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On July 15, 2025, the NTSB has published its report into the sinking of the 'Lovebug' in Chesapeake Bay in pos.. 38°51.50’ N, 076°30.40’ W, on July 27, 2024, in 12 feet of water, with the four crew members - the captain,a deckhand, the chief, and a steward as well as one of the yacht’s owners having to be rescued from the water by TowBoatUS Annapolis. The report describes that the yacht left Annapolis Harbor around 11:30 a.m., bound for Shady Side. As it passed Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse going about 7-10 knots, the captain made rounds and found nothing amiss. By 12:35 p.m., when the yacht approached the West River Entrance Light 2, the captain noticed a starboard side list. He checked the steering, rudder indicators, and stabilizers on the bridge but didn’t find a problem. The list quickly increased,, and the Lovebug lost power. The speed dropped to about four knots and the captain ordered the deckhand to get ready to lower the anchor. Before the anchor could be dropped, however, the list had become so extreme that the captain ordered everyone to abandon the vessel. All people on board jumped into the water, after the captain made a distress call on VHF channel 16. From the time the yacht started listing to the time the crew jumped in the water, only four minutes elapsed. It came to rest with a list of about 45–50° and was grounded in the mud. The NTSB found that the 'Lovebug' was taking on water because of a door to the engine compartment being left open, resulting in the vessel losing stability. The watertight doorwas between the “toy garage” (which housed personal watercraft) and the engine room. An external garage door that allowed watercraft to be launched and retrieved was also partially open. Salvage divers discovered both doors open during diving operations as they worked to recover the yacht. The captain told investigators that he visually observed the external garage door was closed before the yacht got underway. When the yacht was raised and brought into drydock in New Jersey, the investigators found no sign of a hull breach or other place where water could have come in. Because the door’s lower edge was situated at the waterline and no other potential source of water ingress was identified, it was deemed likely that water entered the yacht via the partially open garage door. The report concluded that once the water level in the garage reached the open engine compartment door, water would have flooded into the engine room. This minor flooding could have caused a reduction of initial stability that could have gone unnoticed at first. Ultimately, though, the yacht would have become unstable. This resulted in a sudden list and further flooding, which led to the sinking. The incident caused an estimated $8 million in damage. The vessel was towed to the Yank Marine in Dorchester, New Jersey, on Sep 1 for surveys and overhaul works.

A federal court fined a vessel operator in Alaska nearly $1.2 million for multiple alleged violations of the Clean Water Act. Corey Potter, manager of three fishing tender companies, was found in default in a civil enforcement suit alleging repeated bilge water discharges from the 'Knot EZ' in 2022. The tender was used for offloading fish from commercial vessels in the Bristol Bay and Bering Sea fisheries, taking on fishing vessels' catch, transfer back supplies, then transporting the fish to processing plants along the coast. In July 2022, the Coast Guard received a distress call from the 'Knot EZ', which had lost power and was sinking at anchor in Kodiak. Upon boarding the vessel, the Coast Guard determined that the hull was leaking heavily. Given the degraded condition of the vessel, the Captain of the Port declared the 'Knot EZ' a threat to the marine environment and to navigational safety, and the Coast Guard launched an investigation. On closer scrutiny, inspectors found that the crew had a regular practice of pumping out the engine room bilge water over the side, without prior treatment to remove oil content. This happened as often as once a day, and it allowed the vessel to continue operations without hauling out for permanent hull repairs,. After this discovery, the vessel was taken out of service. "The defendants’ illegal pollution practices and endangerment of their own crew could have been readily prevented through proper operation and maintenance of the vessel. Commercial fishing vessel owners and operators must take care to operate safely and prevent oil discharges into our nation’s waters," said Capt. Christopher Culpepper, commander of Sector Western Alaska and U.S. Arctic. The defendants would not negotiate on a resolution of the violations identified in the inspection. In 2024 the service filed a federal lawsuit against Potter and his three companies. After Potter and his companies failed to answer a summons for the case, Judge Sharon L. Gleason entered a default judgment against all of them. The total came to $1.18 million. Potter was also facing multiple unpaid-wage lawsuits from former crew members, including at least one other suit in which a judge entered a default declaration. Corey Potter has also agreed to plead guilty to two federal charges for ordering the transportation of a live crab catch out of state. Under his direction, the crabbers 'Arctic Dawn' and 'Gambler' did not to land their crab catch in Alaska - a state requirement - but instead transported the entirety south to Washington in search of a better price. A part of the crab cargo was infected with the Bitter Crab Syndrome, a parasitic disease fatal to crabs. All of it was ultimately transferred to Washington state officials and landfilled on arrival. The out-of-state transport without landing on a fish ticket was a violation of Alaska law, and therefore a violation of the Lacey Act. According to the prosecutors, Potter has lost one vessel at sea, the 'Ambition' (MMSI: 367732330), which flooded and foundered due to a hull leak in the lazarette on July 24, 2016. Three others required emergency response: The 'Knot EZ'; the 'Guardian Angel' (MMSI: 367788510), which lost propulsion due to lack of proper maintenance in 2019, resulting in a rescue operation at sea; and the 'Gambler' (IMO: 8856144), which took on a heavy list due to icing in 2022, spilled fuel into Akutan Harbour two months later, and ran aground in 2024: "The defendant’s track record as a vessel operator in Alaska is abysmal. He has shown a total disregard for the safety of his crew, the safety of Alaskan waterways, and the health of the marine environment," prosecutors said, recommending an 18-month prison term for the Lacey Act violation. Report with photos: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/4262697/court-imposes-over-1-million-in-civil-penalties-on-fishing-companies-and-manage/

The salvage operation of the 'Hein' has been completed on Aug 1. The dredger has been moored with starboard side at the north pier in Brake, and the ship loader was deposited on the middle pier. It was lifted off the ship by the sheerleg 'Enak' and placed on the middle pier. Now, apart of the conveyor bridge has to be dismantled and the sunken parts of the pier have to be raised from the Weser bottom. On the afternoon of Aug 2, the ship proceeded to the Lloyd Yard in Bremerhaven for repairs of two holes in the hull and breaches in the bow. The water police are investigating why the ship deviated from its route and collided with the quay. No conclusive findings have yet been made. Reports with photo and video: https://hansa-online.de/versicherung/bergung-der-havarierten-hein-in-brake-abgeschlossen/288607/ https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/niedersachsen-18-00/brake-bergung-von-havariertem-schiff-verzoegert-sich/ndr/Y3JpZDovL25kci5kZS83OGRkYjMxZC1hYTc0LTQ4MmMtOWU3NS05MDkxZjYzODgwZjU https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/niedersachsen/oldenburg_ostfriesland/eine-woche-nach-unfall-schiff-im-braker-hafen-geborgen,brake-110.html

A federal court fined a vessel operator in Alaska nearly $1.2 million for multiple alleged violations of the Clean Water Act. Corey Potter, manager of three fishing tender companies, was found in default in a civil enforcement suit alleging repeated bilge water discharges from the 'Knot EZ' (MMSI: 367792450) in 2022. The tender was used for offloading fish from commercial vessels in the Bristol Bay and Bering Sea fisheries, taking on fishing vessels' catch, transfer back supplies, then transporting the fish to processing plants along the coast. In July 2022, the Coast Guard received a distress call from the 'Knot EZ', which had lost power and was sinking at anchor in Kodiak. Upon boarding the vessel, the Coast Guard determined that the hull was leaking heavily. Given the degraded condition of the vessel, the Captain of the Port declared the 'Knot EZ' a threat to the marine environment and to navigational safety, and the Coast Guard launched an investigation. On closer scrutiny, inspectors found that the crew had a regular practice of pumping out the engine room bilge water over the side, without prior treatment to remove oil content. This happened as often as once a day, and it allowed the vessel to continue operations without hauling out for permanent hull repairs,. After this discovery, the vessel was taken out of service. "The defendants’ illegal pollution practices and endangerment of their own crew could have been readily prevented through proper operation and maintenance of the vessel. Commercial fishing vessel owners and operators must take care to operate safely and prevent oil discharges into our nation’s waters," said Capt. Christopher Culpepper, commander of Sector Western Alaska and U.S. Arctic. The defendants would not negotiate on a resolution of the violations identified in the inspection. In 2024 the service filed a federal lawsuit against Potter and his three companies. After Potter and his companies failed to answer a summons for the case, Judge Sharon L. Gleason entered a default judgment against all of them. The total came to $1.18 million. Potter was also facing multiple unpaid-wage lawsuits from former crew members, including at least one other suit in which a judge entered a default declaration. Corey Potter has also agreed to plead guilty to two federal charges for ordering the transportation of a live crab catch out of state. Under his direction, the crabbers 'Arctic Dawn' and 'Gambler' did not to land their crab catch in Alaska - a state requirement - but instead transported the entirety south to Washington in search of a better price. A part of the crab cargo was infected with the Bitter Crab Syndrome, a parasitic disease fatal to crabs. All of it was ultimately transferred to Washington state officials and landfilled on arrival. The out-of-state transport without landing on a fish ticket was a violation of Alaska law, and therefore a violation of the Lacey Act. According to the prosecutors, Potter has lost one vessel at sea, the 'Ambition', which flooded and foundered due to a hull leak in the lazarette on July 24, 2016. Three others required emergency response: The 'Knot EZ'; the 'Guardian Angel' ((MMSI: 367788510)), which lost propulsion due to lack of proper maintenance in 2019, resulting in a rescue operation at sea; and the 'Gambler' (IMO: 8856144), which took on a heavy list due to icing in 2022, spilled fuel into Akutan Harbour two months later, and ran aground in 2024: "The defendant’s track record as a vessel operator in Alaska is abysmal. He has shown a total disregard for the safety of his crew, the safety of Alaskan waterways, and the health of the marine environment," prosecutors said, recommending an 18-month prison term for the Lacey Act violation.

A federal court fined a vessel operator in Alaska nearly $1.2 million for multiple alleged violations of the Clean Water Act. Corey Potter, manager of three fishing tender companies, was found in default in a civil enforcement suit alleging repeated bilge water discharges from the 'Knot EZ' (MMSI: 367792450) in 2022. The tender was used for offloading fish from commercial vessels in the Bristol Bay and Bering Sea fisheries, taking on fishing vessels' catch, transfer back supplies, then transporting the fish to processing plants along the coast. In July 2022, the Coast Guard received a distress call from the 'Knot EZ', which had lost power and was sinking at anchor in Kodiak. Upon boarding the vessel, the Coast Guard determined that the hull was leaking heavily. Given the degraded condition of the vessel, the Captain of the Port declared the 'Knot EZ' a threat to the marine environment and to navigational safety, and the Coast Guard launched an investigation. On closer scrutiny, inspectors found that the crew had a regular practice of pumping out the engine room bilge water over the side, without prior treatment to remove oil content. This happened as often as once a day, and it allowed the vessel to continue operations without hauling out for permanent hull repairs,. After this discovery, the vessel was taken out of service. "The defendants’ illegal pollution practices and endangerment of their own crew could have been readily prevented through proper operation and maintenance of the vessel. Commercial fishing vessel owners and operators must take care to operate safely and prevent oil discharges into our nation’s waters," said Capt. Christopher Culpepper, commander of Sector Western Alaska and U.S. Arctic. The defendants would not negotiate on a resolution of the violations identified in the inspection. In 2024 the service filed a federal lawsuit against Potter and his three companies. After Potter and his companies failed to answer a summons for the case, Judge Sharon L. Gleason entered a default judgment against all of them. The total came to $1.18 million. Potter was also facing multiple unpaid-wage lawsuits from former crew members, including at least one other suit in which a judge entered a default declaration. Corey Potter has also agreed to plead guilty to two federal charges for ordering the transportation of a live crab catch out of state. Under his direction, the crabbers 'Arctic Dawn' and 'Gambler' did not to land their crab catch in Alaska - a state requirement - but instead transported the entirety south to Washington in search of a better price. A part of the crab cargo was infected with the Bitter Crab Syndrome, a parasitic disease fatal to crabs. All of it was ultimately transferred to Washington state officials and landfilled on arrival. The out-of-state transport without landing on a fish ticket was a violation of Alaska law, and therefore a violation of the Lacey Act. According to the prosecutors, Potter has lost one vessel at sea, the 'Ambition' (MMSI: 367732330), which flooded and foundered due to a hull leak in the lazarette on July 24, 2016. Three others required emergency response: The 'Knot EZ'; the 'Guardian Angel,' which lost propulsion due to lack of proper maintenance in 2019, resulting in a rescue operation at sea; and the 'Gambler' (IMO: 8856144), which took on a heavy list due to icing in 2022, spilled fuel into Akutan Harbour two months later, and ran aground in 2024: "The defendant’s track record as a vessel operator in Alaska is abysmal. He has shown a total disregard for the safety of his crew, the safety of Alaskan waterways, and the health of the marine environment," prosecutors said, recommending an 18-month prison term for the Lacey Act violation.