120’ Benetti Salvage in Miami Florida

As the smoke cleared in the early morning hours on Thursday December 19th, national news reported the fire and subsequent sinking of famous performer Marc Anthony’s 120 foot yacht in a Miami marina. Over 45 Firefighters fought the blaze during the night. Despite their valiant efforts to save it, the yacht eventually sank and settled to the bottom resting on her starboard side. The environmental impact was the first concern of federal, state and city officials. A crew from TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale quickly responded to the scene to survey oil containment needs. Hard containment boom was deployed before day’s end while the Coast Guard pieced together a plan to remove as much of the fuel and oil on board the casualty as possible prior to being refloated. Environmental crews with large vacuum trucks worked for several days removing thousands of gallons of diesel fuel from the vessel while TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale’s Salvage Master was mobilizing the team and equipment necessary to refloat the once luxurious yacht.

TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale’s 96’ Work boat Richard L. Becker was mobilized to Miami. This vessel carried salvage equipment, provided hotel services and was the base of operations for the salvage effort. A crane barge was mobilized and spudded down along the port side of the casualty. Patching began as soon as the salvage plan was approved and the environmental team completed their efforts. Lift bags ranging from 6000 pounds of lift to 60,000 pounds of lift were used in combination with the crane to perform the recovery. The operation required patience and planning as rigging would have to be performed two or more times. It was necessary to roll the casualty upright before it could be raised to the surface. Director of Operations Kevin Collins commented “stability of the vessel at every stage of the salvage was a key concern. We worked with a Naval Architect to determine the best rigging solution as well as where and when to place dewatering pumps to ensure stability throughout the process. We needed to be sure that the vessel remained stable once we rolled her upright and throughout the dewatering process. There was also a strong current running through the marina. As a result, careful thought was given to timing of each step to coincide with appropriate tides and currents which heightened the complexity of the job.”

Once the vessel was refloated, the remaining fuel and lube oil was removed while the towing plan was approved by the U.S. Coast Guard. Two twin diesel tugs were dispatched to Miami for the tow to Ft. Lauderdale. Pumps and salvage crew remained on board for the duration of the tow to monitor bilge water levels. The yacht was successfully delivered to a boatyard located up the New River. This was another successful display of how TowBoatU.S. Ft. Lauderdale solves complex marine problems. The company has grown in capabilities and experience since being founded with one tow boat and one captain back in 1989 in Oakland Park, Florida. The company is happy to service your needs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to resolve issues aboard any size vessel.