oyster yacht sinks

Yachting World

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Experts examine Oyster Yacht that sank after the keel and its stub broke off

• Matthew Sheahan
• November 27, 2015

Oyster 825 that lost her keel and sank has been raised and investigations are ongoing into the structural failure that caused the keel and its stub to break away

Polina Star III, an extended version of an Oyster 825 that lost her keel and sank off the coast of Spain on 4 July 2015, has been raised and is now being examined by experts who are investigating the cause of the failure.

Although little is yet being said about the nature of the accident, the structural failure involved in the keel and its stub breaking away from the hull of the yacht and that this, ‘was not due to a failure of keel bolts’, according to a statement on Oyster Yachts’s website.

Before the yacht was raised, underwater photographs were taken in which the company says that the intact keel bolts can be clearly seen.

Yachting World also understands that there were no obvious signs of impact on the keel.

UPDATE ON 8/12/15 >> Oyster Yachts confirms that its inspection of the other 825s ‘highlighted a possible weakness in the process used to build the inner structure of those vessels. This process has not been used on any other Oyster Yacht built in the last 40 years and will not be used again.’ >>

Read the full statement issued by Oyster Yachts below.

The Oyster 825 is one of the company’s more recent models with seven boats sold to date, two of which are competing in the 2015 ARC. These, along with boat number one and a pair of 825s that are currently in build, have all been inspected and are confirmed to be structurally safe.

In addition, the company states that the construction method used for the internal structure of the 825 is not used in any other models in the Oyster range and have verified that, ‘no other owner of an Oyster yacht need be concerned that whatever happened to Polina Star III affects the integrity of their yacht.’

While Polina Star III was an extended version of the Oyster 825, this is believed to have nothing to do with the keel failure. The additional length was a standard option achieved by utilising the additional length incorporated in the hull mould and extending the deck with the reverse sheer transom.

A spokesman for Oyster Yachts told Yachting World that full details of the investigation would be made public once the investigations by Oyster Yachts, Polina Star III’s owner and his underwriters and the Spanish authorities are complete.

Oyster added on 8 December: ‘We are aware of the criticism in some quarters of our preference not to add to the speculation of what went wrong and to wait for the independent investigation to reach a conclusion. It is also true to say in these cases of this sorts a company is very much restrained from detailed comment by insurance and legal interests.’

Statement from Oyster Yachts on the capsize and sinking of Polina Star III

‘Since the tragic loss of Polina Star III – Oyster 825-02 – in early July, Oyster has worked with a team of independent experts to review the design and construction of the Oyster 825. Since the recovery of Polina Star III from the seabed recently we have also worked with the various representatives of the Owner’s insurance Company and other stakeholders.

The objective of this work was to establish beyond doubt how and why the loss occurred, the first of its kind in Oyster’s long history. We are aware of the criticism in some quarters of our preference not to add to the speculation of what went wrong and to wait for the independent investigation to reach a conclusion; it is also true to say that in cases of this sort a company is also very much restrained from detailed comment by insurance and legal interests.

We believe however, that our fundamental and overriding priority must be to ensure the absolute safety of all our yachts and just as important to give owners and future owners every possible confidence that they are sailing in complete safety. For this reason we believe it would be unreasonable for us to delay any longer in sharing our findings of our investigations to date.

First, it is important to note that the Oyster 825 design took into account Classification Society Rules and other standards and has been independently verified.

Secondly, our inspection of the other 825s (not including Polina Star III) highlighted a possible weakness in the process used to build the inner structure of those vessels. This process has not been used on any other Oyster Yacht built over the last ~40 years and will not be used again.

The only way to check the outcome of the process is by invasive examination taking significant parts of the structure apart. This has been done on Oyster 825-01 and 03 and following these investigations the structure has been rebuilt and, to be prudent, has been reinforced. Oyster 825-04 was only partially built so we were able to verify its structure before launch. The process for Oyster 825-05 onwards has reverted to well-proven methods used on the rest of the Oyster fleet of more than 800 yachts.

Regrettably, the challenging salvage operations for Polina Star III was such that much of the structure was damaged during the recovery of the yacht and hence at this stage we are not able to confirm whether this possible weakness is related to the loss of the vessel.

We will continue to work with the Owner and his representatives as the investigations progress.

Oyster Marine hopes and trusts that release of these findings – relating only to yachts of the 825 Class – will allay any fears that may exist in relation to safety and security and confirms above all that the Company’s fundamental priority is the safety of the sailing experience on each and every one of the yachts it launches. Also that its inspection processes will meet the exacting standards required to meet this commitment.

Oyster Marine takes this opportunity to apologise to owners for any concerns they may have had

regarding safety issues and the length of time taken to release these internal findings and thanks them for their patience and understanding.

We are delighted that the owners and crew of both Oyster 825-03 and 04 have demonstrated their continued confidence in their yachts and in Oyster and have just completed fast and successful passages in the 2015 ARC.’

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Oyster 825 sailing yacht sinks off of Spain

What caused a nearly new Oyster  sailing yacht, Polina Star III , to sink in early July off the coast of Spain? According to UK builder Oyster Marine, the sinking – the first in the company’s 42-year history – might have been caused by the yacht hitting an underwater object the day prior.

A 27.43 metre version of the Oyster 825 series, Polina Star III was launched in May 2014. Oyster Marine reports that the yacht “suffered a serious incident which compromised the moulded hull” on July 3 and sunk the following day on July 4. There were five crew members on board who were rescued by the Spanish Coast Guard.

Oyster is now conducting an investigation to find the cause of the sinking of Polina Star III . Divers inspecting the hull of Polina Star III where she rests on the seabed have reported back findings that suggest the possibility of previous damage.

“The possibility of impact with an underwater object propagating structural failure has not been ruled out,” says David Tydeman, CEO of Oyster Marine. “Recovery of the vessel will facilitate further detailed investigation.”

As was seen with the loss of sailing yacht Cheeki Rafiki , previous structural damage that goes unchecked can lead to sinking.

Polina Star III is an extended Oyster 825, a 27 metre version of the standard 25 metre yacht. The design incorporates an internal structure not seen in any other Oyster yacht. In his statement, David Tydeman says that an independent expert in composite construction has analysed the design of the yacht and verified she has the appropriate safety factors.

Oyster is also investigating the structures and mouldings of the other Oyster 825 yachts, of which two are launched and three in build, but Tydeman says, “Oyster has no reason to believe that any other yachts in the range are in any way at risk.”

“The safety and integrity of all Oyster Yachts is our absolute priority at all times,” says David Tydeman. “We will do everything possible to establish the cause of this unfortunate loss. All Oyster owners can be sure that the company is fully committed to building the finest luxury yachts which are, above all, totally seaworthy in all conditions.”

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What Happened to the Polina Star III? New Oyster 90 Sinks off Spain

Surprisingly, the only reporting that we have seen of the sinking is in the Oyster statement posted on their website  on July 24th. The statement goes on to say:

Oyster used industry standard Classification Society rules for the design of the vessel and the calculations have been analysed by an independent expert in composite construction. He has verified that the design, which incorporates an internal structure not used in any other Oyster yachts, has appropriate safety factors. Another expert in composites has been engaged to provide a finite element analysis, which is being supported by ultrasonic tests and inspections of mouldings of the other Oyster 825s. Oyster is also in discussion with another Classification Society for an overall review of the design and the processes being used now to establish cause and a senior composite surveyor, recently retired from Lloyds Register, will assist in the verification process.

Oyster has no reason to believe that any other yachts in the range are in any way at risk. The structures and mouldings of the other Oyster 825s (two currently on the water and three in build) are being investigated to ensure that these yachts are safe, seaworthy and built to the exacting design standards that Oyster adopts.

Thanks to Smackdaddy on the SailNet.com forum for passing along the news.

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Oyster 825 Polina Star sank due to “unsound” lamination

Oyster yachts has confirmed that lamination errors led to the sinking of oyster 825 polina star off spain last year..

Although recovery of the wreck made technical investigation difficult, Oyster believes that the cause is likely to be poor secondary lamination of the grid ‘matrix’ in the bilge. This structure was moulded outside the hull and laminated into place afterwards, in a technique that is widely used in the boatbuilding industry.

The weakness was also identified in hulls number 1 and 3 of the Oyster 825, although they had sailed more than 20,000 miles between them without problem. Oyster told Sailing Today: “Our investigations … found small cracks at the outer ends of the horizontal joint between the matrix and the webs [marked “A” on the drawing below].

“This suggested that the secondary over-lamination of these joints was unsound and we investigated invasively by cutting samples of the critical areas. We found extensive areas of poor laminating in the secondary structure supporting these T-joints.”

The boats had the suspect matrix and web structure ripped out in Palma, and replaced in situ with a carbon and epoxy alternative. Oyster says it will not use the technique of moulding the matrix separately to the hull in the future. “For all subsequent Oyster 825s the inner structure of the matrix and webs is constructed as a homogeneous part of moulding the hull itself.”

Fortunately, no lives were lost when Polina Star sank in July 2015, but the Russian owner is still trying to resolve insurance liabilities. Oyster Yachts said it was in the process of addressing the issue.

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Oyster 825 - Major Keel Failure / Polina Star 111

What really happened to Polina Star 111   ?

The below is reproduced with the kind permission of Charles J Doane of Wavetrain

The genesis of this story was an incident that occurred back in July 2015 in which Polina Star III , an Oyster 825, which reportedly had been extended to 90 feet and was just over a year old, was lost off the coast of Spain. The very first report came from Oyster, but contained no details, stating only that the boat “suffered a serious incident which compromised the integrity of the moulded hull.” A follow-up report by Yachting World , published in August, added little more, noting only that Oyster believed the boat may have run aground and there were rumors it had capsized before foundering.

Oyster 825 Polina Star 111 Under Sail                   Polina Star in slings following salvage

In the last few days the Italian skipper of the boat has been sharing his account of the event, and photos of the wreck, which was recovered and has been closely examined, have also been circulating online. Though the exact causes are unclear, it is perfectly clear that there was no grounding and that the boat suffered from major hull delamination that led to its keel suddenly falling off.

The photographs of the damage, which have been published by a pair of German and Russian sailing publications, are staggering:

Laminate torn away                                                       Exposed wiring / services 

Root of stub keel                                                              Intact keel bolts

The skipper, Alessio Cannoni, who has straightforwardly identified himself as “Alessiocannoni” in a Cruisers Forum discussion of the event, described the incident as follows :

FACT 1: (why I know what I know)

The owner built the boat with the target to sail around the world, then he asked to me to follow the commissioning, to prepare the boat for this long trip and to choose and to organize the crew. I arrived in the shipyard in the April 2014, and I stayed there every day up to the launch of the boat in July, then I have sailed on her as captain about 10.000 miles: Southampton- Norway and back, Southampton-Las Palmas, ARC rally, cruises in Caribe, Antigua-Alicante (we never arrived).

FACT 2: (the crew)

The boat had two permanent crew member, to be able to manage this aspect I have organized a turn-over of 5 people: Alessio Cannoni Dafne Mele Giulia Visintin Monica Rosini Riccardo Salimbeni

during last trip the professional crew was: me and Dafne.

FACT 3 (the boat design)

the boat was not extended, she was designed and built by Oyster exactly as you can see in the pictures.

FACT 4: (the meteo)

we sunk in a sunny day we were reaching in 18 kn of TW with about 1.3 m of wave, sailing with staysail and 80% main sail.

FACT 5: (SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCIDENT)

3 JULY 2015 TIME 14:07′ strong noise with vibration from the hull 14:07’15” big flooding in the engine room 14:07’30” water over the service batteries; all systems KO 14:07’45” I bear away, the crew prepare emergency bilge pump, life rafts, grab bags, furl manually the stay sail, send the may-day by standard-C and by VHF 14:13′ the keel disconnected completely and the boat capsized, in that moment I was standing up in front of the chart table (deck-house) sending the may-day, the water was already cooling down my balls. a fishing boat “fished”us after a couple of hours.

Keel still attached to stub keel                                      Broader view of keel

we made a video from the life raft, it show the two rudders pointing the sky perfectly intact, a big hole in to the hull; the relic float upside down all night long, the following morning we found the boat still floating about 15 miles from the capsizing point, one missing rudder, the other one partially broken.

the CEO of Oyster knows exactly this story, he sent two people on site the following day, I told them every single detail of the accident and I gave to them all the pictures and movies that I had and that I still have.

The relic of the boat and the keel was rescued in October. This operation was a month-long, I participated to this operation and I participated also to the survey performed by all the insurance company’s surveyors. We are waiting for the response.

Author’s Background – Who is Charlie J Doane ?

Charlie has worked as a boating journalist since 1986, including stints on staff at SAIL , Cruising World , and Offshore .  Currently he is cruising editor for SAIL .  His freelance work has appeared in Ocean Navigator , Blue Water Sailing , the New York Times , Sailing , Yachting Monthly , Yachting World , Good Old Boat , and other seemingly reputable publications.

Link – http://wavetrain.net/news-a-views/705-another-major-keel-failure-what-really-happened-to-polina-star-iii

For more information contact European Marine Services Ltd.  Marine Surveyors & Consultants  EMS also undertake Boat Safety Inspections & Engine Inspections

www.europeanmarinesurveys.com Tel: 01603 327 123

By SuperyachtNews 23 Feb 2018

Owner of 'Polina Star III' has his say on Oyster administration

Does the oysterstory website paint an accurate picture of the tale of 'polina star iii' and the administration of oyster.

“I believe it is my duty to inform our fellow yachtspeople and the whole sailing community about what happened so that the same mistakes can be avoided in the future,” reads a statement from Alexander V. Ezhkov, owner of SY Polina Star III ( PSIII ), on a recently launched website that tells his side of the story in the demise of Oyster Yachts. OysterStory claims to be a first-hand account of what happened to the Oyster 825-02 sailing yacht, PSIII , and how, in their opinion, the failure to handle the dispute adequately led to the liquidation of the Oyster Yachts’ shipyard.

The website outlines a series of events in which the shipyard adopted a “head-in-the-sand” approach to issues with PSIII , eventually levelling an extremely serious accusation at the British superyacht manufacturer. It should be noted that the disclaimer on OysterStory claims that the website “represents, to the best of his knowledge, the statement of Mr Ezhkov’s honest opinion” and that “errors and omissions are expected.” It is perhaps no great surprise then that the site’s content presents a far from a balanced argument.

According to the website, PSIII leaves for her maiden voyage in May 2014, between July and September she is back in the yard undergoing warranty repairs – initial suspicions of keel dislocation are raised. On 13 March 2015, PSIII was lifted out of the water in Antigua in order for an independent marine surveyor report to be conducted. Small Ship Consultants, the marine surveyors used to complete the report, found that the “Movement of the ballast keel along its joint with the hull stub is considered excessive and not simply a cosmetic defect”. When Oyster Yachts was notified, it is claimed that the yard responded to Ezhkov by explaining that “This is a cosmetic issue only and does not affect the attachment of the keel to the hull”.

Speaking exclusively with SuperyachtNews, David Tydeman, former CEO of Oyster Yachts, explains that “A key point to note is that the flexing of the joint between the stub keel and the lead bulb keel – that is the subject of my ‘its cosmetic, enjoy your yacht’ comments I am quoted on was proved to be correct. None of the keel bolts failed and this was an unfortunate and completely disconnected issue to the moulding defects which caused the stub keel structure to fail and the loss of the vessel.”

On 03 July 2015 PSIII sinks. Following the incident, OysterStory claims that Oyster Yachts refused to do anything about the problem when it was imminent, failed to acknowledge liability, dragged out settlement proposals and never properly apologised to the owner, dubbing the yard “Ostrich Yachts” because of the "head in the sand" approach.

“This has been a long and distressing story for all parties,” explains Tydeman. “I flew to Moscow after the incident as soon as I could obtain a visa and, in a personal capacity, apologised sincerely to Mr Ezkhov for the incident and the distress that I was sure he has suffered. During the following months, Mr Ezhkov and I tried to find a solution to build him a new Oyster 885 although that proposal failed to develop."

Between October 2015 and January 2018, the various legal and claims proceedings associated with a major incident played out. While Ezkhov received a full pay out for the loss of PSIII from his insurers, Hiscox MGA, issues of uninsured losses for outfitting, crewing, moral distress and loss of amenity remain unresolved.

“I was personally pleased to see that Mr Ezhkov was paid out by his insurers and, in my capacity as CEO of Oyster, we were waiting for those insurers to present their subrogated claim against Oyster,” continues Tydeman. “The fact that this was not presented was outside Oyster’s control, but at no point did Oyster seek to avoid its liability or legal responsibilities. I again express my apology in a personal capacity to Mr Ezhkov for all that he has experienced. I am unable to comment on Oyster’s behalf since the company is now in administration.”

The website, for obvious reasons, takes an incredibly one-sided approach to the issues of PSIII and Oyster Yachts’ eventual administration, it further voices some serious allegations against Oyster Yachts relating to the shipyard’s finances. As yet, however, nothing has been proven, but SuperyachtNews will continue to post updates on the story as and when there are developments.  

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Published on December 1st, 2015 | by Assoc Editor

MAJOR KEEL FAILURE: What Really Happened to Polina Star III?

Published on December 1st, 2015 by Assoc Editor -->

The genesis of this story was an incident that occurred back in July of this year in which Polina Star III, an Oyster 825, which reportedly had been extended to 90 feet and was just over a year old, was lost off the coast of Spain. The very first report came from Oyster, but contained no details, stating only that the boat “suffered a serious incident which compromised the integrity of the moulded hull.”

A follow-up report by Yachting World , published in August, added little more, noting only that Oyster believed the boat may have run aground and there were rumors it had capsized before foundering.

In the last few days the Italian skipper of the boat has been sharing his account of the event, and photos of the wreck, which was recovered and has been closely examined, have also been circulating online. Though the exact causes are unclear, it is perfectly clear that there was no grounding and that the boat suffered from major hull delamination that led to its keel suddenly falling off. – Wavetrain, full story

Tags: keel failure , Oyster 825 , Oyster Marine , Polina Star III

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