Today in Palma, DYT Yacht Transport’s semi-submersible vessel, the Super Servant 4 cargo ship was listing and seemingly on the verge of sinking with five yachts on board.
“The vessel was never sinking,” says Richard Klabbers, managing director Amsterdam for DYT Yacht Transport. “We had a technical problem on board which caused the list. At the moment, the situation is safe and under control and we managed to discharge the first yachts this evening.”
On June 8, DYT issued a press release on the situation: “On Monday morning, June 8th, DYT’s semi-submersible vessel Super Servant 4 faced a ballasting problem during load-out in Palma (Spain). As a result, the vessel has listed to starboard.”
Fortunately, there were no injuries or marine pollution. “All precautionary matters have been taken to ensure the crew, the vessel, the yachts she is carrying, and the environment are safe,” the press release continued. “At this moment, it is still uncertain whether the vessel or her cargo have sustained damage. We sincerely regret this situation and are working hard to resolve the present state of affairs.”
UPDATE: 6/17/20
The Super Servant 4 safely resumed ballast operations and loaded several more yachts bound for Genoa and Florida on June 13, according to DYT’s June 16 press release. The vessel has departed Palma to deliver the remaining cargo to Genoa.
The semi-submersible vessel unexpectedly listed heavily to starboard on June 8. “Due to an electrical failure, a limited amount of ballast water transferred from port to starboard side. This combined with smaller electrical issues led to heavy listing of the carrier,” the press release says. “All precautions were taken; the vessel and the incident were heavily investigated, and the necessary measures have been put in place to avoid this from happening in the future.”
Two tugboats assisted the vessel alongside the quay, and the quick action of Super Servant 4’s Master got the vessel and yacht crew on board to safety. After the electrical failure was resolved, the listing reduced and the yachts on board were unloaded with some minor damages to the yachts and cargo vessel being reported. The release states all the damages are “currently in the process of being handled by the Marine Cargo Insurance in place.”
With the authorities, various tests were performed, and the vessel was thoroughly inspected before they continued operations and yachts were loaded.
“We regret this incident took place, for our clients and concerned bystanders. Our sincere apologies for any inconvenience to the parties involved, especially our valued customers,” the release says. “DYT Yacht Transport will continue to learn from this incident and work towards delivering an improved version of the level of service our clients have come to expect.”