$8 Million Yacht Capsizes Near Annapolis
On Saturday, a 122-foot yacht capsized on Maryland's Rhode River, forcing the crew to abandon ship.
At about 1230 hours on Saturday, the U.S. Coast Guard received a distress call from the 2010-built yacht Lovebug. The vessel was located near the mouth of the Rhode River, a small tidal estuary about eight nautical miles south of Annapolis. It was listing dangerously to starboard. The Coast Guard and Maryland Natural Resources Police dispatched response assets, and the yacht's crew safely abandoned ship with the help of a good Samaritan vessel. By late afternoon, the yacht was listing about 70 degrees and appeared to be resting on the bottom on its starboard side.
Trevor Hardman, owner of Tour Boat Annapolis, was among the first to respond to the casualty. He said that all of the survivors were in good health.
"We heard the captain call for help as the boat was taking on water," he told Eye on Annapolis. "We went to the boat and got the captain, the last one onboard. He stated he did not run aground, but the boat started taking on water. He headed to shallow water before they abandoned ship. We could hear the high water alarms going off as we approached the boat."
Lovebug (ex name Anastasia M) is an Italian-built 122-foot yacht valued at approximately $8 million, according to Boat International. It has capacity for 11 guests and eight crewmembers, and has all the fittings of a luxurious charter yacht, including a jet ski garage and zero-speed stabilizers. The vessel was available for charter at a rate of $125,000 per week, and was often moored at the Annapolis Yacht Club, according to local media.