Salvage work on the Bayesian superyacht that sank and killed six people, including tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter, has come to an end.
The 72m mast, one of tallest in the world for this kind of vessel. has been delivered to Termini Imerese in northern Sicily along with other debris that had been recovered by salvage teams on a visual survey of the seabed, such as deck furniture and other loose items.
One key operation involved cutting it away from the yacht to reduce weight and complexity, which was done using a diamond wire precision tool, then laid on the seabed until recovery.
Once the mast was removed, the hull was gradually parbuckled – gently rolled into an upright position – using the installed lifting slings and natural buoyancy. The vessel was fully righted before the final lift.
Remote-controlled subsea equipment was used to identify and locate debris that may have come away from the vessel over the last 10 months since she sank.
The 56m hull was recovered on June 21, as reported by Maritime Journal, and transported to the Sicilian port by the 5,695t heavy-lift vessel Hebo Lift 10, which then lifted it into a steel cradle on the quayside.
The cradle was custom designed and built in the Netherlands, and shaped to conform to the shape of the hull.
With these materials all now delivered to Italian authorities in Termini Imerese and with the consent of those authorities, salvage personnel and assets – from Netherlands-based companies HEBO and SMIT Salvage – have now left Sicily.
“The delivery of the hull, mast and other potential materials from Bayesian brought this project to its conclusion,” said Marcus Cave, head of Naval Architecture and a director of consultancy TMC Marine. “We thank the salvage and other teams that were involved in this challenging project, together with the Italian authorities for their professional assistance throughout.”
Teams comprising 70 technical staff including divers, engineers and ROV pilots were all involved in coordinated operations both on and off shore.
The HEBO LIFT 10, one of the most powerful maritime cranes in Europe, left Termini Imerese on 27th June, bound for her home port of Rotterdam. The 700m2 work barge HEBO LIFT 2 departed from Sicily the following day along with all remaining personnel.
The single-masted cutter rig Bayesian, with one of the world’s tallest masts at 72 metres, was originally delivered as Salute by Italian yacht builder Perini Navi in 2008. She was anchored 300 metres off Porticello when she sank. Six guests, including British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, and one crew member lost their lives.
From the start, environmental protection was a parallel priority. A detailed pollution prevention plan guided every step, with no reported leaks since the sinking on August 19, 2024.
Precautionary oil booms were deployed throughout, forming a perimeter between the wreck site and support vessels. Anti-pollution experts remained on-site and continued surveillance during the lift and transit to shore.
