got to admit that welding stainless is a true art which requires real genuine skill.
paying $45/hr for an excellent TIG welder is a bargain for sure!
so NTSB is getting in on this farce now! I have to wonder how much this was prompted by the underwriters?
By MarEx June 05, 2014
Various sources are reporting that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has taken over the investigation of a capsizing that occurred May 18, 2014 in Anacortes, Washington, during the launch of a brand-new 90-foot motoryacht.
The U.S. Coast Guard completed an initial investigation into the incident before handing the matter over to the NTSB, according to both agencies. The NTSB investigation is expected to take several months.
The NTSB is investigating this incident because it is considered a major marine casualty. Major marine casualties are incidents with estimated damage over $500,000. At the time of the failed launch, the yacht was listed for sale on the brokerage market for $9.2 million.
The capsized yacht was reportedly constructed by New World Yacht Builders doing business as Northern Marine. Northern Marine was founded in 1995 and in 2009, former Northern Marine employee Andy McDonald founded New World Yacht Builders, which leased the Northern Marine name along with equipment and other assets and has been doing business as Northern Marine.
What is this that the yacht was listed for sale as well? Was it being built on spec? Did someone want to sell it to an insurance company? If so, they’ll soon be one fewer yachtbuilders in Anacortes! FOOLS!
Things that make you go HUMMM!
[QUOTE=c.captain;138678]What is this that the yacht was listed for sale as well? [/QUOTE]
There are very few yachts worthy of the term that are NOT for sale. That one is way down at the bottom as far as size and finish is concerned but the owner probably just wanted to play the big boys’ game.
Listed at $9.2 … would have been lucky to get 6 and for that much you can buy a real yacht, a used one but still a real yacht. That thing was an owner operated recreational boat.
http://www.camperandnicholsons.com/luxury-yachts-for-sale/sojourn-1173/
http://www.camperandnicholsons.com/luxury-yachts-for-sale/ariela-747/
Article about a rich guy purchasing a yacht and the jobs it supports
[QUOTE=Kougar018;41373]Article about a rich guy purchasing a yacht and the jobs it supports[/QUOTE]
then you take $34M and build a a shipyard where the people employed don’t just have a job for the duration of the project but for many years hopefully and that $34M is an engine to drive a train of earning revenue from customers rather than a train that runs until it is out of fuel.
only a fool would consider a mega yacht as some model of business investment and job creator! they are TOYS!
34m won’t buy much of a shipyard. And the order for D’Natalin kept Christensen in business
it would build a fine workboat sized yard with a 2nd hand drydock
And the order for D’Natalin kept Christensen in business
if a yard cannot stay in business building yachts then it should build or repair commercial vessels…there are vastly many more of them and there is always room for an efficient yard that can do good quality work. This was still nothing more than a man spending his money on his TOY which is his right to do but don’t make this into some altruistic or wise business effort on his part…IT WASN’T!
Actually Christensen shipyards IS an operating yard with orders and deliveries and many people working there. So the guy spent his money and it helped at a key time, reviving employment. They do a nice job, and intend to stay in business and they are hiring and training.
No one needs a yacht, ever, but it is nice to see the money being spread around. Some people make noise when they do, but many others fly below the radar, like the guy building the +100 m in Norway or those building the +15 giga- yachts being built in Germany right now.
Oh yeah, lots of shipboard jobs for deck, engine and eto’s, at a lot better pay than mentioned in the article… Now hiring. Mo-rons need not apply. http://www.j4crew.com
The NTSB Report has been published. I’ll read it once I’ve got something bigger than my phone to use but didn’t want to hold out on you folks.
http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/MAB1514.pdf
Interesting read.
Fairly obvious Conclusion - Human error in calculating the final CoG. Duh!
Probable Cause
The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the capsizing of the yacht Baaden during its initial launch was the vessel’s low margin of stability due to the combined effects of a recording error during the final vessel weigh, which resulted in an incorrect assessment of the vessel’s center of gravity, and an overestimation of the weight of installed ballast.
[QUOTE=Jetryder223;166961]Interesting read.
Fairly obvious Conclusion - Human error in calculating the final CoG. Duh![/QUOTE]
the exact same thought occurred to me…a painfully stoopid and avoidable mishap which bankrupted the builder because they cashiered the build captain to save money I am sure. PHOOLS!
In my experience (what little there is) is if a vessel looks top heavy, it probably is. I count 4 stories (oops, 4 decks) to that floating condo. That compounded with all the unsecured appliances sliding to listing side created a load shift that was unrecoverable.
Yeah, hindsight is 20/20, but hopefully some future designer will learn from this and tell Joe Boss ‘screw the schedule, this tub is not getting splashed until we double check the calcs. And by the way, we did secure that commercial refrigerator up on the flybridge, didn’t we?’
edit: All joking aside, I was stunned reading about the mechanics trapped in the engine room as it went over. Their exit blocked by incoming water, the water level rising around them as people outside franticly use rocks to break open a side port. They were lucky to get out with only glass cuts from climbing through. That has to be a mariners worst nightmare.
it is truly incredible that simple and avoidable mistakes like this even occur but then you can almost always bet that somewhere behind the errors lies the desire by someone to cut costs. of course there is also the obvious reality that someone wanted too much boat in too small of a hull and weight always grows upward and never down which only compounded a bad situation into one which very nearly turned into a deadly one. PATHETIC!
even if it could float there has been more then one yacht sunk on launch when using a boat ramp and these are vessels that have been out there for years