Shipyard Personnel Freed with Fire Axe as $10M Motor Yacht Capsizes at Launch [IMAGES]

Updated: May 22, 2014 (Originally published May 20, 2014)

Update 2: Video Surfaces of Yacht Launch Fail

Update: Time-lapse Shows Anacortes Yacht Salvage

The 85-foot expedition style motor yacht Bäden took two and a half years to build in meticulous detail, but it was all for nothing as she capsized and sank last Sunday night after being launching at Northern Marine Industries in Anacortes, Washington.

Reports indicate there were four or possibly five shipyard personnel on board the vessel at the time of the incident who became trapped on board as the vessel rolled over.  They were subsequently rescued through a portlight after breaking it with a fire axe.

Roddan Engineering, a firm which had been engaged “to review build progress, track weight and prepare an Intact Stability analysis” notes in a letter dated 19 July 2013 that the vessel was “lighter than other Northern Marine builds of similar length, thus requiring more ballast to sit on a desired waterline.”  The firm recommended “that partial ballasting be done currently, with final ballasting for trim and desired waterline to be performed at launch.”

What exactly occurred during and after launch however, is still unclear.

The following images were shared with gCaptain from an anonymous source.

The salvage of the vessel is currently in progress.

Here’s an inside look at her being built:

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