Fjord MS 33 in for Disposal after Sinking

The boat breakers team had a Fjord MS33 Yacht in for disposal. She was ashore at a local yard to us in Gosport.

It’s always a shame to see a nice boat coming in for disposal. That was definitely the case with the Fjord MS33 that we were tasked with scrapping in Gosport. She had recently been bought and transported down to a local marina near us. The owner told us that when she was lifted in she started taking on water. The boat was quickly lifted out and checked but it wasn’t obvious where any problem was. Once again they tried to launch her but this time she took on so much water that boat’s interior was written off.

We were contacted by a surveyor who had been tasked with checking the boat after the incident. His conclusion was that the boat was well beyond economical repair and needed to be scrapped. When we first visited the boat you could see the signs of what probably caused the issue. Some water was still trickling out of the keel so there must have been cracks up through the boat. They would have been covered by the strops as the boat was lifted in. Hence the confusion as to what was wrong.

With the go ahead from the insurance company our team set about stripping off any items that we thought might be recoverable. These included the engine, winches, electronic instruments, chain, and fenders. To be honest for such a big boat there wasn’t a great deal to have off of her. When we removed the prop shaft there was lots of sea water trying to find its way out of the boat. It’s always interesting to see how much water can accumulate in a boat when it’s been submerged.

Her new owner was sad to see his new purchase go so soon. But luckily he was insured so he wasn’t out of pocket. We would always stress to any owner to make sure you are insured. Salvage and scrap costs can really add up, especially for heavy boats!