Posted on August 14, 2024
Salvage efforts for the LoveBug, the 103-foot yacht that capsized at the mouth of the West River July 27, are set to begin Tuesday.
Donjon Marine Co., the New Jersey-based firm that worked to recover the debris from the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, has been contracted to salvage the LoveBug and deliver it to underwriters and its owner.
The Farrell 256, a 200-foot crane barge with a 120-foot boom, and the Meagan Ann, a coastal towing tug, began the roughly 40-hour journey down to the Chesapeake Bay on Sunday morning. The vessels are expected to arrive in Anne Arundel waters Tuesday morning, said Steven Newes, senior vice president of Donjon.
A second crane barge, the 250-foot Columbia NY, will arrive later, he said. The crane has a 140-foot boom, according to Donjon.
The Farrell 256 will be used to rig the LoveBug with slings, Newes said. Then, the Columbia NY will roll and lift it to an upright position. Water inside the yacht will need to be pumped out, as well.
How long the salvage will take and where the yacht will go once it’s recovered are unclear.
The Italian-built yacht was sailing south on the Chesapeake Bay from Annapolis on July 27 when it began to tip over. The Coast Guard received a mayday call at 12:36 p.m., but by the time crews arrived, the five people onboard had been rescued by a good Samaritan and a nearby towboat. Paramedics tended to two of the passengers, according to the Anne Arundel County Fire Department, but both declined to be treated.
In the weeks since the Lovebug capsized, the yacht has remained in the water in the same location between Beverly Beach and Shady Side. Though the yacht was originally resting on its starboard, or right, side, it has rolled some, Newes said.
The LoveBug is grounded in roughly 10 to 12 feet of water, said Hunter Dortenzo, a Maryland Natural Resources Police spokesperson. However, the salvage vessels are shallow enough to work in the area, Newes said.
The yacht, which cost between $110,000 and $125,000 to charter for a week, was not operating as a charter when it overturned, Dortenzo said.
The LoveBug is owned by Bees Honey LLC, a limited liability company based in the Marshall Islands, according to VesselFinder, a marine traffic site. The owner’s identity remains unclear.
The Natural Resources Police and the National Transportation Safety Board are conducting separate investigations.
Though Dortenzo was not able to speak about the Maryland agency’s investigation, he said investigators will not be able to survey the yacht or determine what caused it to capsize until it’s lifted from the water.
In the days after the capsize, a slight oil sheen was visible on the water surrounding the LoveBug. Two oil booms were placed around the yacht. No additional pollution has been reported since then, Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Christopher Bokum said Friday.
