Salvage vessel for sunken 56m sailing yacht Bayesian en route to Sicily

23 April 2025 • Written by Katia Damborsky and Dea Jusufi

Key things to know about the Bayesian sinking

On 19 August 2024, the 56-metre Perini Navi sailing yacht Bayesian was hit by bad weather and sunk approximately 0.8 nautical miles off the coast of Porticello, Sicily. Of the 22 persons on board, 15 were safely evacuated, with a search and rescue mission later recovering the bodies of seven people. BOAT International published live coverage of the disaster and has reported extensively on its aftermath, including the manslaughter probe underway in Sicily, the UK death inquest and the upcoming salvage efforts. Read the latest Bayesian updates below.

About Bayesian

Built in Italy by renowned builder Perini Navi and delivered in 2008, the yacht's naval architecture was developed by Ron Holland Design, while the interior design is by Rémi Tessier. She was formerly known as Salute and was last refitted in 2016. She was listed for sale in early 2024, according to BOATPro. The yacht had accommodation for nine guests and 12 crew.

Salvage vessel to arrive in Sicily by 4 May

Hebo-Lift 10

Credit: Hebo

The 5,695 GT floating sheerleg Hebo-Lift 10 will join the work barge Hebo Lift 2 as the vessel responsible for lifting Bayesian out of the water. Owned by Dutch towing company Hebo Maritiemservice, the Hebo-Lift 10 has a lifting height of 83.2 metres and a lifting capacity of 2,200 tons. At the time of writing, the vessel's AIS is registering off the coast of Portugal. It is scheduled to arrive in Palermo, Sicily on 4 May, after which it will travel to Porticello. Specialist anti-pollution teams that have been monitoring the area since Bayesian's sinking are now confirmed to be continuously involved in the upcoming salvage works, ensuring environmental protection remains a top priority during the recovery process.

What does Bayesian's salvage involve?

The yacht is lying approximately 49 metres below the water's surface, which Nigel James, master mariner at Waves Group, told BOAT International is a "challenging depth" for divers, likely requiring "specialist equipment" such as a saturation diving system. Once the mast is removed, the divers will drain the fuel on board (approximately 18,000 litres) and rig the sailing yacht to Hebo-Lift 10, which will then perform a controlled lift to remove Bayesian from the water. Authorities plan for the wreckage to be completely recovered by the end of May.

Salvage date "set for 27 April"

Credit: Antonio Cascio/Bloomberg via Getty Images

An insider source tells BOAT International that initial recovery operations will begin on 27 April. On-site works will be led by Dutch companies HEBO Maritiemservice and Smit Salvage, the latter being the company responsible for recovering the cruise ship Costa Concordia after her infamous 2012 sinking, with British-based consultancy TMC Marine overseeing the operation. Following the mobilisation of heavy-lifting and diving maritime assets from across Europe, the first stage will be the removal and recovery of Bayesian's 72-metre main mast. Underwater works are planned to commence shortly after.

UK inquest resumes

The UK inquest resumes at The Coroner’s Court in Ipswich. The court determines the scope of the investigation, suggests key witnesses and "interested persons" and receives key updates from involved parties such as the Maritime Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). MAIB confirms that an interim report, which investigates the causes and circumstances surrounding the disaster, should be expected in “four to six weeks”.

Geophysical surveys being carried out

The Italian Coast Guard confirms that “geophysical surveys” are being carried out in the waters of Porticello. During this time, any other naval units are prohibited from anchoring or travelling in the area, as well as carrying out professional or recreational diving and fishing. Any public use is also prohibited unless expressly authorised.

The impact of the sinking six months on

bayesian perini navi sailing yacht that sank

On the six-month anniversary of the Bayesian sinking, BOAT International releases an investigative report into the tragedy's impacts on the wider yachting industry, speaking to figures in yacht law, emergency response and crew recruitment.

Possible plans for Bayesian presented to prosecutor's office

A syndicate of insurers led by British Marine, which insures Bayesian, presents eight possible plans to the prosecutor’s office in Termini Imerese, Sicily. The salvage is scheduled to begin in January 2025 but is later postponed due to the “complexity of operations”, namely poor weather.

Bayesian's builder takes legal action against New York Times

The Italian Sea Group (TISG) announces it is taking legal action against the New York Times (NYT) in response to an article published on 31 October 2024, intending to pursue the American newspaper for "the image damage referable to the brand and reputation of Perini Navi".

"The article reported a narrative about the sinking of the Bayesian, which was completely devoid of technical consistency without mentioning the source – which, if truly qualified, would have had no problem being quoted," the statement from TISG read.

UK inquest officially opens

The UK inquest officially opens at The Coroner’s Court in Ipswich, investigating the causes and circumstances surrounding the deaths of Michael Lynch, Hannah Lynch, Jonathan Bloomer and Judy Bloomer. The cause of death for Michael Lynch is attributed to drowning, with the deaths of the other three parties “still under investigation”.

Video surveillance equipment recovered

Italian Navy divers recover video surveillance equipment from Bayesian, including parts of the deck, video surveillance systems and hard drives. According to Reuters, the electronic devices will be sent to specialised labs outside of Sicily to check their condition and possibly recover data.