Breeze, on December 23, 2021, Northeast Providence Channel, 20 miles northwest of Nassau, Bahamas.
The incident
O n December 23, 2021, at 1800, the Tropic Breeze departed Clifton Pier on New Providence Island at a speed of 5 knots en route to Great Stirrup Cay—a voyage north-northwest that was estimated to take 12 hours. The vessel was loaded with a cargo of 100,000 gallons of high-sulfur marine gas oil (MGO), 22,000 gallons of ultra-low sulfur MGO, 20,000 gallons of gasoline, and 8,500 gallons of liquid petroleum gas. The vessel also carried 6,000 gallons of ultra-low sulfur MGO as bunkers (vessel fuel). All but two cargo tanks were pressed up (full), and there was no ballast on board. The vessel’s loaded draft was 7.5 feet (hull depth of 9.8 feet). The vessel had a crew of seven, and according to the master, “everything on the bridge was working.”
At 2030, the Utopia IV weighed anchor offshore of Albany (on New Providence Island) and got underway toward Bimini Island (about 160 miles away) at a speed of about 20 knots. The captain’s planned route took the vessel around the west side of New Providence Island and north of the Berry Islands. The yacht carried 7 passengers in addition to 12 crewmembers. The captain conned the vessel while the bosun navigated and kept a bridge log. The bosun stated that the weather was clear, but bow spray made it more difficult to see outside from inside the wheelhouse and required intermittent use of bridge window wipers. According to the bosun, the Utopia IV’s plumb bow allowed more water to collect on deck and the windshield. The display for one of the vessel’s radars (S-band) was inoperative; the other radar (X-band) was set to a 3-mile scale.
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The Utopia IV had a forward masthead light mounted on a telescoping mast that could be retracted into the deck when not in use. According to the captain, a mechanical issue prevented the mast from being completely extended during the casualty voyage.
About 2100, the captain stated that he left the wheelhouse with a radio to check on the passengers. He returned to the wheelhouse before departing again at 2148 to check on the passengers. He stated that he saw no visual, automatic identification system (AIS), or radar targets before departing. The captain told investigators he expected the bosun to maneuver as necessary for traffic; however, the bosun stated his understanding was that he first had to radio the captain to receive permission to maneuver the vessel. The bosun told investigators that while he was alone in the wheelhouse after the captain’s departure, he did not see any visual, radar, or AIS targets.
On board the Tropic Breeze, the master and an able seafarer (AB) were on watch on the bridge. According to the crew, the Tropic Breeze’s AIS had a power issue, worked only intermittently, and was scheduled to be repaired as soon as COVID precautions allowed a technician to travel to the vessel. The vessel also had two radars: the master stated that one was off at the time, and the other was set to a 3-mile scale. The master had the radar set to alarm for targets within 2 miles. The crew stated that the mast atop the bridge blocked the radar sweep aft, so the radar display showed a shadow area directly astern. (After the casualty, the master stated that he did not see the Utopia IV on the radar.) The master had set up the autopilot earlier in the evening, and according to the AB, there were no course changes during his watch.
Just before 2200, the bosun on the Utopia IV turned his attention to recording the hourly log entries and navigation fix, leaving his back turned to the forward windows (the captain had not yet returned to the wheelhouse, having left at 2148). About the same time, the Tropic Breeze’s master started toward his cabin, immediately aft of the bridge, to use the restroom.
At 2200:48, a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera in the Utopia IV’s galley captured equipment and crew suddenly propelled forward as the bow of the Utopia IV (traveling at about 20 knots) struck the transom of the Tropic Breeze (traveling at about 5 knots) from directly astern, slightly to port of the tank vessel’s centerline. Several of the yacht’s crew were thrown to the deck or into bulkheads as Utopia IV struck the tank vessel at a relative speed of about 15 knots; three crewmembers sustained minor injuries. The Utopia IV’s captain was in the main dining area and was thrown into the “forward bulkhead and door frame.”
The Utopia IV’s chief stewardess told investigators she saw the Tropic Breeze’s navigation lights illuminated post-collision. According to the Utopia IV’s crew, the Utopia IV’s lights were all on.
The Tropic Breeze’s chief engineer investigated the tanker’s damage. He found the engine room was flooding rapidly. He went to the bridge and reported the flooding to the master; he stated that he did not see the source of flooding, but the engine had stopped once it was submerged. About 2215, 15 minutes after the collision, the captain made a VHF distress call and decided to abandon the vessel because he did not believe the Tropic Breeze could survive a flooded engine room. The crew launched the rescue boat and a liferaft (the rafts were stowed aft of the bridge on the same deck). One or two crewmembers boarded the rescue boat, and the remainder of the crew boarded the liferaft.
The Utopia IV’s chief engineer restarted the yacht’s engines, which had shut down after the collision. The chief mate, who had come to the wheelhouse, made a distress call by VHF radio. The Utopia IV was maneuvered to recover the Tropic Breeze’s crew, and the stern swim platform was lowered to allow them to board; however, sea swells and the height of the platform prevented them from boarding.
The yacht Amara heard three VHF distress calls from the Utopia IV (the crew on watch did not hear any from the Tropic Breeze), and the Royal Bahamian Defense Forces (which fulfill a role similar to the US Coast Guard) also received the distress calls. The Amara arrived on scene and dispatched the vessel’s 38-foot-long tender (which the Amara had been towing) with a crew of three, who then recovered all of the tanker’s crew from the liferaft and rescue boat. The crewmembers on the tender and the Amara’s captain concurred it was not safe to get Tropic Breeze’s crew aboard either the Amara or the Utopia IV due to the sea state, so they were taken ashore to Lyford Cay Marina in Nassau via the tender, arriving about 0240.
The Tropic Breeze continued to flood, and according to the master, the vessel sank about 25 minutes after the collision. An alert from the vessel’s Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-enabled emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) was received by the Coast Guard’s Rescue Coordination Center Miami at 2226, via the French Mission Control Center and medium Earth orbit search and rescue (MEOSAR)-enabled satellites.
The Utopia IV and Tropic Breeze were both equipped with radar—regulations require systematic observations of radar targets to determine risk of collision—set to a 3-mile scale. With the Utopia IV approaching the Tropic Breeze at a relative speed of 15 knots, a target would close 3 miles in just 12 minutes. However, none of the watchstanders on the Utopia IV (captain and bosun) or Tropic Breeze (master and AB) reported seeing the other vessel on radar; therefore, it is likely none of them had looked at the radar in the 12 minutes before the collision (although the Tropic Breeze crew stated there was a radar shadow aft, it is likely that the approach of the yacht would have been detected on radar). Additionally, there was no evidence that they used radar for long-range scanning. Therefore, neither crew used their vessel’s radar effectively.
The Tropic Breeze was equipped with an AIS, which consists of a VHF transponder that transmits a vessel’s identity, course, speed, size, and destination. The information is available to nearby vessels on their AIS display unit, radar, and/or electronic chart display and information system, which in turn will calculate and display a target’s closest point of approach (CPA) and time to CPA. However, the Tropic Breeze’s AIS was inoperative due to a power issue: investigators queried databases and found the unit had not transmitted a position in 11 months. (There were repair parts on board awaiting a technician.) Had the unit been functioning, it is likely that the Utopia IV could have detected the Tropic Breeze before the collision. Likewise, with the unit inoperative, the Tropic Breeze could not display the Utopia IV’s AIS signal and identify the yacht’s position relative to the tank vessel.
As the Utopia IV approached the Tropic Breeze from nearly directly astern, the yacht (as the overtaking vessel) was required by 72 COLREGS to give way to the tank vessel. However, because the watchstanders on the Utopia IV were not maintaining a proper lookout using all available means, they did not identify the risk of collision. Although the Utopia IV bore responsibility as the overtaking vessel to maneuver away from the tank vessel, once the yacht’s intentions were unclear and a close-quarters situation had developed, the tank vessel should have taken action. However, the watchstanders on the Tropic Breeze did not detect the Utopia IV approaching. If they had seen the yacht, they likely would have signaled the potential danger in some way, whether by radio communication, whistle, or other means. Therefore, the Tropic Breeze’s watchstanders were also not maintaining a proper lookout. Had either kept a proper lookout, they likely would have detected each other and could have taken action to avoid the collision.
Conclusions
The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the collision between the yacht Utopia IV and the tank vessel Tropic Breeze was the Utopia IV’s wheelhouse crew not maintaining a proper lookout and therefore not identifying the tank vessel they were overtaking. Contributing was the Tropic Breeze’s bridge team also not maintaining a proper lookout.
Lessons learned
A proper lookout by suitably trained crewmembers is required by the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 and is essential in determining the risk of collision. The effective use of all available resources by a bridge team, including visual scanning, radars, electronic charts, and an automatic identification system, increases collective situational awareness and contributes to a safe navigation watch. Operators and crews should ensure that vessel bridge teams are staffed with certificated/credentialed mariners who are familiar with all bridge navigation equipment and able to independently take immediate action.
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Tanker Sinks after Collision with M/Y Utopia IV
On December 24 at about 10:03 p.m., tanker Tropic Breeze was struck by M/Y Utopia IV approximately 15 miles NNW of New Providence Island, The Bahamas. According to a press release by the tanker’s management Maritime Management LLC, “the 160-foot tanker was traveling on its proper watch en route to Great Stirrup Cay when it was rear-ended by the 207-foot superyacht. The catastrophic force of the collision pierced the stern of the tanker causing the tanker to sink to the ocean floor at an estimated depth of 2,000 feet.”
However, due to the depth, it has been determined that Tropic Breeze can’t be safely salvaged.
While the management company initially reported that the Tropic Breeze crew were uninjured, rescued, and safely returned to a company-owned facility on shore, the Ministry of Transport and Housing of The Bahamas reported “injuries to several crewmembers.”
The tanker’s cargo consisted of “all non-persistent materials — LPG, marine gas, and automotive gas — all of which are lighter than water and will evaporate if exposed to surface air,” according to Maritime Management. Tropic Breeze was recently inspected in December 2021 and found to be fully compliant with all national and international safety and vessel integrity standards.
The crew of M/Y Amara responded to the tanker’s distress call and rescued all seven crewmembers aboard. At approximately 12:39 a.m., the Royal Bahamas Defence Force received a report that Utopia IV was taking on water and was making her way to Prince George Wharf. The Harbour Patrol Unit dispatched the P-40 vessel to assist and the yacht arrived at the wharf at 1:26 a.m.
The Port Department has begun a formal investigation into the incident and the Department of Environmental Health is conducting a review of the environmental impact.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Salvage and wreck (@salvage_and_wreck)
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Tropic Breeze crew wearing lifejackets in the liferaft and rescue boat before rescue. The Utopia IV is in the background. (Source: Amara)
Inadequate Lookouts Led to Collision Between Superyacht and Tanker in the Bahamas
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Two crews not maintaining proper lookouts led to the December 2021 collision between a superyacht and a tanker near Nassau, Bahamas, the National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday.
The collision resulted in the sinking of the tanker and nearly $7.9 million in damages.
The MY Utopia IV and oil products tank vessel Tropic Breeze were transiting the Northeast Providence Channel on December 23, 2021, when the two vessels collided. The Tropic Breeze’s engine room flooded, and the vessel eventually sank. The vessel’s seven crewmembers abandoned ship and were rescued by a Good Samaritan vessel. Three of the 12 crewmembers on the Utopia IV were injured.
The 63-meter Utopia IV was built in 2018 by Italian yacht builder Rossinavi. The yacht is currently for sale on the Moran Yacht & Ship website for $49,900,000.
Before the collision, the captain of the Utopia IV was conning the vessel while the bosun navigated and kept a bridge log. On watch on the bridge Tropic Breeze was the master and an able seafarer.
The captain of the Utopia IV left the bridge shortly before the collision to check on the seven yacht passengers. The bosun, who was not credentialed as a watch officer and was not allowed by regulations to conn the vessel alone, was left performing watchstanding duties by himself and logging navigational data.
At 11:00 p.m. Eastern time, the bow of the Utopia IV , traveling at about 20 knots, struck the transom of the Tropic Breeze , moving at only 5 knots, from directly astern.
None of the watchstanders on the Utopia IV or Tropic Breeze reported seeing the other vessel on radar. According to the report, it is likely none of the watchstanders had looked at the radar in the 12 minutes before the collision.
During the voyage, the Tropic Breeze’s automatic identification system was inoperative due to a power issue. The NTSB said if the unit was working, Utopia IV’s watchstander could have detected the Tropic Breeze before the collision and the Tropic Breeze’s system would have been able to identify the yacht’s position as it approached from astern.
NTSB investigators concluded that if either vessel had kept a proper lookout, they likely would have detected each other and could have taken action to avoid the collision.
The NTSB determined the probable cause of the collision was the Utopia IV’s wheelhouse crew not maintaining a proper lookout and therefore not identifying the tanker they were overtaking. Contributing was the Tropic Breeze’s bridge team also not maintaining a proper lookout.
“A proper lookout by suitably trained crewmembers is required by the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 and is essential in determining the risk of collision,” the report said. “The effective use of all available resources by a bridge team, including visual scanning, radars, electronic charts, and an automatic identification system, increases collective situational awareness and contributes to a safe navigation watch. Operators and crews should ensure that vessel bridge teams are staffed with certificated/credentialed mariners who are familiar with all bridge navigation equipment and able to independently take immediate action.”
Marine Investigation Report 22-29 is available on the NTSB’s website .
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Millionaire jr ridinger’s yacht sinks gas tanker in bahamas boat accident.
Talk about a whole boatload of problems.
A $51 million superyacht, Utopia IV — owned by multimillionaire JR Ridinger — rear-ended and sunk a gas tanker in the Bahamas on Christmas Eve.
According to reports, the Utopia hit the stern of the tanker, the Tropic Breeze, at 10 p.m. off the coast of New Providence Island.
Maritime Management, which owns the sunken ship, told the local Caribbean National Weekly, “The catastrophic force of the collision pierced the stern of the tanker causing the tanker to sink to the ocean floor at an estimated depth of 2,000 feet.”
As for potential environmental damage, the company said that all “non-persistent materials [LPG, marine gas and automotive gas] … are lighter than water and will evaporate if exposed to surface air.”
Crew members were rescued by another passing superyacht, called Amara.
It is unclear if Ridinger, CEO of Market America and Shop.com , was aboard the Utopia IV. There was no response to requests for comment from one of his companies. Page Six has also reached out to the Bahama’s Ministry of Transport and Housing.
The Utopia IV features four Rolls Royce hydro jets for speed and can sleep 12 in an interior outfitted with luxury brands like Hermes and Armani. There is a jacuzzi in the owner’s suite and a glass-bottomed pool.
When putting their West Chelsea duplex on the market in July 2020 — which offered up boat space at nearby Chelsea Piers — Ridinger’s wife, Loren, told the NY Post , “We’ve always been avid yachters so having our yacht across the street was super convenient.”
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TRID the TRIS and ITRD database
Marine Investigation Report: Collision between Yacht Utopia IV and Tank Vessel Tropic Breeze, December 23, 2021
On December 23, 2021, about 2201 local time, the motor yacht Utopia IV and tank vessel Tropic Breeze were transiting the Northeast Providence Channel, 20 miles northwest of Nassau, Bahamas, when the two vessels collided. The Tropic Breeze’s engine room began flooding. The vessel’s seven crewmembers abandoned the Tropic Breeze to life rafts and a rescue boat before the ship sank, and they were rescued by a Good Samaritan vessel. Three of the 12 crew aboard the Utopia IV sustained minor injuries. There were 156,500 gallons of petroleum cargo and fuel lost with the tanker. Damage to the vessels was estimated at $7.9 million. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the probable cause of the collision between the yacht Utopia IV and the tank vessel Tropic Breeze was the Utopia IV’s wheelhouse crew not maintaining a proper lookout and therefore not identifying the tank vessel they were overtaking. Contributing was the Tropic Breeze's bridge team also not maintaining a proper lookout.
- Record URL: https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/MIR2229.pdf
- Summary URL: https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/DCA22FM009.aspx
National Transportation Safety Board
- Publication Date: 2022-12-22
- Media Type: Digital/other
- Features: Figures; Maps; Photos;
- Pagination: 12p
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Crash causes ; Crash investigation ; Tankers ; Water transportation crashes ; Yachts
- Geographic Terms: Bahamas
- Subject Areas: Marine Transportation; Safety and Human Factors;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01870295
- Record Type: Publication
- Report/Paper Numbers: MIR-22-29, Accident No. DCA22FM009
- Files: TRIS
- Created Date: Jan 23 2023 12:22PM
Yacht, IMO 9851050
- VesselFinder
- Miscellaneous
The current position of UTOPIA IV is at US East Coast reported 1 min ago by AIS. The vessel UTOPIA IV (IMO 9851050, MMSI 303455000) is a Yacht built in 2018 (6 years old) and currently sailing under the flag of Alaska .
Position & Voyage Data
| Predicted ETA | - |
| Distance / Time | - |
| Course / Speed | |
| Current draught | 2.4 m |
| Navigation Status | Moored |
| Position received | |
| IMO / MMSI | 9851050 / 303455000 |
| Callsign | WDL7105 |
| Flag | Alaska |
| Length / Beam | 63 / 11 m |
Map position & Weather
Recent port calls, vessel particulars.
| IMO number | 9851050 |
| Vessel Name | UTOPIA IV |
| Ship Type | Yacht |
| Flag | United States of America |
| Year of Build | 2018 |
| Length Overall | 62.60 |
| Length BP | |
| Beam | 10.80 |
| Draught | - |
| Depth |
| Gross Tonnage | 986 |
| Net Tonnage | - |
| Deadweight |
| TEU | - |
| Crude Oil | - |
| Gas ) | - |
| Grain ) | - |
| Bale ) | - |
| Ballast Water ) | - |
| Fresh Water ) | - |
| Builder | |
| Place of Build | |
| Hull | - |
| Material | |
| Engine Builder | - |
| Engine Type | - |
| Engine Power | - |
| Fuel Type | - |
| Service Speed | - |
| Propeller | - |
| Registered Owner | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
As Utopia IV approached Tropic Breeze from directly astern, the yacht (as the overtaking vessel) was required by 72 COLREGS to give way to the tanker. However, as the watchstanders on both Utopia IV and Tropic Breeze failed to maintain a proper lookout, both were unable to identify the risk of collision and respond suitably.The report said: "Although the Utopia IV bore responsibility as the ...
A crash involving the 207-foot (63-meter) Utopia IV has caused the sinking of a tanker carrying marine and automotive gas plus liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The Utopia IV collision resulted in several injuries aboard both vessels, though no reported serious damage to the marine environment.. The tanker was the 160-foot (48.8-meter) Tropic Breeze. ...
The 63 metre Rossinavi motor yacht M/Y Utopia IV has been spotted in Miami following an incident involving a collision with a tanker on Christmas Eve last year. While the superyacht itself remains relatively unscathed considering the impact of the collision, investigations will need to be continued in order to identify the cause of the accident.
On 23 December 2021, the 63m M/Y Utopia IV was involved in a collision with the 49m tanker Tropic Breeze in the Bahamas. The tanker subsequently sank but, fortunately, no lives were lost, and according to various sources, the tanker's cargo on board included 'non-persistent materials only'. While this accident could have been far worse ...
Utopia IV was involved in a collision with tanker Tropic Breeze on 23 December, 2021, sometime between 10pm and 10.15pm. The yacht was on an eight-hour passage through the Bahamas, cruising at a speed of 22 knots, with seven guests on board who were chartering the vessel.
The NTSB has issued an incident report into the 23 December 2021 collision between the 63m superyacht Utopia IV and the 49m tanker Tropic Breeze. Long Read Full details of the 63m superyacht Utopia IV tanker collision revealed. Written by Sophie Spicknell. Fri, 13 Jan 2023 | 15:00.
Inadequate Lookout Led to Collision between Yacht, Tank ...
A 63 meter super yacht titled m/y Utopia IV collided with the protective barrier of NE 63 Bridge which leads to the Port of Miami on 18:00 hours of Wednesday thirteen December. The cause of the collision was caused from current created by a cruise ship prop wash, with twenty knots gust winds not helping the situation. According to a declaration ...
in Accidents. Credit: NTSB. NTSB published its accident report on the collision between the private Yacht Utopia IV and the tanker Tropic Breeze, on December 23, 2021, Northeast Providence Channel, 20 miles northwest of Nassau, Bahamas. The incident. On December 23, 2021, at 1800, the Tropic Breeze departed Clifton Pier on New Providence Island ...
Tanker Sinks after Collision with M/Y Utopia IV. On December 24 at about 10:03 p.m., tanker Tropic Breeze was struck by M/Y Utopia IV approximately 15 miles NNW of New Providence Island, The Bahamas. According to a press release by the tanker's management Maritime Management LLC, "the 160-foot tanker was traveling on its proper watch en ...
On December 23, 2021, about 2201 local time, the motor yacht Utopia IV and tank vessel Tropic Breeze were transiting the Northeast Providence Channel, 20 miles northwest of Nassau, Bahamas, when the two vessels collided. The Tropic Breeze's engine room began flooding. The vessel's seven crewmembers abandoned the Tropic Breeze to liferafts and a rescue boat before the ship sank, and they ...
The Utopia IV is a high-power yacht designed and built by Italy's Rossinavi in 2018. The Italian designers report that the vessel is fitted with four light Rolls Royce engines as well as four ...
The 63-meter Utopia IV was built in 2018 by Italian yacht builder Rossinavi. The yacht is currently for sale on the Moran Yacht & Ship website for $49,900,000. Before the collision, ...
The yacht Utopia IV was built at Rossinavi in Italy.The yacht is 63 meters (207 ft) long and has a shallow draft of 2.2 meters (7.2ft). Latest News. The Rossinavi yacht Utopia IV has hit the tanker Tropic Breeze on December 24, 2021. The tanker sank but all crew and passengers were uninjured, and have been rescued More Here. Specifications
On December 23, 2021, about 2201 local time, the motor yacht Utopia IV and tank vessel Tropic Breeze were transiting the Northeast Providence Channel, 20 miles northwest of Nassau, Bahamas, when the two vessels collided.1 The Tropic Breeze's engine room began flooding. The vessel's seven crewmembers abandoned the Tropic Breeze to liferafts ...
Published Dec. 30, 2021, 9:57 p.m. ET. JR Ridinger's mega yacht crashed into and sank an oil tanker. Talk about a whole boatload of problems. A $51 million superyacht, Utopia IV — owned by ...
#superyacht #superyachts #yachts #boatsEpisode 40 SY NewsThe crash and sinking of the tanker MV Tropic Breeze in a collision with the SuperYacht Utopia IV co...
Utopia IV' s damages were an estimated $2.4 million. It included ruptured hull plating above and below the waterline, fractured framing, and damaged bridge windows. NTSB investigators concluded that had Utopia IV' s wheelhouse crew or Tropic Breeze' s bridge crew maintained a proper lookout, they would have detected each other.
The owner of Utopia IV, JR Ridinger, has given a statement to a USA newspaper about the crash of his superyacht in December. See more. Fleet Updates Owner of Utopia IV, JR Ridinger, was not onboard during Christmas Eve crash . Written by Elodie Behravan. Wed, 05 Jan 2022 | 13:00.
#superyacht #superyachts #yachts #boats00:00 Utopia Crashes again03:21 Lurssen Release Statement on accident04:15 Zuckerberg yacht purchase?06:33 YotSpot - F...
On December 23, 2021, about 2201 local time, the motor yacht Utopia IV and tank vessel Tropic Breeze were transiting the Northeast Providence Channel, 20 miles northwest of Nassau, Bahamas, when the two vessels collided. ... TRT Terms: Crash causes; Crash investigation; Tankers; Water transportation crashes; Yachts; Geographic Terms: Bahamas;
The current position of UTOPIA IV is at US East Coast reported 3 mins ago by AIS. The vessel is en route to BROOKLYN,NY, and expected to arrive there on Aug 3, 16:00.The vessel UTOPIA IV (IMO 9851050, MMSI 303455000) is a Yacht built in 2018 (6 years old) and currently sailing under the flag of Alaska.
The Rossinavi superyacht Utopia IV has crashed into a tanker in the Bahamas and sunk the tanker. Fleet Updates Superyacht Utopia IV has struck tanker off New Provence Island. Written by Francesca Webster. Mon, 27 Dec 2021 | 11:15.
The crash happened in Old Saybrook on Monday night around 9:15 p.m.. According to DEEP, a 31-foot boat carrying nine friends home from a day-trip to Block Island slammed into a jetty by an Old ...