Warren 87 aground under Spit Bridge

A $5 million-plus Warren S87 Sport Yacht has run aground after attempting to perform the impossible and pass between the craggy shore and northernmost concrete pillar of The Spit Bridge.

The superyacht promptly ran aground and was sitting high and dry when we attended the scene just a few hours after the 10.30am grounding. The beautiful opal-blue hull topped with silver superstructure looked incongruous surrounded by bristling oysters and weed-covered rocks.

One can only imagine the damage to the running gear including props, shafts and rudders. The saving grace is that the boat couldn’t have been going too fast when manoeuvring through such a tight space.

But according to another skipper of a similar boat we know, the torque of the twin 1000hp-plus engines takes over when you run aground, tearing the five-blade propeller blades, twisting shafts, and screwing the engines from their mounts: "A nightmare," he said.

When BoatPoint/Boatsales visited the scene, the tide was low and the boat looked like it would remain stuck until well after dark (Postscript: the boat was floated free at 8.30am the following morning). Lines were strapped to the bridge pylons and the generator was running till it went dead. Either the intake was above water level or someone skulking inside turned it off. But one will most certainly want power for the bilge pumps if the shaft seals or hull is breached.

Traversing under The Spit Bridge on Sydney Harbour is something we do often here at BoatPoint/Boatsales. At dead low tide there’s about two metres of water under the second-last span to the north. That is, the adjoining span.

To attempt to pass closer to shore on the other side of the pillar is sealing one's own fate. At low tide, the water is at best knee height, riddled with oyster-covered rocks and discarded fishing tackle from Sunday danglers.

News crews were having a field day in what must be one of the most embarrassing moments for the crew/skipper and owner. We have it on good authority the Melbourne owner was driving at the time. Six people were reportedly onboard.

One source claimed the boat was formerly ‘owned’ by Eddy Groves, the disgraced founder of ABC Learning, and bought well after his bankruptcy. But our research was thus far unable to verify that.

National Underwriting Manager from Club Marine, Peter Ryan, said a grounding is normally covered subject to standard policy conditions, ie, you’re not over-the-limit, and so on.

"Let’s hope we can get it off without too much damage," Ryan said.