Wacky Maritime News from Around the World

Check out recent wacky news from around the maritime world! 

USGC and CBP Seize Millions in Cocaine on Board Sailing Yacht 

A U.S. Coast Guard Station Miami Beach law enforcement crew assisted Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations and Homeland Security Investigations special agents in the interdiction of 245 pounds of cocaine aboard a 52-foot sailing yacht in Miami, Florida, on April 5. The estimated value of the cocaine was $3.2 million. The vessel had recently arrived from Colombia before being intercepted.

Former Royal Yacht Rescued

Bloodhound, a 19.2-meter classic yacht built in 1936, was rescued by a lifeboat crew after taking on water near Bacton, Norfolk, in the United Kingdom on April 6. The yacht was once owned by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip and was used to teach King Charles III how to sail. Caister Lifeboat and other nearby vessels responded to Bloodhound’s distress call after it took on water, bringing water pumps and crew on board the royal yacht and eventually stabilizing it. Bloodhound was then safely towed to Great Yarmouth Harbour.

Speedboat Goes Airborne, Flips, and Still Wins Race 

A 38-foot catamaran went airborne and performed a backflip before crashing into an Arizona lake while racing. The vessel reached speeds of 200.1 miles per hour over the racing course before its aerial ascent. The two racers inside the vessel’s cabin both survived, with the team’s Facebook post stating they “were just a little banged up.” Although the boat didn’t cross the finish line on water, it still won the race, according to Speedboat Magazine Publisher Ray Lee. 

American YouTuber Jailed After Sailing to Forbidden Island

Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, a 24-year-old YouTuber from Arizona, was arrested on March 31 after he set foot on North Sentinel Island in the Andaman Islands to meet the Sentinelese tribe. The Sentinelese are an uncontacted, indigenous people who have been isolated from the world for centuries and have killed other visitors in the past. Indian laws forbid outsiders from visiting the island, with violations carrying a possible sentence of five years in prison and a fine.

After researching sea conditions, tides, and more, Polyakov arrived on the island and stayed for about an hour. Although the YouTuber blew a whistle to get the tribe’s attention and brought offerings of a can of Diet Coke and a coconut, the tribe ignored him. He eventually left after filming the island and collecting sand, but a fisherman spotted Polyakov and reported him to local authorities, which led to his arrest.

Thirty-Two Rescued from Sinking Lamborghini Yacht

Thirty-two passengers were rescued from a 63-foot Tecnomar for Lamborghini yacht on May 3 off the coast of Miami Beach. The boat began sinking, possibly because it was carrying double its maximum capacity of 16 passengers. Agencies like the U.S. Coast Guard and other boaters responded to the scene and helped the stranded passengers. No injuries were reported.