Grounded 28m Sunseeker yacht sinks during Hawaii salvage operation
Almost two weeks after the 28.1m yacht Nakoa was grounded in Honolua Bay on Maui, Hawaii, the yacht has sunk to a depth of around 300 metres during a salvage operation.
The Sunseeker yacht was originally grounded on 19 February 2023, after breaking free of its mooring in Honolua Bay, which is a protected marine reserve. Although the area does permit day-use moorings for a maximum of two hours, the yacht’s owner Jim Jones told local media that he ‘didn’t know the rules’ and was overnighting with his family on Nakoa, when a line broke, causing the 2004 Sunseeker 94 to hit the rocks nearby.
The original estimate of the salvage was $460,000, and this will have increased with the final, failed attempt. A previous attempt to salvage the vessel had been unsuccessful due to poor weather.
The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) issued a statement before the salvage operation, confirming that the yacht would either be towed to Honolulu, around 90 nautical miles away, or it would have to be scuttled due to a large number of holes in the hull.
While fuel, batteries and other pollutants had been removed from Nakoa after it became grounded, eyewitness reports had noted considerable fuel leakage surrounding the vessel in the aftermath.
The DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources reports already finding damage to around 30 coral and live rock, and its dive team is returning to conduct a full assessment.
Coral in the marine reserve is protected under state law, and Jones could therefore face stiff financial penalties for the damage.
“We understand everyone’s frustration with the grounding and harm to the reef at Honolua, a bay with abundant marine life that’s loved by many residents of Maui and visitors alike,” says DLNR first deputy Laura Kaakua.
In an unrelated incident in March 2022, controversy erupted in Queensland, Australia, after parts of a millionaire’s luxury yacht began washing up on a pristine beach. The 27-metre cruiser sank in Statue Bay, on Queensland’s Capricorn Coast, after large waves damaged it during a storm.
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