TRIESTE – The start date for the recovery of the Bayesian, the sailing yacht owned by British billionaire Mike Lynch, has been postponed to May 3. The vessel sank in the Porticello roadstead (Palermo) on August 19 last year. Read more. TRIESTE – The Bayesian wreck lies on the seabed at a depth of 50 meters. The superyacht sinking claimed the lives of seven of the 22 people on board. The latest delay in the recovery operation—expected to be particularly complex due to the yacht’s size and its 75-meter mast—is due to the failure of the main floating crane, Hebo Lift 10, to arrive as scheduled. The 5,695-gross-ton lifting barge departed from the port of Rotterdam and was expected to reach the site today.
Recovery operations for the Bayesian were originally scheduled to begin on April 20, but were first postponed by a week and then by more than ten days. The new start date is now set for May 3, with operations expected to last 20 to 25 days. The Porticello Coast Guard has issued an ordinance appointing Hebo MaritiemService and Smit International to carry out the work. The ordinance establishes a 650-meter exclusion zone around the wreck site, prohibiting navigation, fishing, swimming, and diving unrelated to the recovery throughout the duration of the operations. Airspace up to 200 meters above the surface is also restricted, as the operation will involve the use of a drone equipped with environmental monitoring sensors. A second unit, the Hebo Lift 2, will depart from Ortona to serve as a support vessel. It is a 700-square-meter multipurpose floating barge with a support tug, equipped with underwater tools, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and a deck crane.
The first phase of the operation will involve cutting down the main mast, followed by rotating the vessel—currently lying on its side—by 90 degrees. Once refloated, the wreck will be transferred to the port of Termini Imerese and handed over to the judicial authorities for the investigation into the causes of the sinking. The Bayesian is a sailing superyacht with an aluminum hull and a single-mast cutter rig, measuring 56 meters (184 feet) in length and 10 meters in beam. Originally built under the name Salute by Perini Navi in Viareggio, it was delivered to its first owner in 2008.
