British superyacht sinks in Sicily

[John Arton]

[URL="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/19/yacht-sinks-off-sicily-in-storm"]https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/19/yacht-sinks-off-sicily-in-storm[/URL
Apparently it was hit by a waterspout whilst at anchor. Another vessel anchored ahead of it got it's engine started and managed to ride out the storm whilst anchored.
They went to the rescue of the survivors in the yachts liferaft but we're unable to rescue any others. The Italian rescue services have recovered one body and now have divers down working in 50 metres of water searching to see if there any other of the 6 remaining of those that were on board are still alive trapped in air pockets on board.
The yacht is massive with a single 50? Metres tall mast that you can actually climb up inside.
If the other vessel managed to successfully ride out the storm you have to wonder what the bridge crew of the yacht were doing at the time.
The inquiry is going to have some very difficult questions to find answers too.
Rgds
J.A

[Doc Vernon]

Watched the News on that last night JA
I must say it was a terrific looking Super Yacht, but so sad to loose it like that, and also of course the Lives on Board as well.
RIP. And condolences to the Family and good Friends !

[Ralph Knowles]

I have heard that the vessel had a lifting keel which may have been raised to allow her to approach into shallower water.
This would have halved the draft but would also have badly affected the stability and if the water spout had suddenly changed the wind direction over the whole height of the mast then over she went. Comments about crew attention and open deck accesses may seem to be, if valid, a possible cause to such a quick sinking.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Watched that water spout it was huge, the woman who held her baby up out of the water was lucky they both survived. Many a strange thing happen at sea
Des

[corrientes]

In this incident I would not be too quick to blame the crew.

[Ivan Cloherty]

The mast was 72 metres tall. She had a crew of 10, mostly hotel type staff I would imagine, accidents do happen, but if the keel was raised and a mast that high well we seafarers can imagine the consequences.

[Brenda Shackleton]

Hello Ivan
Would the keel have been raised?
She was moored in deep water so it wouldn't appear to be necessary to raise the keel. The Divers can only go down for 10 minutes at a time....
Maybe the answers will come eventually
Tragic loss of life
Brenda

[Ivan Cloherty]

Hello Ivan
Would the keel have been raised?
She was moored in deep water so it wouldn't appear to be necessary to raise the keel.
Brenda

A lot of bad practices take place at sea Brenda to save time for docking etc, we often steamed up the channel with all holds open trying to dry them after a hold wash so they would be dry for the next clean cargo, a practice frowned upon by the then BOT (affects your reserve buoyancy) but requirements of commerce over ruled common sense or rules.

Understand the yacht master was a survivor, so answers rather than speculation will be forthcoming

[James Curry]

While it is all very sad and may those lost RIP.
I wonder if it had not been a super yacht, just a plain old fishing trawler or another commercial vessel with a crew just trying to earn a crust and feed their families would it get the amount of media attention as this yacht gets.
It was the same when a bunch of rich people decided to pay the Titanic a visit. Got a bit tiresome the reporting day in and day out.
The only way a story about a Trawler or other merchant ship that foundered would be about the oil slick it would generate.

[happy daze john in oz]

Mast of some 72 meters!!
That is about 273 feet, appears a bit tall!!!!

Some years ago we were in Italy and took a catamaran trip to Venice.
Fine on the way out, but coming back the sea was rough as guts.
So bad we heard the crew singing prayers!!!!