yacht hits bridge in st maarten

By SuperyachtNews 10 Jan 2023

43m M/Y Baca hits Simpson Bay bridge

A video showing the incident has been shared widely on social media….

The 43m Royal Denship Baca has collided with the bridge entrance on the Caribbean island of St Maarten. A video circulating online shows the vessel’s starboard side making contact with the bridge, causing damage to the control booth and making the yacht heel on its port side. No injuries were reported to those on shore and on the video, crew can be seen continuing to operate the yacht after the incident.

Yet another yacht slamming into the control room of the Simpson Bay bridge at #sxm #yacht #fail pic.twitter.com/6lQfuHMkee — slickvick (@slickvi09640947) January 9, 2023

While the cause of the collision is unclear, it seems that windy weather conditions were partly to blame. Simpson Bay Lagoon Authority (SLAC) released a statement saying that the booth incurred "severe structural damage" and "wires leading to the operations consoles" were also damaged after the event. The crash happened at 5 pm local time and the bridge was fully operational by 8:30 am the next day.

Similar incidents have occurred in the past. In 2019, 86m Ecstasea hit the bridge resulting in damage to the exterior of the yacht. Additionally, 24th February 2021, 77m motoyacht Go crashed into the dock in Simpson Bay , when attempting to exit, due to a computer malfunction causing Go to lose control of its steering.

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Billionaire's Superyacht Crashes Into Bridge on Caribbean Island in Viral Video

A combination of adverse wind and current conditions reportedly caused the superyacht, named Ecstasea, to swerve into the bridge

Jason Hahn is a former Human Interest and Sports Reporter for PEOPLE. He started at PEOPLE's Los Angeles Bureau as a writer and reporter in 2017 and interviewed the likes of Kobe Bryant, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tom Brady. He has a B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University. He previously worked for Complex Magazine in New York City.

A massive superyacht slammed into a bridge in the Caribbean country of Sint Maarten last weekend, and the jaw-dropping crash was captured in a video that has gone viral on social media.

According to Boat International , a combination of adverse wind and current conditions caused the superyacht, named Ecstasea, to swerve right and collide into a portion of the Simpson Bay Bridge on Sunday afternoon.

In footage of the incident, the ship is seen ripping a control booth from the bridge as onlookers watch from just a few yards away. An operator jumps out of the booth just before it is torn away.

“F—ing hell!” someone can be heard saying in the video as the booth falls into the harbor.

The ship appeared to be undamaged despite the impact.

“It was tricky — the vessel had some difficulties,” Simpson Bay Lagoon Corporation project manager Bertrand Peters told Boat International . “The impact took out the booth but the controls and gear were all intact so the bridge remains fully operational and opening times will not be affected.”

As noted by the New York Post , the superyacht — currently owned by Pakistani billionaire Alshair Fiyaz — is 282 feet long, has its own movie theater, spa and multiple bars. It has a crew of 24 , according to Maritime Bulletin. It’s unknown if Fiyaz was on board at the time of the incident.

The ship was initially built for Russian-Israeli businessman Roman Abramovich in 2004 , the New Zealand Herald reported. It was reportedly sold five years later to Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi for $180 million, and Fiyaz purchased it in 2014.

Sint Maarten is located in the southern part of an island shared by Saint Martin, and is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Dramatic Moment As 43 Metre Superyacht Crashes In The Caribbean

Not so super...

When you own a superyacht, you’d think you’d learn to park it carefully. But apparently, that’s either not the case, or parking one of these magnificent vessels is not as easy as you think. This revelation comes as a bridge in the Caribbean continues to catch superyachts out, with yet another crashing into it.

A video bouncing around online shows the 43.4 metre superyacht Royal Denship Baca coming a cropper, crashing into the bridge entrance at Simpson Bay, on the Caribbean island of Sint Maarten. The incident occurred on January 8, 2023.

The video shows the yacht love scratching the bridge on its right hand side. The collision caused damage to the control booth. No one on the bridge or the shore was hurt. The video shows the crew continuing to work on the yacht after the crash so it appears the incident did not cause much human suffering (only paintwork and emotional cringe).

WATCH: 43 metre superyacht crashes in the Caribbean

BOAT International reports that windy weather conditions might have played a role in the not-so-pristine park, adding that “this is not the first time a yacht has collided with the bridge at Simpson Bay.” The outlet explained that “in 2019, the 86m superyacht Ecstasea suffered a similar incident.”

According to Simpson Bay Lagoon Authority (SLAC), the booth enjoyed “severe structural damage” and damaged wires leading to the operations consoles after the incident. The hit happened at 5pm local time and the bridge was back in business by early the next morning. 

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Superyacht Times reports that Baca  was delivered in 2008 and has been regularly maintained over the years, boasting 498 GT, five staterooms and accommodation for 12 guests. The outlet also reports that Baca can host eight crew and has twin  Caterpillar  engines which allow it to cruise at 12.5 knots and reach speeds of 14 knots.

The last few years have not been kind to superyachts, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine leading to lots of seized vessels around the world. Lots of expensive hunks and hulls have also mysteriously gone up in flames in recent years too.

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Superyacht slams into bridge in St. Maarten, viral video shows

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Now that’s too close for comfort.

An enormous luxury superyacht recently crashed into a bridge in St. Maarten, and must-see video footage of the accident has gone viral on social media.

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On Sunday afternoon, the ship's captain reportedly lost control of the 282-foot yacht, named Ecstasea, as it entered Simpson Bay Lagoon while the Simpson Bay Bridge was open. While passing beneath the bridge, the superyacht veered right and its observation deck ripped off the bridge’s control booth.

Adverse weather conditions, including gale force winds, allegedly factored into causing the crash, Boat International reports.

No one was injured in the accident. People on the observation platform rushed out of the way as the Ecstasea’s bow sped by them, and the bridge operator quickly jumped out of the booth just before it got side-swiped, video footage shows.

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Remarkably, the bridge’s operational controls were not damaged during the mishap, and the bridge is still fully functional, Simpson Bay Lagoon Corporation project manager Bertrand Peters said.

“It was tricky – the vessel had some difficulties. The impact took out the booth but the controls and gear were all intact so the bridge remains fully operational and opening times will not be affected,” Peters commented. “Visitors are therefore still being welcomed to enter the bay.”

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Video footage of the unbelievable collision has since gone viral on Twitter, receiving over 4.8 million views and 46,000 shares as of Thursday morning.

Some of the commenters were also amused by two wine-drinking women who didn’t move from their seats near the bridge’s railing as the Ecstasea swerved dangerously close. Some users agreed that the onlookers evoked "the level of chill" they personally wanted to channel in 2020.

The impressive Ecstasea superyacht was once owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, who sold it to the crown prince of Abu Dhabi in 2009 for $120 million, The Sun reports. It traded hands again when it was purchased by entrepreneur Alshair Fiyaz in 2014.

The impressive Ecstasea superyacht can comfortably accommodate up to 15 guests and 27 crew members. (Getty)

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The Ecstasea was delivered to her first owner in 2004 and can comfortably accommodate up to 15 guests and 27 crew members, per Yacht Charter Fleet . The ship reportedly boasts WiFi, a deck Jacuzzi, a gym and air conditioning.

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WATCH: Superyacht collides with Simpson Bay bridge

Tuesday, January 10th, 2023

Written by: Marine Industry News

A 43-metre superyacht has collided with the operator booth at the Simpson Bay bridge on the Caribbean island of St Maarten — just three years since a similar incident occurred in the same location.

Footage circulating on social media shows Royal Denship Baca crashing into the booth at the bridge entrance on Sunday (8 January 2023). The yacht hit the bridge on starboard side, before heeling to port. No-one was injured in the incident, and the yacht was successfully piloted into the lagoon. It is not known how much damage the yacht sustained.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by YIR – Yachting Channel (@yachtinginternationalradio)

There has been no confirmation of what caused the collision, although local media reports that conditions were unusually windy at the time.

It’s not the first time a yacht has collided with the Simpson Bay bridge — in 2019, the 86m superyacht Ecstasea crashed into and destroyed the control booth, ripping it clean off.

On Monday, The Simpson Bay Lagoon Authority (SLAC) reported that officials from Port St Maarten Group (PSG) had carried out a preliminary assessment of the bridge, and there was some damage to wires leading to the operations consoles. However, operations are now continuing as normal from the machine room and the bridge is fully operational again.

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Feadship Superyacht Ecstasea Collides With Bridge in Sint Maarten

The 85.95 metre Feadship superyacht Ecstasea has been involved in an incident in Simpson Bay Lagoon, Sint Maarten.

Upon entering the bay on December 15, it is thought that a combination of adverse wind and current conditions caused the superyacht to veer right and collide with the control booth of the Simpson Bay Bridge. The crash was captured by bystanders and can be viewed in full below.

During the 3:00pm bridge opening, an open observation platform on the bow of  Ecstasea  tore through the structure, forcing almost all of the booth to come away and fall into the water below. Fortunately, no one was harmed during the incident as the bridge operator managed to jump out of the booth just prior to impact.

The bridge continues to remain fully functional, as the controls were not damaged during the incident. Commenting on the accident, Simpson Bay Lagoon Corporation project manager Bertrand Peters explained: “It was tricky – the vessel had some difficulties. The impact took out the booth but the controls and gear were all intact so the bridge remains fully operational and opening times will not be affected”. Visitors are therefore still being welcomed to enter the bay.

Although accidents are rare at Simpson Bay, this is not the first time a yacht has damaged the bridge while navigating the narrow passageway. Despite taking down guard railings upon entry as well as the control booth, it appears that Ecstasea , which was delivered in 2004 has sustained minimal damage to her Feadship De Voogt exterior.

Port personnel have already carried out an assessment and a report will be produced by the local coast guard and police to provide further clarity on the situation.

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SIMPSON BAY–Three years after the Simpson Bay bridge operator’s booth was knocked into the water by a superyacht entering Simpson Bay Lagoon with a hatch left open, the new bridge attendant’s booth was damaged by another mega-yacht on Sunday afternoon.

The 43.4m mega-yacht was going through the Simpson Bay bridge after the bridge opened at 5:00pm when it struck the Simpson Bay Lagoon Authority (SLAC) bridge control room.

Rebuilt only a year ago, the booth incurred severe structural damage on Sunday. Wires leading to the operation consoles were also damaged.

Luckily, the bridge operator was not injured.

Port St. Maarten Group (PSG) personnel carried out a preliminary assessment and determined that bridge operations can continue as normal from the machine room.

Inbound and outbound scheduled bridge openings for maritime traffic will continue normally as of 8:30am today, Monday, January 9, but there will be additional manpower during bridge openings to facilitate the movement of road traffic over the bridge.

Motorists are urged to pay attention to the bridge closure booms, to adhere to the red stop lights and to follow any directives given by the SLAC staff during the opening operations.

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THE DAILY HERALD: SIMPSON BAY BRIDGE OPERATOR’S BOOTH AGAIN HIT BY SUPERYACHT

• January 9, 2023
• St. Maarten / St. Martin Cruise Blog , St. Maarten / St. Martin News Blog

SIMPSON BAY–Three years after the Simpson Bay bridge operator’s booth was knocked into the water by a superyacht entering Simpson Bay Lagoon with a hatch left open, the new bridge attendant’s booth was damaged by another mega-yacht on Sunday afternoon.   The 43.4m  mega-yacht was going through the Simpson Bay bridge after the bridge opened at 5:00pm when it struck the Simpson Bay Lagoon Authority (SLAC) bridge control room. Rebuilt only a year ago, the booth incurred severe structural damage on Sunday. Wires leading to the operation consoles were also damaged.   Luckily, the bridge operator was not injured.   Port St. Maarten Group (PSG) personnel carried out a preliminary assessment and determined that bridge operations can continue as normal from the machine room.   Click   here  to read more   For more blogs click  here    Read about other  St Maarten/St Martin 

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Superyacht Ecstasea Crushes Simpson Bay Bridge Operator’s shack!

The Superyacht Ecstasea was going through the Simpson Bay Bridge in St Maarten when a hatch that was left open smashed into the bridge operator’s shack, knocking it into the water. The bridge operator thankfully was not in the shack, he was just outside wincing as his office crumbled.

Serving as a gateway to the Caribbean for many superyachts, the Simpson Bay Bridge in St Maarten has seen its fair share of dings and scratches from passing vessels. In fact earlier this year we posted a video of the Superyacht Azteca scraping its hull badly against the bridge. In that incident the bridge was spared major damage, but the yacht surely had hundreds of thousands of dollars in repairs done to get it back in shape.

This weekend the Superyacht Ecstasea was making its way through the bridge and as usual there were many onlookers at a neighboring bar with their phones out, trained on the beautiful yachts coming through the bridge. The Ecstasea gave them something to record as it had an open hatch jutting out on the bow, the office crumbles when the (well-made) hatch pushes into it.

The bridge operator is no doubt thanking his lucky stars that he was outside the shack when the yacht came through.

Check out the video for yourself here:

Check out the last incident we saw at the bridge with the Superyacht Azteca!

Update: The shack’s remains have been cleaned up and traffic continues to flow through the bridge. One upside, the view of the bridge traffic from the famous Simpson Bay Yacht Club has improved! Meanwhile the Ecastasea has been repaired and cleaned up (see below) and was spotted in St Barts with the rest of her billionaire owned friends. Including the 533 foot Eclipse owned by Ecstasea’s former own, Roman Abramovich!

Many, many captains have had white knuckle moments at this bridge. Most get through with at worst a little scratch. Watch it being done right when Steve Jobs’ Feadship is recorded from above as it is expertly maneuvered through the bridge.

Click here to read about the captain that got very lucky as his yacht nearly smacks into the jetty at the Boca Raton inlet:

Watch as this yacht almost smashes into the rocks at Boca Raton Inlet

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Yacht damages Simpson Bay bridge in St. Maarten

M/Y Ecstasea , a 282-foot Feadship, knocked off an observation platform on the Simpson Bay Bridge when entering into Simpson Bay Lagoon yesterday, according to a report by The Daily Herald in Sint Maarten.

The bridge operator was able to escape, unharmed, before the structure fell into the water. The accident damaged only the control booth; the controls and gears were not damaged so the bridge remains operational, according to the Herald.

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YachtForums Administrator

Not the first time and won’t be the last...

bayoubud Senior Member

Couldn't help but notice everyone disappeared except the two women sitting on the corner of the deck close to the action.

Capt Ralph Senior Member

bayoubud said: ↑ Couldn't help but notice everyone disappeared except the two women sitting on the corner of the deck close to the action. Click to expand...

Oscarvan Senior Member

Capt J said: ↑ Then they head over to the beach bar at the beginning of the runway at the airport next!!!!!!!! Gotta love St. Maarten. Click to expand...

SeaLion Senior Member

Maybe St Maarten can start a gofundme page to raise money to finally put in a bigger bridge.

Pascal Senior Member

I guess they never anticipated how big boats would become... trying to remember when that bridge was build... 90s I think? wonder why they had that platform open at the bow, that s what caused the real damage. St Maarten was already crowded, dirty, corrupted, and a traffic nightmare in the early 90s, I can t imagine how it must be now. Crime was pretty bad too... yuck.

Capt J Senior Member

Pascal said: ↑ I guess they never anticipated how big boats would become... trying to remember when that bridge was build... 90s I think? wonder why they had that platform open at the bow, that s what caused the real damage. St Maarten was already crowded, dirty, corrupted, and a traffic nightmare in the early 90s, I can t imagine how it must be now. Crime was pretty bad too... yuck. Click to expand...

I understand why the platform is needed for line handling but I don’t see why they had to open it before going thru a very narrow bridge. Sure, nobody plans on hitting anything but a mechanical malfunction is all it takes. maybe SXM had cleaned up its act after I left st Barth’s in 94...

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