143' Megayacht’s Teak Beach Gets Wet

Seven people were rescued by the Coast Guard last weekend after the 143’ (43.58 m) yacht they were on became disabled more than 20 miles off the Washington coast. Around 6 a.m. Saturday, watchstanders at the Coast Guard Columbia River command center received a radio call from the yacht crew, saying that the boat was taking on water due to the transom door opening and failing to close.

Yacht crew members also engaged the engine room fire suppression system after seeing smoke, which is when the vessel became disabled. Details about the engines shut down  and not being able to be restarted were not available.

To maintain communications, crew members energized their emergency batteries. A USCG  MH-60 helicopter crew was the first on-scene and reported that there was no medical concern for the crew or pollution from the yacht. Lifeboat crews arrived moments later to provide extra support. 

Due to the size of the yacht exceeding the towing capacity of the lifeboats, a 210-foot medical endurance cutter, called Coast Guard Cutter Active, was sent to the area. When the cutter arrived at the scene around 2:30 p.m., the crew was able to place the yacht into a stern tow, allowing all crew members from the yacht to transfer to the cutter. The crew from Coast Guard Cutter Active began towing the vessel towards the Strait of Juan De Fuca entrance. After nearly a 24-hour transit, the cutter was transferred the tow to a commercial tug near Neah Bay. The commercial tug is scheduled to tow the yacht to a Port Angeles shipyard where repairs can be made.

This story leaves a lot of unanswered questions which should make for good reading once it is released.  We’ll keep you posted.