luxury yacht burns in massive blaze

• Australia News

Luxury superyacht destroyed in massive fire after exploding while moored at Hamilton Island Marina in the Whitsundays

A luxury superyacht docked at a marina in the Whitsundays has exploded into a ball of flames, spewing enormous plumes of smoke into the air and blanketing nearby vessels.

A luxury superyacht docked in the Whitsundays has been completely destroyed in a massive inferno after a blaze ignited on board the high end vessel.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Service crews were called to Hamilton Island Marina at about 10:45am on Monday to find the luxury boat fully engulfed in flames.

Giant plumes of thick black smoke were seen spewing into the air, blanketing nearby vessels.

It's understood no one was onboard when the fire broke out, however a man in his 40s and a man in his 60s have been assessed for smoke inhalation. 

News has never been more important. Stream more than 20 global & local news sources with Flash. New to Flash? Try 1 month free

A super yacht has been destroyed by fire on Hamilton Island. The cause is unclear. Police say no one was on board when it broke out. @9NewsQueensland pic.twitter.com/pcp8miN9Ma — Jordan Fabris (@JordanFabris9) October 24, 2022

A QFES spokesman told skynews.com.au it took firefighters almost two hours to contain the blaze.

They remained at the scene alongside police to monitor the "active flames" and "smoke" as they tried to stop the giant vessel from sinking. 

The cause of the blaze is not yet clear and investigations are continuing.

Add your comment to this story

To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register

Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout

Formentera superyacht bursts into flames as passengers escape for their lives

Twelve passengers and five crew scrambled to abandon ship as they raced against the flames engulfing the 88ft Italian-designed megayacht that was anchored off Es Cavall d'en Borras beach off Formentera

• 08:21, 13 Aug 2023
• Updated 14:30, 13 Aug 2023

This is the dramatic moment a 88-foot luxury yacht goes up in flames off the paradise Mediterranean island of Formentera.

Onlookers gathered nearby in their own boats to watch the blaze take hold as thick black smoke rose high into the sky above the stricken vessel . Five crew and 12 passengers are said to have been on board the yacht but were able to abandon it in time despite the speed with which the fire engulfed the Italian-designed cruiser.

Terrifying video shows the flames roaring through the vessel, which is burnt back to little more than its frame in several places. The fire is thought to have ripped through the vessel in a matter of moments, sending it up in a massive fireball that could be seen from neighbouring Ibiza.

Only one of the crew members, described as a 39-year-old Spaniard who suffered minor burns, needed hospital treatment according to regional emergency response coordinators. The alarm was sounded around 6pm yesterday while the yacht was anchored off Es Cavall d’en Borras beach in the Ses Salines Natural Park.

Spanish coastguards confirmed this afternoon the yacht that went up in flames was called Irmao and it had sunk off a natural landmark called Punta de Sa Pedrera in Formentera. They shared a statement published alongside footage of coastguard vessel Acrux towing the stricken yacht further out to sea before it disappeared under the water.

It read: “Yesterday a fire occurred on board Irmao off of Formentera. Private vessels rescued the 17 people on board. Our centre in the Majorcan capital Palma mobilised Acrux which towed the yacht which was on fire, but it sank.” It was not immediately clear why the blaze had started.

The fine sand beach, one of the best in Formentera off Ibiza where Leonardo DiCaprio has been spotted partying in recent days, is home to famous bar-restaurants El Tiburon and Beso Beach. The yacht has been named locally as Irmao, which is based in Ibiza and marketed online as being available for “out-of-this-world charter vacations." It sleeps 12 in a VIP cabin, one double cabin and four twin cabins and charters for nearly £40,000 a week in high season.

One unconfirmed local report said the vessel belonged to Spanish poker shark Diego Gomez Gonzales, who also goes by "The Lion", according to Olive Press. Gonzales, 34, earned his nickname after attending the 2012 European Poker Tour in Prague dressed in a fully-body lion costume. It's currently unknown if Gonzales was on board at the time or whether it was being rented.

Gonzales was reportedly born in Madrid in 1988 and while growing up he started playing the card game with school pals and members of his family. As he got older he was drawn into the world of online poker before getting a place on the Spanish poker circuit. At the same tournament where he wore the lion suit, he came fifth and scored a whopping £200,000 prize.

The yacht was anchored off one of Formentera's most-stunning beaches. The island itself is one of the Balearics and is situated next to Ibiza. It is host to a number of world-famous bars, including El Tiburon and Beso Beach.

It is home to famous bar-restaurants El Tiburon and Beso Beach.

The nationalities of those on board have not yet been made public. Spanish coastguards responded to the emergency by towing the yacht further out to sea and assisting in putting out the flames. Last summer a £20 million superyacht owned by wealthy Italian businessman Paolo Scudieri went up in flames off the coast of Ibiza.

The 150ft vessel Aria SF caught fire on August 11, just a month after being delivered to its multi-millionaire owner. Spanish coastguards sent two rescue boats to the area as the nine passengers and seven crew on board abandoned ship after a Mayday call following a failed attempt to put out the blaze. There were no reports of any injuries. The black smoke the fire caused could be seen as far away as Majorca.

MORE ON Breaking News Boats

Get email updates with the day's biggest stories.

A blaze that erupted at a Whitsundays island marina on Monday morning has caused extensive damage to a luxury yacht.

Key points:

• A luxury yacht has been destroyed after catching fire while moored at Hamilton Island
• The cause of the fire is unknown
• No-one was onboard at the time, but two people have been assessed for smoke inhalation

Authorities report the fire broke out onboard the boat, which was moored at Hamilton Island Marina, just before 11am.

Emergency services took several hours to contain the blaze, with active flames and smoke still evident at 1pm. 

No-one was on board at the time of the fire, but a man in his 40s and man in his 60s have been assessed for smoke inhalation. 

A spokesperson from the Queensland Fire and Emergency Service said one crew was able to contain the fire. 

A spokesperson from the Queensland Police Service said officers had to travel from Airlie Beach to attend the scene. 

The cause of the fire is unknown. 

• X (formerly Twitter)
• Disasters, Accidents and Emergency Incidents
• Hamilton Island
• Industrial Fires

Watch This 88-Foot Yacht Burn in a Massive Fire in Spain

Firefighters who extinguished the blaze in Valencia point to battery failure, according to reports.

William Bredderman

Senior Researcher

Valencia Plaza

A yacht loaded with more than 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel sent up a spectacular plume of smoke as it burned in a Spanish port on Friday, according to local videos and news outlets.

Footage shows the pleasure craft blazing orange and black for on the soft blue Mediterranean waters in Valencia, before three platoons of firefighters extinguished the flames after 12 hours. Initial reports identified the vessel as the Pesa, and stated it flew a French flag, though they did not identify its owner.

Press accounts cited unnamed fire department sources who blamed the conflagration on a battery failure that ignited the luxury ship’s fiberglass hull. However, miraculously, they asserted the yacht’s huge fuel tanks appeared untouched—and said they planned to recover the diesel despite the submersion of the boat’s stern. Port authorities reportedly denied any contamination of the northern marina where the Pesa was docked, or any damage to nearby berths, despite the emergency installation of an anti-contamination barrier in the water.

Yacht charter sites describe the Pesa as a three-year-old Italian-built craft capable of hosting up to eight passengers, plus three crewmembers. A webpage advertising opportunities to rent the boat lists a rate of €70,000—roughly $76,135—per week.

“Pesa’s impressive leisure and entertainment fit-out (paddleboards, sea-bobs and top-of-the-range jet-ski as well as towable toys and snorkeling, wakeboard and water-ski equipment) makes her the ideal charter yacht to enjoy an activity-packed vacation with family and friends,” the site reads. “Her luxurious interior is designed exclusively to reflect the refined tastes of her owners.”

The operators of the page did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast  here .

READ THIS LIST

NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Luxury yacht engulfed in ball of flames off Spanish coast

Share this with

This is the dramatic moment a luxury yacht caught fire off the Spanish island of Formentera.

Footage showed the 88-foot vessel engulfed in flames, with plumes of thick, black smoke billowing into the sky.

The Italian-designed cruiser was anchored off the beach of Es Cavall d’En Borràs in the Ses Salines Natural Park near where Hollywood A-lister Leonardo DiCaprio has been spotted partying in recent days.

Five crew members and 12 passengers scrambled to abandon the vessel in a race against the time.

Only one of the crew members, a 39-year-old Spaniard, suffered minor burns and needed hospital treatment, the regional emergency response coordinators said.

Onlookers gathered nearby in their own boats to watch the fire.

Flames could be seen spreading throughout the yacht in just a matter ofminutes, turning it into a fireball.

Local media reported that the vessel belonged to professional poker player Diego Gomez Gonzalez, aka ‘The Lion’, but this has not been confirmed by authorities.

It was not immediately clear this morning if the people on board were tourists who had chartered the yacht or guests of the owner.

Their nationalities have also not yet been made public either.

The alarm was sounded around 6pm on Saturday, with Spanish coastguards sent to the scene.

The yacht was towed further out to sea where the fire was put out.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected] .

For more stories like this, check our news page .

Sign Up for News Updates

Get your need-to-know latest news, feel-good stories, analysis and more.

Privacy Policy

Get us in your feed

• Motorcycles
• Car of the Month
• Destinations
• Men’s Fashion
• Watch Collector
• Art & Collectibles
• Vacation Homes
• Celebrity Homes
• New Construction
• Home Design
• Electronics
• Fine Dining
• Aston Martin
• Les Marquables de Martell
• Mira Villas
• Panther National
• Reynolds Lake Oconee
• Wynn Las Vegas
• 672 Wine Club
• Sports & Leisure
• Health & Wellness
• Best of the Best
• The Ultimate Gift Guide

Inside the Florida Blaze That Ravaged Two Megayachts Worth a Collective $20 Million

It's a sad day for superyachts., rachel cormack.

Digital Editor

Rachel Cormack's Most Recent Stories

• Jamiroquai Once Owned This 1973 BMW ‘Batmobile.’ Now It Can Now Be Yours. 

This New 144-Foot Superyacht Wants to Be the SUV of the High Seas

This 180-foot trinity superyacht stars in the newest season of ‘below deck mediterranean’.

• Share This Article

A pair of multimillion-dollar megayachts were decimated by an unruly blaze over the weekend in what’s being called “the biggest fire loss in Fort Lauderdale history.”

At 4.30 a.m. on Saturday morning, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue crews were called to the Universal Marine Center after receiving reports that two large yachts were on fire. Over the next five hours, more than 60 firefighters and three fire boats battled the intense blaze, according to a statement by Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue . Fortunately, no one was injured during the fire.

• Bugatti’s New Hypercar Will Be Powered By a 3-Foot Long V-16 Engine
• BMW Has a New All-Electric SUV and 3 Series-Based Sedan on the Way
• These Are the Last Pure V-8 Bentley Continentals and Flying Spurs

Chief Stephen Gollan told the Sun-Sentinel that the blaze first sparked on the 161-foot motor yacht Lohengrin , before winds caused it to spread to the nearby 107-foot Reflections . Gollan said Lohengrin —a custom-designed cruiser by Trinity Yachts—is valued at around $12 million, while Reflections is estimated at $6 million to $7 million.

One of the burned megayachts as firefighters work to extinguish the blaze.  Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue

Chief Stephen Gollan told the Sun-Sentinel that the fire first sparked on the 161-foot motor yacht Lohengrin , before winds caused it to spread to the nearby 107-foot Reflections . Gollan said Lohengrin —a custom-designed cruiser by Trinity Yachts—is valued at around $12 million, while Reflections is estimated at $6 million to $7 million.

While the cause of the fire is still unknown, both yachts had been docked next to one another as they underwent general maintenance, painting and renovation work. That arrangement, the battalion says, was less than ideal.

The blaze started in the pre-dawn hours.  Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue

“Anytime boats are packed in a small area, strong winds can move flames from one to another,” Gollan told the Sun-Sentinel. Apparently, he also raised this concern during the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show as well.

Authorities will now begin the investigation—scour video surveillance from the marina—to determine if the fire was intentional. We’ll update this story if more information emerges.

Rachel Cormack is a digital editor at Robb Report. She cut her teeth writing for HuffPost, Concrete Playground, and several other online publications in Australia, before moving to New York at the…

Read More On:

• Firefighting
• Fort Lauderdale
• Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show

More Marine

Will Smith, Tom Brady And More Celebs Are Team Owners in a New Electric-Boat League

SXSW Is Heading to London Next Year

Culinary Masters 2024

MAY 17 - 19 Join us for extraordinary meals from the nation’s brightest culinary minds.

Give the Gift of Luxury

Latest Galleries in Marine

Meet ‘King Benji,’ a 154-Foot Explorer Yacht With a Kaleidoscopic Crow’s Nest

‘Purpose’ Superyacht in Photos

More from our brands, cew honors beauty founders at inaugural visionary awards in los angeles, financial services firm broadridge boosts us rowing with job pipeline, netflix launches new emmys fysee space and location, kicking off with campaigns for ‘griselda,’ the crown’ and more (exclusive), ownership of egon schiele drawing lost during holocaust to be decided by new york court, the best yoga mats for any practice, according to instructors.

Accessibility Links

‘Poker star’s’ luxury yacht sunk by fire

A luxury yacht has sunk after spectacularly bursting into flames off the Spanish island of Formentera.

All 17 people on board the 27m Irmao, five crew members and a dozen passengers, escaped unhurt, according to reports.

The yacht was anchored in Cavall d’en Borràs, off the north of the island, in the Balearics, and in front of a well-known restaurant called El Tiburon. The boat’s owner is said to be Diego Gómez González, 34, a professional poker player who goes by the nickname “the Lion”.

The blaze apparently began in the stern on Saturday evening and quickly spread, turning the yacht into a ball of fire. A huge column of smoke could be seen from as far away as the neighbouring island of Ibiza, which is 12 miles to the north.

Rescue services were able to secure a line to the burning yacht and tow it further out to sea, where it eventually sank at about 9pm. There was no pollution reported after an inspection of the area yesterday morning.

Advertisement

Sources told the Periodico de Ibiza newspaper that the boat was available to rent from a charter company and that it would be the responsibility of the shipowner to refloat the stricken vessel and move it to a port, where it could be assessed for restoration.

It is not known whether Gómez, who gained his nickname after wearing a full-body lion costume in Prague a decade ago, was on board at the time of the fire.

The blaze attracted others who watched from their own boats as it took hold, according to reports.

The Spanish coastguard said: “Our centre in the Majorcan capital Palma mobilised Acrux, which towed the yacht which was on fire, but it sank.”

Related articles

• Environment
• Road to Net Zero
• Art & Design
• Film & TV
• Music & On-stage
• Pop Culture
• Fashion & Beauty
• Home & Garden
• Things to do
• Combat Sports
• Horse Racing
• Beyond the Headlines
• Trending Middle East
• Business Extra
• Culture Bites
• Year of Elections
• Pocketful of Dirhams
• Books of My Life
• Iraq: 20 Years On

Dubai Marina fire: Crews tackle yacht blaze

Luxury vessel gutted by flames.

On Tuesday, firefighters fought a yacht fire in Dubai Marina, which caused thick smoke to rise over the nearby skyscrapers.

Firefighters tackled a blaze on a luxury yacht in Dubai Marina on Tuesday that sent thick smoke billowing over the area's skyscrapers.

Dubai civil defence received the call about a 'moderate' fire in a vessel docked near the Marina Gate buildings at 11.12am, after which crews doused the flames.

“Firefighters from Dubai Harbour station arrived at 11.18am to tackle the blaze," a Dubai Civil Defence representative said.

The fire was successfully brought under control at 12.28pm. No injuries were reported.

Crowds stood back as Dubai Civil Defence crews on the pier tackled the flames.

#fire aboard a yacht here in #dubaimarina . Four fire trucks in attendance, an ambulance, and two vessels using water cannon to extinguish the blaze. Updates to follow. pic.twitter.com/NzXY0ThzqF — Greg Tanner (@ragoflex) April 2, 2024

The interior and exterior of the vessel appeared to be badly damaged.

Several dozen vessels are berthed in the marina, which is used by tour companies and private owners. The waterside promenade has some of the area's most sought-after properties.

Authorities said a further investigation would be carried out into the cause of the incident.

Fire crews battle massive blaze after 2 large boats go up in flames at RI marina

PORTSMOUTH, R.I. (WHDH) - A massive emergency response was called to a marina in Rhode Island on Friday after two large boats went up in flames.

Crews responding to a report of a blaze at Hinckley Yachts in Portsmouth found two boats engulfed in heavy flames.

The vessels, a power boat and a sailboat, had a combined value of $10 million, officials said.

Video from the scene showed a massive plume of black smoke billowing into the air as the fire raged and firefighters scrambled to stop the blaze from spreading.

“We did have water issues at first. We had some water and then we lost our water supply,” said Portsmouth Fire Chief Paul Ford. “We had to call Newport water and they came down and did some adjustment that greatly helped.”

Onlookers watched in disbelief as the blaze transformed the boats into a raging inferno.

“In all my 20 years, I’ve never seen a fire this big,” said marina employee Kate Moreira.

Chief Ford said the biggest concern was preventing the raging fire from spreading to a nearby storage building that housed several multi-million dollar yachts.

“That was our main concern because we want to save that building. There are at least three large boats [in there],” he said.

One firefighter was treated for burns at an area hospital, Ford said.

Fire crews will remain at the scene overnight.

No additional information was immediately available.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Cell phone video captures first flames and acrid smoke rolling across 2 mega yachts in Portsmouth Rhode Island with combined value around $10 million dollars..no injuries at this time #7News pic.twitter.com/uESnMXKNxH — Steve Cooper (@scooperon7) December 10, 2021

This is a breaking news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

• 7WEATHER: Cool Pattern, Limited Rain
• 3 people appear in court after arrest in connection with deadly Leominster stabbing
• Counterfeit Patriots Super Bowl ring among items seized in New York
• WATCH: Karen Read trial recap, day 9

Luxury yacht ablaze in central Italian port

ADVERTISEMENT

2 large yachts destroyed in predawn fire at Fort Lauderdale marina

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP/WSVN) — Authorities said a huge fire has destroyed two large yachts in Fort Lauderdale, sending flames skyward and leaving millions of dollars in losses.

Crews responded to the scene at the Universal Marine Center along State Road 84, west of Interstate 95 at around 5:00 a.m., Saturday.

Cellphone video showed enormous flames billowing into the sky that could be seen from miles away.

Witnesses said they heard multiple explosions at around 4:30 a.m.

“Oh, my gosh. The yacht is burning,” said Arlene Meyer who lives close to the Marina. “It was at least 12 stories high.”

Fort Lauderdale Battalion Chief Stephen Gollan told news outlets the fire started in one of the yachts and that winds caused it to spread to the other luxury vessel.

“If we hadn’t gotten here earlier, the fire might have spread to a third boat, so we’re lucky we got here when we did and we have the equipment that we do,” said a Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue fire marshal.

Gollan said one of the yachts was worth $8 million, while the other was estimated at between $12 and $16 million.

About 100 firefighters fought the blaze. It took crews about four hours to bring the fire under control.

No injuries were reported.

Those that live near the marina said they were worried the fire would spread.

“The yacht was behind us. We’re out there with fire hoses and the garden hoses soaking it down just to make sure, but you could feel it,” said David Meyer who lives close by. “I mean, that close, you could feel the heat.”

Officials have not yet determined the cause of the fire.

Witnesses said the boat was getting paintwork done in the boatyard.

Gollan said authorities are investigating reports by witnesses that they heard explosions.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

• South Florida Haitian-Americans say they invested money to become part of local trucking company but didn’t receive payout
• 1 dead following shooting in Miami; police investigation underway
• Authorities seize $1 million worth of cocaine found by beachgoer in Florida Keys
• Family of 62-year-old hit-and-run victim mourn loss as police search for subject
• Body cam video shows the police response when two men bail out of traffic stop in Miami Beach

Lurssen blaze burns crisis hit hull market

$700m claim heading marine insurance market’s way

Struggling underwriters are set to be hit with the biggest hull claim ever following a catastrophic fire at the Lurssen shipyard in Germany that destroyed a luxury yacht.

The fire which broke out Friday destroyed a 100-metre luxury yacht under construction at the yard.

The builders risk policy taken out in 2014 to the tune of $700m was shared between Lloyd’s syndicate underwriters and the non Lloyd’s market.

Trending Today

EU warship arrests wounded pirates after failed Gulf of Aden tanker raid

Russian cargoes stuck on tankers as buyers get cold feet

Gunfire exchanged as cargo ship reports suspicious approach off Somalia

TradeWinds is part of DN Media Group. To read more about DN Media Group, click here

Boat where 34 died was a ‘fire trap’ despite passing inspections, experts say. It’s far from alone

• Show more sharing options
• Copy Link URL Copied!

A day of diving off Santa Cruz Island ended like countless others aboard the Conception, with dozens of divers asleep in tightly arranged bunks that all but filled the belly of the 75-foot boat .

As always, there were two ways out in case of emergency — up a curved stairway at the front of the cabin, or through an escape hatch in the ceiling over bunks at the rear.

Before dawn on Labor Day, when flames devoured the 38-year-old wooden-hulled vessel, no one below deck made it out of either exit . The only survivors were five crew members who were up top in the wheelhouse and managed to jump into the water and then onto a dinghy .

Now, as investigators search for the cause of the fire that killed everyone in the bunk room — one crew member and all 33 passengers — questions are mounting about the design of the Conception and its emergency escape routes.

By various accounts, both the design of the boat and the layout of its sleeping quarters met federal standards and both are widely popular among California operators of overnight dive and fishing excursion vessels.

Like other such commercial boats, the Conception was subject to annual inspections by the Coast Guard, most recently in February, when it was certified to be in compliance with all regulations.

What we know about the Conception’s escape routes

But just because it passed muster with the Coast Guard does not mean the Conception was as safe as it could be, according to some naval design and safety experts who have raised concerns about the placement of the escape routes from the bunk room.

John McDevitt, a former assistant fire chief from Pennsylvania who is an accredited marine surveyor and the chairman of a National Fire Protection Assn. committee on commercial and pleasure boat fire protection, called the Conception “a compliant fire trap.”

“What bothers me is that the vessel was inspected by a Coast Guardsman within the last 12 months,” said McDevitt, who thinks the design of emergency exits was problematic. “This boat has been checked by the Coast Guard for 40 years almost.”

The Conception was one of three “live-aboard” dive boats operated out of Santa Barbara Harbor by Truth Aquatics Inc., which has been in business since 1974 and is now owned by Glen Fritzler. He declined The Times’ requests for an interview, but has defended his crew members’ actions in trying to save the doomed passengers.

Fritzler said in a statement that he is working with National Transportation Safety Board investigators and is “committed to finding accurate answers as quickly as possible.” He also said he and his family are “utterly crushed” by the accident.

Full coverage: California boat fire

A commercial diving boat caught fire near the shoreline of Santa Cruz Island, Calif., early Monday. Many aboard the boat were believed to be sleeping below deck when the fire broke out in the pre-dawn hours.

Sept. 11, 2019

“My family and I are speaking today with extremely heavy hearts,” he said. “No words will ease the pain that loved ones are feeling. We extend our deepest condolences to all those involved in this horrific tragedy.”

The Conception was built in Long Beach in 1981, designed by its original owner and the company’s long-retired founder, Roy Hauser, specifically for multiday dive trips.

“I designed the entire layout of the vessel,” Hauser said. “I drew it out a quarter inch to the foot and then gave it to a marine architect. They put together the final Coast Guard papers, if you will. Glen has all the plans and they are all stamped ‘approved.’ … Everything you do has to be approved by the Coast Guard.”

Hauser said Fritzler had kept the boat in “immaculate” condition and he defended its design characteristics as “absolutely” safe. He noted that many of its features are common to California dive and fishing boats, an assertion backed by others in the industry.

Ken Kurtis, a veteran California diver and instructor whose Reef Seekers Dive Co. has organized trips since 1988, said he’d been aboard the Conception many times.

California boat fire victims: United by a love for ocean, taken in tragedy. These are their stories

The passengers of the Conception dive boat ended their second day in the waters off the California coast with a nighttime swim, exploring a lush, watery world populated with coral and kelp forests.

Sept. 10, 2019

He described its three-level design as very similar to other such boats: sleeping quarters below deck, a main deck that includes a covered galley toward the bow with open-air dive area at the stern, and the wheelhouse with the captain’s controls at the top.

Kurtis said there was nothing extraordinary about the 75-foot boat’s combination of double- and triple-stacked bunks, or its passenger limit of 46 — the count was 13 below that capacity when the fire broke out.

“Passenger loads vary by the size of the vessel,” he said. “They had on this one 33 passengers. That’s a normal number for a dive boat. Most of the big dive boats are 30 to 35 and they are all designed pretty much the same way, with the bunks at the bottom, the galley and salon in the middle, and the wheelhouse on top.”

Chris Barry, chairman of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers’ small craft technical and research committee, agreed that the Conception’s structure and cramped sleeping quarters were not unusual.

Some California divers have dubbed the popular configuration a “cattle boat” style of excursion, because of the tight space and lack of staterooms and other cabin amenities.

‘I can’t breathe.... there’s no escape hatch’: Dramatic mayday call from California boat on fire

In a mayday call about a boat fire near Santa Cruz Island, Calif., the caller says he can’t breathe and there’s no escape hatch for those below deck.

Sept. 2, 2019

“The people who are on these dive boats are just crashing below,” Barry said. “These aren’t luxury staterooms. All they want to do is crash and sleep — they don’t need a lot of luxury and there’s obviously a trade-off between the amount of space per person and the cost.”

The crowded quarters might “look a little rough” but they are “absolutely legal,” he said, noting that sailors on Coast Guard cutters also sleep in three-high bunks.

“There’s nothing that unusual about the vessel,” he said.

The fact that no passengers below deck escaped has focused attention on the bunk room’s exits. The stairs in the sleeping quarters led to the galley. The escape hatch over bunks in the rear of the room opened up into a dining area adjacent to the galley and just a few feet from the open-air dive deck.

Officials have said fire blocked both exits .

Smoke likely killed 34 trapped below deck in California boat fire, raising new questions about origin point

Some victims’ names are released as their families and the boat operator prepare for a legal battle.

Sept. 7, 2019

“I definitely have concerns about the ability of those passengers being able to evacuate during a fire,” NTSB board member Jennifer Homendy told The Times this week.

Homendy said she was “taken aback” by the size and location of the emergency hatch when she toured the Conception’s sister ship the Vision, which has a nearly identical design.

“You have to climb up a ladder and across the top bunk and then push a wooden door up,” she said. “It was a tight space. ... It surprised me how small it was and how difficult it was to access.”

The vessel appears to meet current federal regulations, which require boats such as the Conception to have “at least two means of escape,” including stairways and emergency hatches .

“The two required means of escape must be widely separated and, if possible, at opposite ends of the space to minimize the possibility of one incident blocking both escapes,” the regulation states, noting also that exits must be “sufficient for rapid evacuation in an emergency.”

At vigil for Conception boat fire victims, love of diving unites and soothes mourners

Religious leaders and an official from the county’s Department of Behavioral Wellness spoke about the need to heal after the tragedy and how the sea can be a source of comfort.

Sept. 6, 2019

It’s not clear if passengers ever had a chance to try to escape. Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown, who is also the coroner, said smoke inhalation is the likely cause of death.

Still, McDevitt, the marine surveyor who also is a Coast Guard-certified captain, said that the design of the boat was flawed. He questioned why both egress points — the stairwell and the hatch — deposited passengers into the galley and adjacent dining area.

“When you put two exits into the same common area, you are not providing two means of egress — it’s still only one,” he said. “You are exiting into the galley and common area.”

He said that irrespective of the minimum standards, the volume of passengers seemed to call for more exit passages.

McDevitt suggested adding “another hatch, and maybe a bigger hatch,” but noted that options would be limited on a boat of that age.

Serious safety flaws aboard Conception, early boat fire investigation finds

A preliminary investigation into the boat fire has suggested safety deficiencies aboard the vessel, including the lack of a “roaming night watchman” who is required to be awake and alert passengers in the event of a fire or other dangers.

“You don’t want to make a boat less seaworthy, so you can’t put hatches in the side,” he said. “If they built that boat today, they could do more. …. When you put people down there in that dungeon, it’s got to be watertight.”

Paul Kamen, a forensic naval architect and mechanical engineer based in Berkeley, said he thought the size of the roughly 2-feet-square escape hatch was adequate, but he also questioned placing both points of exit in the galley and nearby dining area.

“The common areas for fire to start are the galley or the engine room, so there’s always one [other] escape route. Whatever one is on fire, you go out the other way,” he said. “The problem here is both escape routes went through the galley, and you lost that redundancy when the galley is engulfed in flames.”

Kamen had no problem with the boat’s passenger capacity, agreeing that many divers “would think it’s cool to be stuffed in an environment like that — it’s a connection with the traditions of the sea to be in a triple-high bunk bed with 30 other people.”

He said he is more intrigued by the fire’s rapid growth.

“The big mystery is why the fire propagated so far and so fast,” Kamen said. “I don’t think the fact that wood furnishings in the passenger cabin really explain it.”

More to Read

Captain gets four-year sentence for Conception boat disaster

May 2, 2024

‘Nothing left’: After California Yacht Club fire, residents mourn loss of a beloved spot

Dec. 15, 2023

Fire guts historic California Yacht Club in Marina del Rey

Dec. 12, 2023

Start your day right

Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

Kim Christensen is a former investigative reporter on the Los Angeles Times’ projects team. He has more than 30 years of experience in newspapers, starting with the Dayton Daily News in his hometown in Ohio. He has shared two Pulitzer Prizes, at the Oregonian in 2001 and at the Orange County Register in 1996, for investigations of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service and of fertility fraud at UC Irvine. He joined The Times in 2005 and left in 2022.

Matt Hamilton is a reporter for the Los Angeles Times. He won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting with colleagues Harriet Ryan and Paul Pringle and was part of the team of reporters that won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the San Bernardino terrorist attack. A graduate of Boston College and the University of Southern California, he joined The Times in 2013.

More From the Los Angeles Times

Biden raises millions in the Bay Area as he says his campaign is underestimated

May 10, 2024

L.A. prosecutors say recording of racist City Hall conversation was a crime but refer case to the city attorney

Brush fire burns more than 300 acres in Kern County

Orange County doctor accused of groping two female patients

• Make a Payment
• Canada site

Practice Areas

• Professional

Specialties

• Architects and Engineers
• Casualty (Commercial)
• Construction
• Cyber/Privacy/Technology/Media
• Environmental
• Errors and Omissions
• Habitational
• High-Value Solutions (Personal)
• Hospitality
• Liability (Personal)
• Management Liability
• Manufacturing and Distribution
• Personal Recreation
• Property (Commercial)
• Residential Property
• Transportation and Garage
• Workers’ Compensation
• Featured Intel
• Search all Intel
• Featured Experts
• Search all Experts
• Why Burns & Wilcox
• Our History
• Leaders & Vision
• Get Appointed
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
• Champions & Charities
• Sponsorships
• Submit a Claim
• Find a Location
• Skip to main content

$2.5 Million Luxury Yacht Floods, Capsizes off North Carolina Coast

Featured Solutions: Marine

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued four crew members after a 60-foot luxury yacht flooded and overturned off the North Carolina coast recently, forcing them to abandon ship in a life raft, according to reports. The captain of the vessel later sent his thanks to the Coast Guard and locals, who he said were “absolutely amazing” in the Oct. 21 helicopter rescue.

Featured Solutions

“It is definitely an extreme, almost worst-case scenario. Fortunately, no one was injured,” said Noah Wheeler, Broker, Marine, Burns & Wilcox , Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. “The ocean is super unpredictable, and it can be unforgiving. When you are out at sea, if something does go wrong, even something small, chances are it can be a really big problem.”

It is definitely an extreme, almost worst-case scenario. Fortunately, no one was injured. The ocean is super unpredictable, and it can be unforgiving.

The Moon Dragon, which featured six luxury cabins and natural teak hardwood floors, remained partially submerged as of Oct. 22. According to yacht charter company Ocean Getaways, charter prices for the yacht started at $58,000 per week, USA Today reported . The vessel is most likely a “total loss” under its Hull and Machinery Insurance, said Craig Anderson, Underwriter, Marine & Yacht, Burns & Wilcox, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

“When you are out to sea at that point, it is usually pretty much lost,” Anderson said. “It would likely be considered a total loss, and insurance could pay out the maximum of the hull value minus the deductible.”

‘Extremely high’ liability coverage often recommended for yachts

The Moon Dragon, which had been listed for sale in August for $2.49 million, was shown at the Annapolis Sailboat Show just days before the accident, Chesapeake Bay Magazine reported. While the cause of the yacht’s broken side hatches was not immediately clear, insurance companies generally require vessels to be evaluated every three years, Anderson said.

“The reports do not really state why or how it broke, but one key thing with any vessel is that the insurance companies do require a hull survey every three years to determine if it is seaworthy or not,” he said. “We do not know if it was surveyed recently, or it could have been an issue they did not know about and then became an issue out at sea before catastrophically going under.”

According to the U.S. Coast Guard’s Boating Safety Division, flooding and swamping incidents were the third most common type of boating accident in 2022, causing 422 accidents, 74 deaths, and 93 injuries. In Canada, capsizing accidents were the most common cause of recreational boating-related fatalities between 2008 and 2017, causing 394 deaths, according to Canada’s Drowning Prevention Research Centre.

In addition to a vessel’s Hull and Machinery Insurance , which is designed to cover physical damage to the boat itself, an essential component of Marine Insurance for yachts is Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Insurance. This policy provides liability coverage for third-party bodily injuries and property damage, including legal defense and settlements, and it is often recommended that charter yacht companies carry as much coverage as possible — from $1 million up to $10 million, or even higher with an Excess Liability Insurance policy.

“[Hull and Machinery Insurance] covers the physical damage of the vessel, and then the P&I Insurance is the liability associated with it,” Wheeler said. “When you are running a charter operation, it is really important to have plenty of liability coverage.”

At a minimum, P&I Insurance limits should be equal to or greater than the value of the vessel. “Our practice is that whatever the hull value is, we want to either meet or exceed that in the liability. If it was a $1.5 million vessel, we want to insure it for at least $2 million in liability so there is no gap,” Anderson explained, adding that often in more “litigious” states like Florida, “as soon as an attorney gets involved, everybody is listed in the lawsuit.”

Typically, with yachts, Wheeler added, “the liability limits are extremely high,” and greater liability limits may be needed when the charter includes overnight operations. “We recommend having a high limit for captain charters — often $5 million,” Wheeler said. “When individuals rent the vessel for multiple days at a time and stay on it overnight, that makes it a lot harder of a risk to insure and a lot less appetizing for underwriters.”

While charters without a captain, known as bareboat charters, are offered by some companies, “usually with a 60-foot vessel, it would require a captain because of the size,” Anderson noted.

Consider crew liability, personal property coverage

A yachting company in Florida is currently facing a lawsuit from the family of a 20-year-old who died after jumping off a yacht and getting caught in a rip tide, People Magazine reported in October. The lawsuit accuses the company of negligence, alleging that the crew did not warn the victim about the risk of jumping in. P&I Insurance is also important for other types of charter boat operations, including fishing charters. In May, four individuals died in a fishing charter accident involving a 30-foot Kingfisher Charters vessel, Alaska Public Media reported.

“Anytime you are going to have fare-paying passengers on board, it is recommended to go with a minimum of $1 million [in P&I Insurance],” Anderson said.

Crew member liability should also be considered, according to Anderson. “That would be a separate coverage,” he said. “That would usually need to be requested by the owner of the vessel.”

As with any insurance coverage, he added, “I would recommend that they go through the policy wording and especially take a look at the exclusions to find out what they are covered for and not covered for.”

The risk of hull damage due to severe weather, fire and other property risks must also be considered when purchasing Marine Insurance for a yacht. In December of 2019, singer Marc Anthony’s $7 million yacht caught fire in Miami, Florida, Business Insider reported at the time. No one was injured in the blaze, which caused an estimated $300,000 in cleaning costs alone.

A yacht owner’s Hull and Machinery Insurance is “very similar to Homeowners Insurance,” Anderson said. The attached components are generally covered as part of the structure, and the contents would be under a separate deductible, he said. “However, a lot of companies would have a separate deductible for the electronics — including the GPS and radio,” he said, noting that some owners may need additional enhancements on their Hull and Machinery Insurance, such as coverage for fishing supplies.

Importance of emergency plans, pre-purchase inspections

According to an August report by Fortune, the percentage of wealthy individuals who are purchasing yachts has been decreasing since 2017, despite growth in the number of “super-rich” individuals worldwide. The economic downturn and rising interest rates have also caused more boat owners overall to consider selling their vessels, according to Anderson.

“I am seeing a lot of owners now are selling their boats because they cannot afford it, they simply just do not want to use it anymore, or they no longer see it as a viable option for them,” he said. “When there is an economic downtown, the toys are usually the first thing that get cut.”

Although it was previously more difficult to access insurance coverage for these vessels, that appears to be changing, Anderson pointed out. “Now the insurance market is actually opening up, offering some relief in the boating insurance industry,” he said.

Risk management will always be paramount for charter companies and individual boat owners, who are encouraged to be prepared with emergency procedures and provide safety briefings for all passengers, including information on life rafts, life preservers, following Coast Guard rules and more. “Education is always key,” Anderson said. “Passengers should have some sort of understanding that in the event something happens, these are the steps we are going to take.”

Insuring a massive yacht is not like insuring a Toyota Camry. Things can go wrong, and if it does go wrong, the next thing you know you may be on national news.

Pre-purchase inspections are always recommended, he added. “Anytime you purchase a vessel, get a pre-purchase survey and make sure that you know what you are buying,” he said. In addition, when it comes to purchasing Marine Insurance, “you just want to make sure that in any event, you have no gaps in coverage at all. You can have the peace of mind that if something happens, the insurance company will have your back,” he said.

Yacht owners should understand the importance of Marine Insurance and take time to read their policies in full. “Insuring a massive yacht is not like insuring a Toyota Camry,” Wheeler said. “Things can go wrong, and if it does go wrong, the next thing you know you may be on national news.”

Sign Up For Newsletter Updates

Noah Wheeler

Similar articles.

• Heavy Snow Causes Marina Roof Collapse, Damaging Over 20 Boats
• Report: More Recreational Boating Accidents Occur in Florida Than Any Other State
• Woman Sues Charter, Captain After Tragic Boating Accident on Lake Michigan

To see your local Burns & Wilcox team, please enter your address.

Kaufman 2023 Annual Report

A comprehensive review of performance across Burns & Wilcox and Kaufman companies

View Report

Sign Up for Updates

Sign up to receive the latest industry news and product information from Burns & Wilcox.