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Distress at seaCatamaran sinks due to defective emergency exit hatches

Johannes Erdmann

 · 27.01.2023

Distress at sea: Catamaran sinks due to defective emergency exit hatchesPhoto: Facebook
The sinking of a Lagoon 39 in the Caribbean raises the question of how many owners may not have been aware of the Goiot emergency escape hatch recall in 2020. According to all indications, the old hatch on the catamaran, which was built in 2013 and had not been replaced, was pushed out of its frame by a wave

After the French manufacturer Goiot carried out a recall campaign for emergency exit hatches a few years ago, it appears that some owners are still travelling with hatches that are at risk. Ships from the French shipyards Bali, Nautitech, Fountaine Pajot and Lagoon, which were built between 2007 and 2019, were affected.

The escape hatches are mounted between the hulls and flat above the waterlinePhoto: Johannes ErdmannThe escape hatches are mounted between the hulls and flat above the waterline

In a Facebook post, Fred Anderson, the owner of a sister ship, describes the marine casualty of a Lagoon 39 in the Caribbean Sea (off the island of Canouan) and, after talking to other catamaran owners, puts forward the theory that up to 80 per cent of owners were unaware of the recall and are still sailing around with the old, endangered hatches.

At times, the hatches have to withstand the toughest loadsPhoto: Johannes ErdmannAt times, the hatches have to withstand the toughest loads

Exact details about the background to the sinking are not yet known, but the author of the Facebook post relies on the statements of the owner of the sunken ship: "The owner/captain told me that his insurance company had submerged the boat to investigate the cause of the incident. One of the Plexiglas panes of the Goiot escape hatch had come loose, allowing large amounts of seawater to enter the hull. Sealant is used to hold these hatches in place centimetres above the waterline, but the sealant gave way and the pane came loose."

S/V Take It Easy | A Sad Day at Sea....." 5 minutes and she was gone
A Sad Day at Sea....." 5 minutes and she was gone!" Equipment installed on thousands of catamarans built by Bali, Nautitech, Fountaine Pajot, Lagoon and other catamaran manufactuers caused this...
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The crew was lucky and was rescued by a yacht sailing nearby.

Since 2018, there have been an increasing number of cases of hatches falling out of the aluminium frame, whereupon Goiot sent a repair kit to many owners to press the windows onto the frames in addition to the adhesive seals. Finally, in 2020, the manufacturer began a major recall campaign during which many hatches were replaced.

The panes of the affected Goiot hatches are simply glued into an aluminium framePhoto: Johannes ErdmannThe panes of the affected Goiot hatches are simply glued into an aluminium frame

Yacht owners who own a catamaran with Goiot escape hatches built between 2007 and 2019 should definitely look into the problem. At that time, the Lagoon shipyard developed a Letter published in which the problem and solutions are described. Other shipyards have also informed their customers, but the links to the PDFs that were once stored now lead nowhere. In 2020, Goiot also published a short Press Release in which the company confirmed the problems.

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