The hull of the 183ft Perini Navi superyacht Bayesian, which sank after capsizing off Sicily with the tragic loss of seven lives, has been raised from the seabed
The hull of the 183ft/56m Perini Navi Bayesian, which sank after capsizing off Sicily with the loss of seven lives, has been raised from the seabed today, Friday 20 June.
The lifting of the intact hull of the superyacht is a major milestone in what has been an exceptionally complex and challenging salvage operation to recover the yacht from approximately 50m depth in the Tyrrhenian Sea.
The Bayesian was knocked down during a sudden violent storm whilst at anchor off the Northern coast of Sicily, and sank rapidly, resulting in the deaths of seven people in the early hours of 19 August 2024.
The raising of the Bayesian. Photo courtesy of Superyacht News/The Yacht Report.
Bayesian hull raised
TMC Marine, the specialist British company is leading the salvage operation, reported that – after weeks of preparation – the vessel has been slowly brought to the surface over the past three days.
In a statement released this afternoon, TMC reported: “Over the past three days the hull has been eased, or parbuckled, into an upright position, which gave access to the previously inaccessible starboard side that had been laying directly on the seabed, 50 metres below the surface of the Tyrrhenian Sea in the Mediterranean.
The raising of the Bayesian. Photo courtesy of Superyacht News/The Yacht Report.
“During this time the vessel has been gradually lifted off the seabed so that additional lifting straps could be placed under the keel.
“The hull has been continually supported by eight steel lifting straps – four under each of the bow and stern sections – and which are part of a specially designed steel wire lifting arrangement.”
This lifting structure is attached to the enormous 5,695-grose-tonne floating heavy lifting crane, the Hebo Lift 10 – one of the biggest and most powerful marine cranes in Europe, which held the yacht securely on the seabed, before raising it.
The lifting of the superyacht has attracted considerable attention, with local and specialist channels live-streaming the salvage operation from Italy, such as superyacht channel The Yacht Report.
The boom of the Bayesian on the HEBO LIFT 2 salvage platform. Photo: TMC Marine
The hull is expected to remain in its current position until tomorrow, when it will be lifted clear of the water. Sea water will be pumped out of the hull as it is raised. It will then be held in a raised position over the weekend before – weather allowing – the Hebo Lift 10 will transport it to the Sicilian port of Termini Imerese, some 10 miles away,
Once in port, the Bayesian will be lifted onto a specially manufactured steel cradle that has been constructed on the quayside. That is scheduled to take place on Monday 23 June.
Bayesian salvage operation
The salvage operation has been complex and highly technical, with the specialist teams of around 70 people involved including the Dutch crane company HEBO, SMIT Salvage, and support from Italian specialists.. Besides Hebo Lift 10, a second giant vessel, the Hebo Lift 2 has also been deployed. This multi-purpose barge has 700sq m of deck space as well as an integrated crane.
HEBO LIFT 10 alongside sister-vessel-HEBO LIFT 2 in Termini-Imerese ahead of the Bayesian salvage operation. Photo: TMC Marine
The operation has increasingly been using remote-controlled tools following the tragic death of a salvage diver working for the Dutch SMIT Salvage team on May 9. Operations were halted for a period after the fatal incident.
Since May the yacht’s boom, mainsail and furling gear were recovered. A remote-controlled submersible was also deployed to cut one of Bayesian’s anchor chains, enabling the recovery of both the anchor and chain from the seabed.
On Tuesday, June 17 the yacht’s 72-metre mast was cut free using a remote-controlled diamond wire cutting tool and recovered onto the floating crane platform The mast was then lowered to the seabed to be recovered at a later stage. Removing the rig allowed the process of rotating the hull to begin, until the yacht was in a near-vertical position ready for lifting.
Throughout this salvage operation, the recovery team has been monitoring for pollution, and a precautionary oil boom is currently in place.
The cradle structure constructed to receive the salvaged Bayesian hull. Photo: TMC Marine
Investigation underway
Marcus Cave, Head of Naval Architecture and a Director of TMC Marine, said: “The salvage team has made very substantive progress in the last 10 days. They are now preparing for the final, complex and delicate lifting operation, to bring Bayesian to the surface and ultimately into port.
“This is a challenging programme of activity, that will be progressed in a measured and systematic way. While there is enormous interest in this project, we continue to ask that media and other spectators adhere to the security perimeter, which is in place to help protect the safety of everyone on site.”
The fatal sinking of the Bayesian is subject to a criminal investigation in Italy, while the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its interim report into the tragedy, which resulted in seven deaths, including that of the yacht’s owner Mike Lynch, and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah.
A strict security cordon is in place around the yacht, of 1 nautical mile by air and 650m by sea around the working site.
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