For months, the once proud ship lay at the bottom of the Mediterranean, around 30 nautical miles off Alicante on the Spanish coast. At the end of October, it was raised and towed in. What came to light after the crane was lowered looks shocking - and raises many questions.
In the centre of the hull of the Oyster 825, which belongs to a Russian owner and was modified by the shipyard in the stern area, there is a gaping hole measuring almost 20 square metres. Where the keel once sat, the laminate has torn off in places right above the waterline - as if there had been no frictional connection between the floor assembly and the outer skin in the area subject to the highest loads. The inner seat, which serves as bracing, is completely exposed, with cables and hoses protruding from the compartments. A disturbing sight.
YACHT Russia, a licensed edition of YACHT published in Russia, documented the investigation of the wreck on site in Alicante and provided us with the photos. Two teams of experts are currently working on the case - one on behalf of the shipyard and its insurance company, the other for the owner's insurance company. Their work will take several more weeks, only then can we expect reliable statements on the cause of the accident.
CEO David Tydeman told YACHT that Oyster Yachts does not wish to comment until the reports are available: "We will not participate in speculation, nor will we comment on it." The shipyard boss was present at the inspection himself, accompanied by employees from production. He emphasised that the damaged yacht was the first and only case of keel loss in Oyster's 42-year history and that such a risk could be ruled out for other boats of the type. "All other Oyster 825s are safe."
For the prestigious British company, which is one of the world's most respected luxury shipyards and has well-filled order books, the accident is a huge blow. After all, such major damage should never happen - especially to an almost new boat.
The capsize, which occurred only a few minutes after the first signs of structural damage, miraculously did not cause any injuries; thanks to the Italian captain's prudent reaction, all crew members were able to get into the life raft and were rescued a few hours later by a Spanish fisherman. Nevertheless, the unease and doubts remain. At the time of the accident, conditions were normal, with winds of around 5 Beaufort and a wave of only about one and a half metres - no challenge for a 25-metre yacht.
In an initial statement on 24 July, after the keel had been located and photographed by a diver, Oyster wrote: "The possibility of a collision with an underwater object and a resulting structural failure cannot be ruled out." The photos now available, however, suggest that no crash took place. The keel shows no signs of an impact, not even abrasions from the wire hawser of a trawl net. The keel bolts are also still firmly attached to the solid laminated flange.
But what caused the demolition?
There is currently only speculation about this. Boat builders and experts in fibre-reinforced plastics interviewed by YACHT online believe that a manufacturing error in the connection between the floor assembly and the hull laminate is likely. YACHT Russia, on the other hand, sees an undersizing of the GRP keel flange and its stiffening as a possible cause after discussions with designers. However, the necessary certainty will only be provided by the experts' reports.
Jochen Rieker
Herausgeber YACHT
