The Million Dollar Yacht Accident

Story written by Rick Archer
Pictures from an email contributed by Ann Faget
Originally posted: August 2008
 

The first question you have to ask yourself is whether this is a fake photograph or real.  

I mean, how ridiculous is it to see a yacht fall into the water pointing straight down?  What did they do, drop it from a plane?

So what do you think?  Real picture or Fake Picture?  You decide.

If you guessed "Real", then you get the prize.  Good work.

But I found One web site that was convinced the pictures were "totally fake".  Interesting.  

The yacht mishap occurred on March 7, 2007 at Port Jebel Ali (a man-made harbor in the Gulf of Arabia outside Dubai, UAE).

The $1.5 million Carver 55' Marquis Motor Yacht was being lifted aboard a cargo ship by slings for transport to the USA.  In other words, at the time of the accident, the yacht was being lifted, not lowered  (if so, where is the water dripping from the boat?) 

The yacht slipped out of the forward sling, plunged bow-first into the water and capsized.

The friction from the rear sling tore off the yacht's propellers, shafts, struts, and drive train.

The yacht was damaged beyond repair.

If you look in the upper right hand corner of the boat, you will notice a man who appears at first glance to be sitting there. 

He is not actually "sitting" there.  His body is twisted and he has his knees up as he clings to the boat.  He is clearly holding on for dear life! 

Look for the blue jeans.  The black area under his backside is not his leg.

Here is a challenge for you.  Can you spot the other man in the picture?

I promise you he is there.  If you can't find him, I will give you a clue in a second.

Here is the Story

Just in case you think I might be pulling your leg about this incident, I am not.  The accident was researched by Snopes, the online debunker of urban legends and judged true. 

Dick Nocenti, a Carver spokesman was interviewed about what happened.  

Nocenti said the brand-new 55-foot Carver Marquis - baseline price $1.2 million and closer to $2 million out the door - was being off-loaded for delivery to its new owner in Dubai's Port Jbel Ali on March 7, 2008. 

An insurance representative was on hand snapping pictures and two Carver representatives were aboard, ready to ferry the boat to its owner as soon as it hit the water.  Well, the yacht DID HIT THE WATER, but not exactly the way they had hoped it would.

The new boat was 45 feet above the water when it began to slip out of its sling while being lowered into the water.  Nocenti said the boat began slipping from the rear strap due to wind and water action. The straps around the bow and stern of the boat were not tied together, which he said is a common practice when unloading yachts.

"The boat nosedived," he said.  It hit bottom, crushing the front end in the somewhat shallow water, and then capsized and sank.

The two men aboard had no choice but to ride it out, a fearful few seconds that were captured on camera. Carver did not identify the two crewmen, but Nocenti said that one broke his collar bone while the other was uninjured.  Nocenti said the injured representative was treated and has since returned to work.

This valuable boat was certainly built to never sink.  Where have we heard that before?  Wasn't there some movie about a boat that was built to never sink but it did?

The Carver Marquis is a high-end boat, built with entertainment in mind. Owners can choose to order the boat with a lower helm station or a "sky lounge," according to company marketing documents. The vessel features granite counters in the galley, Italian marble in the heads and optional quarters for crew. Standard power is a pair of 500 HP Volvo Penta diesels.

Fully loaded with 200 gallons of water and more than 800 gallons of fuel, the boat weighs roughly 62,000 pounds, according to the company.

The yacht that fell was a total loss. One of the photos shows the boat capsized, its running gear demolished, and on its way down. A few days after the accident, the boat was raised and the insurance company took possession.

The boat's owner, whom Carver did not identify, did not get to enjoy his new ride for even a second.  However, Nocenti said the owner was not upset.  After all, the owner was not ready to sail the boat until it reached the USA.  He simply waited for the insurance company, also unidentified, to settle.  Then he turned around and immediately bought another Carver.

It must be nice to be so rich that an accident like this doesn't even faze you.