The End Of The HMS Bounty

Pictured: The Dramatic Moment U.S. Coastguards Pull Survivors Of HMS Bounty To Safety After Hurricane Sandy Forced Them To Abandon Ship -- Daily Mail

* 14 of the 16 have been rescued, two appear to still be missing
* The Bounty starred in Hollywood blockbusters Mutiny on the Bounty, starring Marlon Brando, and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
* The Canadian-made replica vessel got caught in storms near Hatteras, N.C.

These dramatic pictures show the moment stranded crew members of the iconic HMS Bounty were rescued from their life boats by the U.S. coastguard. The crew of the iconic vessel were forced to abandon ship off the east coast of America today as it became caught in raging seas near the eye of Hurricane Sandy. As six-metre waves and ferocious gales battered the decks of the 180-foot, three-masted ship - knocking out its power - 16 terrified crew-members clambered into life boats to watch their floating home shrink unmanned into the darkness.

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More News On The Sinking Of The HMS Bounty

HMS Bounty Captain Still Missing after Sinking; 1 Body Recovered -- Time
Crew rescued from HMS Bounty as hurricane rages; captain missing -- Reuters
HMS Bounty: A tall ship’s final hours in hurricane-ravaged seas -- Washington Post
Captain missing after Canadian-built HMS Bounty sunk by Hurricane Sandy -- National Post/AP HMS Bounty abandoned amid Hurricane Sandy -- BBC
The story behind the HMS Bounty, sunk by Sandy off N.C. coast -- Christian Science Monitor

The Moment £270,000 Yacht Blew Up And Sank Just 15 Minutes After It's New Owners Picked It Up

Sleek: The Meridian 341 is a four-berth motor yacht with two state rooms and all mod cons

The Moment £270,000 Yacht Blew Up And Sank Just 15 Minutes After Businessmen Picked It Up From Boat Yard (And Now They Want Their Money Back) -- Daily Mail

* Paul Ward, 61 and his crew member John Innes were forced to leap for their lives into the English Channel, their clothes in flames, as the boat exploded
* Rescued by the Coastguard, both men were hospitalised with serious burns
* Mr Ward had only collected the yacht moments earlier
* He is now suing the boat dealers MGM Marine Ltd and Dun Laoghaire Yacht Services for more than £300,000

Businessman Paul Ward was on the crest of a wave when he picked up the luxurious yacht he had paid £269,000 for at the Southampton Boat Show.

The sleek Meridian 341, a four-berth motor yacht with two state rooms and all mod cons, was every sailor’s dream.

But that dream quickly turned into a nightmare when just 15 minutes after picking up the vessel from a Hampshire boat yard, Mr Ward, 61 and his crew member John Innes were leaping for their lives, their clothes in flames, as the yacht exploded.

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My Comment: A boat just does not explode like that .... something terribly wrong occurred from the moment that they took possession of the boat, and 15 minutes later.

Three-Masted Sailing Yacht Eos Catches Fire

Eos (Image from Wikipedia)

Luxury Yacht Catches Fire -- Views And News From Norway

An unusual three-masted sailing yacht, claimed to be one of the largest private sailing yachts in the world, caught fire in the inner Oslo Fjord during the weekend, setting off a major rescue effort. The yacht, registered in the Bahamas, had been tied up in Oslo for the past week.

The 90-meter-long vessel named Eos was lying just off the eastern side of Oslo’s harbour, near the islands of Malmøya and Ormøya, when the fire broke out on Saturday. Oslo’s fire-fighting and rescue service sent around 15 firefighters to the three-masted vessel.

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Editor: Wikipedia has an entry on Eos. The link is here.

How NOT To Dock A Luxury Yacht (Video)

Editor: This is how a luxury yacht should be docked.

Oooopppssss!!!!

Hat Tip: Theo Spark

A Close Call Between A Whale And A Racing Sailboat

Racing Yacht's Near-Miss With Large Whale Captured On Video -- Outdoors, Action And Adventure

The helmsman aboard a racing yacht may have averted disaster by swinging the vessel to the starboard moments before it struck a large whale in its path.

Roberto "Chuny" Bermudez was guiding CAMPER swiftly across the Atlantic during the seventh stage of the Volvo Ocean Race when the whale surfaced just off the bow. (Viewers can see the whale eight seconds into the video, and in slow-motion at 23 seconds.)

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My Comment: Definitely a close call.

What Went Wrong On The Costa Concordia

What Went Wrong On The Costa Concordia -- Popular Mechanics

The sight of behemoth pleasure vessel Costa Concordia sideways in the sea became an indelible image around the world. Here's the full story of how this entirely avoidable vacation-turned-nightmare unfolded.

Antonello Tievoli, headwaiter on the Costa Concordia, stepped onto the bridge of the cruise ship at 9:15 pm on Friday, Jan. 13, of this year. From the wide windows, Tievoli could see the glittering lights of his home, Giglio Island, drawing closer.

Capt. Francesco Schettino knew that Tievoli's sister lived on Giglio, and invited him to the bridge as they cruised past. With its 13 brightly lit decks, the ship was more brilliant than anything on the island. The 4200 people onboard outnumbered the island's residents four to one.

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My Comment: Something to think about should you decide to go on a cruise.

The Legal War Between Two Superyacht Billionaires

Under arrest: Solomon Lew's Maridome was 'seized' by the court for ramming Calixe in Florida.

Solomon Lew Sued Over US Luxury Yacht Bump -- The Age

RETAIL magnate Solomon Lew has become embroiled in a legal stoush with a fellow billionaire after their luxury super yachts collided in a Florida shipyard, causing damage estimated at $US500,000.

The resulting US court case against Mr Lew and his 177-foot (54-metre) yacht Maridome is the latest legal battle involving the billionaire, who in recent months has warred with the former spouses of his children over control of tens of millions of dollars held in a family trust and clashed with Mount Eliza locals over a pool built on Crown land without a permit.

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My Comment: If someone rams my boat .... they better pay for the damages. Bottom line .... I have a gut feeling that the insurance company is not happy with how this all came about.

Seattle 110ft Luxury Touring Yacht Destroyed In Fire

Seattle Luxury Yacht Destroyed In Fire -- King 5

SEATTLE -- A 110-foot luxury touring yacht is a total loss after a fast moving fire tore through the vessel early Friday morning in Seattle’s Ballard Neighborhood.
The boat’s owner says he heard a popping noise and got out before it was too late.

“It was a freak thing I was even inside, but it’s a good thing I was,” said Dan Blanchard, owner of the Safari Spirit. “My engineer was on board, too and didn’t hear it so I'm glad I could get him out.”

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My Comment: It's always a shame to see such a nice boat destroyed. More news on the fire at the video below.

Yacht Racing Off Californian Coast Suspended By The U.S. Coast Guard

Yacht Racing Off Californian Coast Suspended -- The Telegraph

Yacht racing off the coast of northern California has been suspended by the US Coast Guard following an accident that killed five people west of San Francisco earlier this month.

Laura Munoz, executive director of the Yacht Racing Association of San Francisco Bay, told Reuters on Thursday that the Coast Guard stopped issuing permits for ocean races pending results of a report on the April 14 tragedy in the Farallon Islands.

The association subsequently re-routed a race scheduled for Saturday out of the open water and into San Francisco Bay, she said. Plans for future ocean sailboat contests remain uncertain.

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Update: California sailing tragedy prompts suspension of ocean racing -- Reuters

My Comment: What a shame. Our our prayers are with the families who have lost their loved ones.

Update: Deadly California sailing accident survivor urges new safety rules -- Reuters

Concerns Over Yacht Safety

Concerns Over Yacht Safety -- New York Times

NICE — When the award-winning luxury motor yacht Yogi sank off a Greek island on Feb. 17, the yachting community was shocked.

Built last year at the Turkish shipyard Proteksan-Turquoise, the 60-meter, or 197-foot, Camper & Nicholsons boat won the Yachts Magazine prize for most innovative yacht of 2011, awarded at the Cannes international boat show.

The yacht, registered in France, sank off the coast of Skyros, a Greek island in the Aegean Sea, reportedly as a result of a mechanical failure in heavy seas and gale-force winds.

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My Comment: This is sober reading.

US Coast Guard Suspends Serach For 4 Missing Yacht Racers

Bay Area Sailing Community Reeling After Deadly Racing Accident -- L.A. Times

The San Francisco Bay Area's tightly knit sailing community is reeling after a racing yacht accident near the Farallon Islands killed one sailor and left four missing.

Twelve-foot waves pummeled the sailboat during the Full Crew Farallones Race and hurled it onto rocks at the Farallon Islands, pitching most of the crew overboard. Three sailors were rescued but Marc Kasanin, 46, of Belvedere died, in the water and four more disappeared in the waves.

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More News On The Yachting Tragedy Off The SF Coast

Coast Guard suspends search for sailors missing in yacht accident -- CNN
Coast Guard ends search for 4 missing yacht racers -- AP
One dead, four missing in California yacht race -- Reuters
Irish sailors 'missing' after San Francisco yacht race -- BBC
US Coast Guard ends search for missing sailors after racing yacht runs aground off California -- New York Post
One Dead, Four Missing During Full Crew Farallones Race Disaster, Coast Guard Calls Of Search Near Farallon Islands -- IBTimes

eBay Yacht Wrecked On It's Maiden Voyage

St. Peter Port, Guernsey Photo: Amanda Hall / Robert Harding/Rex Features

eBay Yacht Wrecked On Maiden Voyage -- The Telegraph

Two novice sailors who purchased a yacht on eBay were left stranded after getting it trapped on rocks during their maiden voyage and now face the prospect of it being smashed to pieces by waves.

Sid Hashim and his son attempted to sail the vessel just 700 metres, from a marina to a neighbouring harbour, when it ran aground on a rocky outcrop during a particularly high tide.

The pair, who had "little or no knowledge" of the area, had gone to Guernsey to collect the £3,000 yacht after bidding for it on the online auction site.

They decided to try and move the vessel at night but smashed it into a reef just outside the St Peter Port after midnight.

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My Comment: They are not the first .... and they will not be the last in having such an accident.

Update: A video of the boat "on the rocks" can be found here.

Battered Racing Yacht And Crew Limp Into SF Bay After Storm

Sailors Injured After Mammoth Wave Hits Racing Yacht Arrive In San Francisco Bay -- CNN

(CNN) -- Two sailors injured when their 67-foot racing yacht was damaged by a colossal wave pulled into San Francisco Bay on Monday, less than a day after being rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Around 3 p.m., the Coast Guard cutter Bertholf carrying the pair was clearly visible and minutes away from docking in Alameda, according to Isabel Hokken, a spokeswoman for the Clipper Round the World Race that the yacht was participating in. Located just south of Oakland, Alameda is home to an island that houses a Coast Guard station.

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More News On Racing Yacht And Crew Limping Into SF Bay After Storm

Battered racing yacht and crew limp into SF Bay after being hit by huge wave at sea -- Washington Post/AP
Battered racing yacht, crew limp toward SF Bay -- AP
Rescued round-the-world yacht racers en route to California -- Reuters
Injured sailors set to return to San Francisco -- L.A. Times
Two rescued from yacht hit by freak wave off coast of California -- The Telegraph
Coast Guard saves yacht crew after violent storm -- CBS
US Coast Guard rescue injured round-the-world yacht crew -- The Telegraph

Luxury Cruiser Catches Fires And Sinks Only A Day After The New Owners Received It

A luxury cruiser on fire at Docklands. Picture: @chrisdonlon1/Twitter

Luxury $4m Boat Explodes In Flames At Docklands -- Herald Sun

UPDATE: A LUXURY cruiser that sank after an inferno on a Docklands marina had been delivered to its new owners just yesterday.

The Herald Sun has been told the $4 million 2010 model Horizon Skylounge arrived from a Queensland boat dealership.

A friend of the owner said the family did not wish to comment on the incident, but they were devastated.

"They're pretty upset. It had been delivered today, ready to be enjoyed by all," he said.

Four people were aboard the 24m cruiser when it erupted into flames about 4.30pm, sending plumes of black smoke across the city.

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Update #1: Luxury boat sinks after massive inferno -- ABC News
Update #2: Luxury boat explodes in flames at Melbourne's Docklands -- News.com.au
Update #3: Inferno guts luxury cruiser -- Adelaide Now

My Comment: And they just received the boat the previous day. Wow .... the owners must be "freaking out".