Ten months after sinking off the coast of Sicily in a sudden storm, the luxury superyacht Bayesian has been lifted 50 metres from the seabed after three days of controlled operation.
TMC Marine, a British marine consolutancy, is leading the $30 million salvage operation which is being carried out by a consortium of companies including the Dutch firms Hebo Maritiemservice and Smit Salvage.
The lifting of the hull follows on from an earlier operation to cut the yacht’s 72m mast free.
Eight steel lifting slings were attached to the hull to aid the hull into an upright position on the seabed.
Stabilisers, hoses and other rigging were also used before the hull was lifted by one of Europe’s most powerful floating cranes.
“The salvage team has made very substantive progress in the last ten days,” said Marcus Cave, head of naval architecture and a director of TMC Marine.
Hurricane force winds
“They are now preparing for the final, complex and delicate lifting operation, to bring Bayesian to the surface and ultimately into port.”
The hull will be fully lifted from the water tomorrow (June 21) and transported to the Sicilian port of Termini Imerse, where it will be investigated by law enforcement officials to gather evidence regarding the cause of the disaster.
The 56m (184ft) superyacht went down in less than a minute when hurricane force winds swept through the area on August 19, 2024.
Seven people died in the incident; 15 people survived.
MAIB report
An interim report by the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) indicated that the yacht’s design vulnerabilities, particularly when the centerboard was raised, made it unstable in such conditions.
The report found that the extreme wind experienced by the yacht was sufficient to knock the vessel over.
A criminal investigation is being led by the Termini Imerese Public Prosecutor’s Office, Sicily, Italy.
The salvage will enable investigators to have a fuller understanding of the access and egress routes, internal laout and liferaft status.
The examination of the wreck will also improve the investigators’ understanding of the yacht’s condition.
Bayesian was designed by Ron Holland and built by the Italian shipyard Perini Navi, the flagship brand of the Italian Sea Group, in 2008.
