A marine salvage company has filed a suit in Federal Court seeking damages related to a incident last month involving a $4.3 million, 125-foot Heesen yacht in Great Salt Pond on Block Island, Rhode Island.
In the suit, HRM, the salvage company, claims that the yacht, Sea Axis, lost control in a “violent wind and weather squall,” then “dragged anchor and violently impacted other vessels” while HRM’s own salvage tug “incurred significant damage.”
The suit seeks “a liberal salvage award” of $247,500 plus costs and interest because “HRM’s efforts preserved the vessel value and likely resulted in the yacht being saved from what would have been very expensive damage to its hull, running gear, stabilizers (as equipped) and topsides.”
It says that Sea Axis “failed to appreciate the approaching weather, including its high winds, and did not have its engines, systems, and crew ready to respond.”
HRM says it had become aware of approaching bad weather and had positioned its salvage tug in the harbor.
Kathleen McConville, the harbormaster, said that at 5:20 in the morning a report on VHF Channel 12 said “that there was a large MV dragging down on MV Champion” in the east mooring field.” It subsequently damaged a moored yacht and then Champion, as well as the HRM tug.
Built in 1986 in the Netherlands, Sea Axis has been in the charter trade lately. It has luxury accommodations for 12 guests, seven crew, and has an on-board fire pit, movie theater, two SeaBobs, two Sea-Doos, an inflatable party raft and an inflatable teak docking system with two lounges. (The pictures are from the Sea Axis charter website.)
Sea Axis has not yet responded to the lawsuit.
