Watch out for those mega-yachts! This may have ruined some poor charterers holiday vacation! http://bvinews.com/new/five-visitors-injured-in-boat-crash/

Saw pics about a big SeaRay sinking on SeaTow's FB page also. Be careful out there!

Not sure I understand. The mega yacht had the tender in tow and the tender hit the dinghy?

The SeaRay hit Savana Island out west of St. Thomas. Must have had the auto pilot set for the SVI.

Sounds like the dinghy maybe didn't realize the tender was being towed. Although they still should have been able to avoid it.

"Hit island while on autopilot."

I have heard this story soooooooo many times.

Ghads.

In June, when we were coming into North Sound and were already in the channel, a Mega Yacht was coming at us balls to the wall towing a big tender behind about 75 ft. We had the right-of-way, but the yacht skipper couldn't seem to pick a direction and the tender started hydroplaning back and forth. Of course, we got the "up yours" look while I pried my fingernails out of the wheel. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" />

sounds like the rule of tonnage applies in these situations.

I would have definitely gave way, but was well into the channel before the yacht decided to haul @ss on a weaving course. With our 31-ft beam, it was just a bit closer than I care to be.

A big part of my "simplified COLREGs":

1) big boat has right-of-way over little boat
2) steel boat has right-of-way over fiberglass boat
3) working boat has right-of-way over pleasure boat

I could understand if it was at night and the towed tender didn't have lights, but it happened at 1 PM in the afternoon. How does a dinghy full of people not see a tender being towed behind a mega yacht in broad daylight! Very odd. Maybe they were too busy checking out the deck fluff on the megayacht!

The Mega yacht should've had their dinghy close to their stern inside the harbor.

He acknowledged being asleep in this article in the Source.

Guy was uninsured and "declined" to pay SeaTow for their efforts rescuing them. Nice.<---- boat on rocks off St Thomas

If the tow line is long enough and that yacht changes course, that tender is like a water skier behind the yacht and will swing outside the wake.

Just to clarify, there are 2 separate incidents being talked about in this thread.

I was trying to figure out how the dinghy driver was asleep!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" />

Tradewinds, I think there's actually three incidents if you count yours.

I'm not counting ours because we luckily didn't have an incident <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

This guy sounds like a real douche bag!

Not just Tonnage at play here, a vessel towing another always has right of way.

While living aboard and sailing on a wood Fuji 35 in Hawaii for 6 weeks, we were doing a night passage and my cousin steered to the aft of a large tug, not realizing that it had huge cables and 2 Pineapple barges in tow, it was too late when I realized what he had done, se sailed over the cables and it, whew!
Did not hear about a close call Tradewinds, where was that?

OK, for all you armchair forensics experts and accident reconstruction know-it-alls, if you'd read my original post, you wouldn't need to be chiming in. I was merely posting how an accident like that could happen. Happy New Year to you all! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Cheers.gif" alt="" />

Gotcha, just read that one, always good to learn about the experiences of others.
Happy New year Chris and all! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" />

Ok. In response to this event only:

"He said the boat is not insured but he said he plans to buy another one."

WTH?