A Florida state government agency has declared that the sailing yacht Legacy is derelict and therefore needs removing. The longtime owner of the yacht, which sank off Fort Pierce last month, says otherwise.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) records reveal it classified Legacy as derelict on May 18. It came about two weeks after the 158-foot (48-meter) superyacht sank, where the Fort Pierce Inlet meets the Indian River. No one was aboard during the incident. Her owner, Palm Beach resident and former entrepreneur Peter Halmos (above, had her refloated on May 14.
FWC and the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office are still investigating the cause of the sinking. Halmos, however, says foul play is responsible. According to an interview with TCPalm.com, Halmos asserts that someone used a crowbar to break into the yacht. The same person disabled alarms and cameras, he alleges, plus drilled a hole in the hull and opened compartments purposely so that she would flood. Additionally, Halmos says a camera in the saloon re-activated in time to reveal the interior nearly entirely submerged. He also says he filed criminal complaints with FWC and the sheriff’s office, providing photos as well, including the crowbar.
Halmos, who took delivery of the yacht Legacy in 1995 from Perini Navi, towed her to Fort Pierce in 2022. She was unable to move under her own power and was missing both masts. The masts remain missing. Halmos says the Fort Pierce move was “temporary,” since he was unable to take her to Stuart, his original intention. FWC’s declaration that Legacy is derelict is improper, he maintains, asserting she is neither junked nor discarded.
Under Florida law, a derelict vessel is wrecked, junked, or substantially dismantled. A wrecked vessel is sunken or sinking, for instance, or aground and unable to extricate without third-party mechanical assistance. A junked vessel is missing substantial components, has significantly degraded or destroyed components, or is discarded by the owner or operator. Substantially dismantled means at least two of three specific things are missing, compromised, incomplete, inoperable, or broken. Namely, they are the steering system, the propulsion system, and the hull integrity.
Prior to FWC’s categorization, area residents and government officials had expressed concern about the yacht Legacy remaining anchored and appearing in poor condition. They further expressed concern about a repeat of what occurred in the Florida Keys 20 years ago. For two and a half years, the sailing superyacht was aground off Key West. In October 2005, Halmos was aboard with friends when Hurricane Wilma began bearing down. They decided to ride out the storm near where they had ridden out Hurricane Katrina two months prior. However, Legacy’s anchors gave way. The storm tossed the yacht for miles, additionally snapping her masts. Eventually, it pushed her a mile into the Great White Heron National Sanctuary, a federally protected area, in about three feet (1 meter) of water. The force caused her to damage seagrass and become embedded in the sand.
We contacted FWC for commentary. We also reached out to Linda Hudson, mayor of Fort Pierce, and Josh Revord, the St. Lucie County port director. None replied by press time. However, last month, Revord told us, “The County has had many conversations with FWC/USCG regarding the Legacy over the last two years. FWC had reviewed the vessel on multiple occasions and was unable to deem it derelict. The USCG was unwilling to move it because it was not impeding commerce. Ultimately, the owner maintained that no one had the right to evict him due to admiralty laws on the books.” Furthermore, earlier this week, Erick Gill, the media spokesperson for St. Lucie County, confirmed to TCPalm that FWC was finally able to deem the yacht derelict.
Halmos has told the news outlet that he still hopes to repair Legacy.
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