Twenty-two passengers and crewmembers reportedly avoided injury after a fire broke out aboard the yacht Navis One in Greece yesterday. While the guests and crew made it to shore via tender and another local boat, the fire was so severe that the yacht sank hours later.
The 152-footer (46-meter) was off the island of Ano Koufonisi, in the Cyclades Islands chain. Eyewitnesses tell local media that they saw her stern on fire around 8 p.m. local time. Harbor police arrived shortly thereafter, the same eyewitnesses indicate. However, within an hour, the upper decks were engulfed, too. Strong winds unfortunately helped the flames spread. The Greek Coast Guard arrived on scene later in the evening, attempting to douse the still-burning flames. Although the fire did extinguish after a few hours, the amount of water used to put them out caused the superyacht to list. She sank early this morning local time, after daybreak. Debris from the yacht Navis One remained floating on the surface, though.
The intensity of the fire made an impression on the eyewitnesses. In fact, one person tells a local media outlet, “The ship has melted.” An official accident investigation will determine what caused the fire.
The yacht Navis One frequently chartered, in Europe and Thailand, for up to 12 guests and with a crew of 10. She originally saw delivery 10 years ago, from the Turkish facilities of Gentech Yachts. Her name at launch was Queen Anne (above). She was better known internationallly, though, as the Soraya 46, for Soraya Yachts. From concept onward, the goal was to offer charter guests something different, with two extra-large staterooms below decks among the guest suites.
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