Barge severely damages yacht in Stamford Harbor allision

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(STAMFORD, Conn.) — A custom-built yacht worth $1.5 million was severely damaged when it was struck by a barge Monday at the city’s new boatyard, the Darien News reported.

Capt. Eric Knott, the state-appointed harbor master, said the accident occurred about 8 a.m. in the West Branch. A tugboat from Weeks Marine was delivering two barges to O&G Industries in Stamford Harbor when one barge drifted away as the tug was attempting to dock them, he said.

The barge floated toward Hinckley boatyard and hit Sea Jay, a 50-foot catamaran built in South Africa that was in final preparation for a trip through the Panama Canal and across the Pacific Ocean to the French Polynesian islands, Knott said.

The barge broke off the back of one hull of Sea Jay and severely damaged the back of the other, he said. There also was internal and structural damage, he said.

Sgt. Kevin Fitzgibbons of the Stamford Police Harbor Unit said the yacht is probably a total loss.

“The barge was extremely heavy with sand and gravel,” Fitzgibbons said.

The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating, said Lt. Rodion Mazin, based in New Haven.

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By Professional Mariner Staff