Beached Superyacht 007 Was Not Seaworthy When It Ran Aground

First things first: 007 is a 49-meter (160-foot) yacht delivered by Aegean Yachts in 2007. It is currently sitting on its side, partially sunk, in Kolona Bay in Kythnos, in the Cyclades island chain in Greece, approximately 15 meters (49.2 feet) from the beach, and local authorities are still investigating the incident. Another ship is anchored close by, to warn off tourists from swimming out to the wreck, which is surrounded by a floating barrier meant to keep pollution at bay.

At the time news of the incident got out in the media, it was widely reported that 007 started out as a much shorter yacht, the 32-meter (105-footer) Royal Enterprise and that it had been modified repeatedly to allow for more luxury amenities. In other words, the hull was extended and another deck was added, which, in turn, included a helipad. Also then, it was reported that these modifications may have played a part in the vessel’s untimely demise.

According to superyacht expert slash YouTuber eSysman (see the first half of the video at the bottom of the page), clues point to another possible cause for the incident: the vessel was most likely not seaworthy when it happened. Before it became beached, 007 had spent a total of four months at a Turkish shipyard, Atlas Shipyard, undergoing repairs for cyclone damage.

For whatever reason, the owner, who also happens to be the ship’s captain, Swiss millionaire Sami Tamman, decided to take it out to sea. Crew sources tell eSysman that, upon departure, despite the fact that 007 passed a safety inspection, it still had several serious issues, not the least of which was the fact that it was undermanned, with just three instead of the required five crew.

It was also running on a single generator (out of three), had several issues in the engine room that still needed addressing, and did not have working AC. That last part is irrelevant to the cause of the incident, but it helps form a better picture of the state of the ship when it left the shipyard. 007 was in no condition to be out at sea.

Reports in the media claim that the captain (and owner) ended up so close to the beach due to an error on a faulty GPS, which led him to make the wrong assumptions about his location. The police report notes that the ship was operating on a much smaller crew than it needed, but the investigation will determine whether this played a part in what happened next.