On May 25, 2024, about 1130 local time, the yacht Atlantis was transiting north in the Atlantic Ocean about 1.5 miles east of St. Augustine Beach, Florida, when the vessel struck a floating dredge pipe pump-out cube associated with a beach renourishment project. The contact compromised the hull, causing the yacht to flood and eventually sink. There was one minor injury, and no pollution was reported. The damage to the pump-out cube was estimated at $20,000. The Atlantis, with an estimated value of $2 million, was declared a total loss.
We determined that the probable cause of the contact of the yacht Atlantis with a floating dredge pipe pump-out cube was the operator not maintaining an effective lookout.
