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Superyacht crash video shows 77m Go colliding with Caribbean dock

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Footage has emerged of a 235ft superyacht crashing into a luxury Caribbean yacht club’s pier, causing visible damage to both the yacht and the dock.

Onlookers were shocked last week (February 24) when a 235ft (77m) superyacht collided with the dock of Sint Maarten Yacht Club in the Caribbean.

Video footage of the incident shows the extent of the damage – while the pier took the brunt of it, the superyacht’s steel hull didn’t come off unscathed.

Computer malfunction was to blame for the sickening superyacht crash, according to local publication The Daily Herald , which adds that no-one was injured as a result.

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The incident took place at around 1015 local time and the newspaper added that an insurer had already been to assess the extent of the damage by the end of the day.

If you think you’re having a bad day at work, spare a thought for the captain and crew who had to explain this situation to their yacht’s owner.

Launched by Turkish yard Turquoise Yachts in 2018, Go features a helipad, gym, jacuzzi, beach club, sauna and hospital as well as a master suite and eight guest cabins styled by London-based studio H2 Yacht Design.

She is run by a crew of up to 18 and her twin 2,575hp Caterpillar 3516C engines give her an estimated top speed of 17 knots.

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Video: Turquoise superyacht Go collides with Sint Maarten dock

The 77 metre superyacht Go has been filmed colliding with the wooden dock of the Sint Maarten yacht club in the Caribbean.

Onlookers filmed the flagship of Turkish yard Turquoise Yachts crash into the dock as it was leaving Simpson Bay Lagoon from its berth in Ile de Sol Marina.

The collision, which took place at around 10.15am on Wednesday morning, was caused by a computer malfunction on board, according to local newspaper The Daily Herald .

The Daily Herald reported that the yacht collided with the wooden docks twice before returning to its berth. No injuries were reported.

Sint Maarten Yacht Club general manager Michele Korteweg told The Daily Herald : “We’ve been removing all the debris and out insurance person has already been here to assess the damage.”

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$118 million superyacht crashes into Caribbean pier after computer malfunction

A single malfunction has caused a 72 metre superyacht worth almost $120 million to smash into a Caribbean yacht club pier.

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This is the shocking moment a 72 metre superyacht smashes into a luxury Caribbean yacht club’s pier after a “computer malfunction”.

The superyacht, worth $118 million, was caught on video slowly crashing into the dock, in Simpson Bay, Saint Maarten last week.

Superyacht Go, which is fitted with a helipad, a steam room, a swimming pool and its own hospital, ploughed into the wooden pier, breaking apart the wooden jetty and a concrete wall.

In one video, an onlooker can be heard saying “oh my God” repeatedly as the vessel crashed into the pier.

The captain of Go was attempting to leave the Simpson Bay Lagoon at Ile de Sol Marina at 10.15am on Wednesday when the crash happened.

It is believed that the cause of the crash had to do with a “computer malfunction” and when the superyacht was being towed out of the marina, a huge gouge was spotted on the side of the vessel.

It is not yet known how much it will cost to repair the dock or the superyacht but a manager for the yacht club told the Mail Online that it could take months.

St Maarten Yacht Club’s dock has been closed until further notice.

A notice posted on its website on Wednesday read: “As most of you will have heard by now, this morning an accident occurred with a mega yacht.

“They lost control over the vessel and hit the dock of the St Maarten Yacht Club.

“Nobody was injured and the damage is solely structural, however, it is very significant.

“We are currently assessing the extent of the damage to make a plan to rebuild.”

St Maarten Yacht Club General Manager Michele Korteweg told the Daily Herald: “If the piles supporting the structure are still solid and stable, it should be easier to rebuild.

“If that’s not the case we will have to replace the piles which could take months.

“But in the meantime, we will come up with a temporary solution in order to be operational as quick as possible, at least at the minimum to connect the wooden accessway to the concrete dock.”

Other witnesses told the Mail Online that the superyacht had become entangled with the propeller of an old sailboat at sea when it was about to dock.

This isn’t the first time a massive yacht crashed into a pier in St Maarten.

In December 2019, a superyacht, owned by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, accidentally ripped a Caribbean dock apart after its captain last control.

Tourists enjoying the view were filmed running away from the edge of Simpson Bay Bridge, St Maarten when the swerving vessel began to speed up.

It is believed fierce weather conditions including gale-force winds pushed the yacht to the side, eventually pushing it into the control booth.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and has been republished with permission

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By SuperyachtNews 25 Feb 2021

77m Go crashes into dock in St. Maarten

Reports suggest the yacht lost its steering as it was leaving its berth in simpson bay….

Videos have emerged of the 77m motoryacht Go crashing into a dock in Simpson Bay, St Maarten at a slow speed.

Local reporting has attributed the incident to a computer malfunction on board, which allegedly caused the yacht to lose its steering as it was attempting to exit the Simpson Bay Lagoon from its berth at the Yacht Club Isle de Sol marina on Wednesday morning.

The yacht then collided with the wooden dock at St. Maarten Yacht Club. Nobody was on the dock at the time and no injuries have been reported.

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• Mar 4, 2021

Captain Makes Clutch Decision to Save Superyacht 'GO' in St. Maarten's Crash

By: Scott Way

Last week the brilliantly turquoise superyacht GO made headlines for crashing into St. Maarten's Yacht Club. Not once, but twice.

Naturally, internet 'experts' were quick to pounce. With a predictable lack of knowledge, many immediately labeled the crash the result of driver error. Surely no captain could crash one of the world's nicest boats into one of yachting's most famous ports. What the videos lack, like most viral phenomena, is context. The captain of GO was recently interviewed by The Daily Herald to discuss the circumstances surrounding the incident. Predictably, there was far more at play than operator error. If you haven't seen the videos, here's a few different angles of the mishap:

As for the vessel in question, the boldly turquoise GO is a 77m (252 ft) luxury motor yacht designed by H2 and built by the aptly named Turquoise Yachts . It is owned by Capri Sun mogul Hans-Peter Wild . Yes, that Capri Sun, the lovable juice in a bag with the world's most challenging straw. It is entirely computer-driven and packed with deluxe appointments including a pool, jacuzzi, elevator, gym, helipad, and steam room. She runs with a crew of 19 and has 7 cabins for up to 12 guests. It was built in Turkey and launched in 2018 with a pricetag of roughly $100 million USD.

As for the events that transpired, captain Simon Johnson was preparing to depart the lagoon via the rotating land bridge (which you can see in the upper frame of the second video). While roughly 50 metres from the bridge and holding position pending the bridge opening, an electronic error began pushing the yacht forward without steering input. The passage itself is precarious enough as GO carries a 13.5 meter (44 ft) beam and has only 50 cm (1.6 ft) of clearance on either side.

Johnson told The Herald , “With not much water between us and the bridge, I always set to align my stern and get parallel well in time for the bridge opening. We left the dock an hour before and went through all the checks. There was nothing different from the other times we’ve done this exit. I was in good shape."

“Then, when we were about 50 metres away and holding position, the yacht started moving mysteriously forward. There was nothing I seemed to be able to do; all the controls on the bridge were showing normal. I called the engine room and everything was normal down there. I found I had extremely limited control, almost limited to only the bow thruster, but with now only 50 metres between us and the bridge I had to make a decision fast."

The ability to prioritize outcomes while under duress is a valuable trait, and the sign of a good captain, and Johnson was able to calculate a remarkable list of outcomes before choosing a course of action.

“I certainly did not want to put the anchor down. That would have been disastrous. By the time the anchor hit the bottom we would have been 30 metres further in. Then we would have pinned the bow upwind, and slewed the stern towards the rocks and the road bridge.

“We have 160,000 litres of fuel on board. If I had done that, I would not only have disabled the bridge, but potentially breached the hull on the rocks beneath and could have caused an oil spill. My preferred option was to point the bow towards the yacht club dock, and beach her gently there. I had a crew member up front shouting a warning to make sure everyone was out of the way.”

After some initial investigation, it was determined Johnson had 13 roughly seconds to choose a course of action. Having made the passage at St. Maarten's 20 times previously, his knowledge of the boat and the lagoon was undoubtedly valuable.

“The fact that there were no warning alarms, no lights on board to indicate something was wrong was really scary. I know this yacht so well, yet I had 13 seconds to make a decision before hitting the bridge. The decision I made was one I would make again if faced with the same circumstances.”

While internet critics were quick to heap blame upon him, Johnson was justifiable in his criticism of the electronics responsible, calling them “ridiculously over the top” and without manual overrides. On GO in particular, there are 14 computers on the bridge with two more below decks. Insurers will now have the tall task of determining the root of the electronic fault, as well as assessing the extent of the damage to GO and the Yacht Club dock before pursuing repairs.

As for Johnson, “I’m proud that we walked away from a crash landing, and most importantly, there was no injury and the island’s arterial road bridge was not compromised,” he said.

The yacht's owner Hans-Peter Wild was also supportive, releasing a public statement in which he declared he is “extremely supportive of the captain’s decisions and performance. Personnel, economic, environmental disaster was averted for the island. I have full faith and confidence in the captain and am very grateful.”

You can see more photos of the impressive GO below:

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Mega yacht Go destroys Yacht Club dock after computer malfunctions

St. Maarten Yacht Club staff remove debris from the destroyed wooden dock at the Club. The mega yacht Go is seen in the background back in its berth at Ile de Sol Marina.  (Robert Luckock photo)

SIMPSON BAY—It was confirmed a computer malfunction on board the mega yacht Go caused the yacht to lose its steering as it was attempting to exit the Simpson Bay Lagoon from its berth at Ile de Sol Marina on Wednesday morning.  As a result, the mega yacht drove helplessly into the wooden dock of St. Maarten Yacht Club, destroying most of the wooden decking.

  The accident occurred at around 10:15am.  It was not confirmed how the mega yacht returned to its berth at the marina, but it was thought the yacht’s tenders and other vessels would have pushed it back into the marina

  Nobody was on the wooden dock at the time and no other injuries were reported, however the incident was witnessed by many, and videos taken. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOnymOK3eaw

video by stefan veraguas

  Sint Maarten Yacht Club General Manager Michele Korteweg said the mega yacht was lining up to exit the bridge when it appeared there was some sort of engine failure. The loss of control meant the yacht collided with the wooden docks twice, the second time doing more damage.

  A section of wooden dock leading to the outer concrete dock was also damaged.

  “We’ve been removing all the debris and our insurance person has already been here to assess the damage, Korteweg added. We’ll have a structural engineer come over too to assess the damage. Hopefully we can be operational again soon but obviously this is a massive loss of income for the Club at an already very difficult time.”

  The investigation will have to look at the planking installations and the integrity of the piles.

   “If the piles supporting the structure are still solid and stable, it should be easier to rebuild. If that’s not the case we will have to replace the piles which could take months. But in the meantime, we will come up with a temporary solution in order to be operational as quick as possible, at least at the minimum to connect the wooden accessway to the concrete dock.”

  Korteweg advised all marine passengers and visitors and provisioning people that the dock is not available until further notice until the new dock is safe and secure.

  “For now, safety is more important than the rebuilding and we hope to get back to teaching sailing safely as soon as possible.

  She envisioned about two months for everything to get back to normal.

  “Funding is the big challenge for us and we don’t quite know yet if the yacht’s insurance will be helping us.”

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