dinner yacht tampa

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A Culinary & Cocktail

River journey, welcome aboard tampa’s only dining river cruise..

Welcome aboard Craft, a multi-million dollar river cruiser built to cruise Tampa’s most scenic waterways, offering 2-hour brunch, lunch and dinner cruises. At 10’8″ of air draft (vertical clearance) the Captain will navigate the many low bridges on the Hillsborough River with only inches to spare, similar to the river cruises in Europe. 

Begin your river journey with a craft Cocktail from our one-of-a kind “Boat on a boat” bar, handcrafted from a 1914 vintage wood cruiser. Chef Allison Beasman has carefully curated a menu of elevated cuisine in America’s first open kitchen using gas cooking aboard a river cruiser. 

2 hour Special Event

Crafted History Lunch Cruise

1.5 hour Happy Hour

2 hour Brunch Journey

2 hour Dinner Journey

2 hour Lunch Journey

Crafting and Curating Unique Experiences and Events is our Specialty.

Be the first to celebrate your upcoming holiday or special occasion on Craft.

Embark on a one-of-a-kind journey with an elevated brunch, lunch, or dinner cruise.

Join our Journey

Allison’s career as a professional chef began twenty years ago. Chef Allison’s passion for food started at a young age in her grandmother’s kitchen where she learned how food can bring people together.

Chef Allison’s passion for food started at a young age in her grandmother’s kitchen where she learned how food can bring people together.

At a young age in her grandmother’s kitchen where she learned how food can bring people together.

Group & Private Events

Special events

+1 813-223-7999

603 Channelside Dr. Tampa, FL 33602

TAMPA BAY'S PREMIER DINING YACHTS

Tampa   •   st. petersburg   •   clearwater.

603 Channelside Drive Tampa, FL 33602

Click Here to Make  Your Reservations!

Year-round fine dining lunch & dinner cruises out of Channelside in Tampa Bay!

Featuring a narrated daytime tour with over 17 Attractions & Museums, 24 Restaurants and 13 Parks!

Yacht StarShip, America's First 3-diamond rated Dining Yacht by AAA, ranks in the top 28% of all restaurants. Our exquisite dining cruises offer private seating, tableside service, spectacular views and dancing under the stars.

​ ​"Create a Sea of Memories" with group celebrations on the water as well as Weddings, Receptions, Corporate Outings, Holiday Parties, Convention Gatherings, Banquets, Galas, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Social Events, Birthdays, and Anniversaries. We are conveniently docked in Channelside in Downtown Tampa between the Florida Aquarium and the Tampa Bay Times Forum. Just minutes from the Tampa Convention Center, Ybor City, Tampa Riverwalk and Downtown Tampa Hotels!​

With three yachts to choose from, Yacht StarShip is the perfect special event venue for groups from 2 - 600.

Best Value of the Year!

Party Like a Yacht Star!

Cruising nightly in Clearwater Beach!

Vote Best All-Around Restaurant

Tampa Bay's Premier Dining Yachts | Tampa •  St. Petersburg •  Clearwater

New site coming soon, yacht starship's new website .

YachtStarShip.com is undergoing a make-over and we are excited to announce that a New Website is Coming Soon ! 

Please be advised that saved bookmarks and links will change with the rollout of the new site.

Get Involved!

For more information on upcoming events, subscribe to our e-mail newsletter below. 

Tampa Dinner Cruises and Day Cruises

Tampa is a waterfront city, and the best way to see it is on a dinner cruise or day cruise. Whether you choose a fancy dinner cruise or a pirate cruise, it's sure to be fun.

The 3 Tampa Bay day cruises are: Yacht StarShip, StarLite, and Captain Memo's Pirate Cruise (Clearwater).

The Yacht StarShip is Tampa Bay's premier dining yacht. Yacht StarShip offers entertainment and fine food on dinner and lunch cruises. On Sundays, experience Tampa Bay's largest cruising brunch. Yacht StarShip's normal route includes cruising out of Ybor Channel into the Hillsborough Bay and Garrison Channel. While in route, passengers view Bayshore Drive, Harbour Island, Davis Island, and Downtown Tampa's skyline. Docks at Channelside in downtown Tampa.

The StarLite Dining Yachts operate out of St Petersburg and Clearwater Beach. Dinner and lunch cruises, as well as a Skyway Tour.

The Captain Memo's Pirate Cruise offers daytime and champagne cruises on a replica pirate ship. Docks at the Clearwater marina.

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Yacht StarShip Dining Cruises - Tampa

• 603 Channelside Dr. Tampa, FL 33602
• (813) 223-7999

SEEKING GOD?

• LET'S DO THIS!
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• Welcome Aboard ShipsAhoy!
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ShipsAhoy! is a gorgeous  80' luxury yacht available for charter in the Tampa Bay Area!

Just a peek!

Welcome aboard shipsahoy yacht.

Just a Quick Little Tour!

Let's Go Party on ShipsAhoy!

(50th Birthday Celebration Video Made by Our Guests.)

*Choose your adventure *visit our Pricing page *Contact US!

Choose from more than 20 exciting adventures, click & scroll, baby.

Champagne & Charcuterie Cruise Sip, sip, hooray! Take a couple of hours to enjoy the sights,   and celebrate something wonderful!

Birthday?, Baby Reveal?, Networking Event?

This cruise will work perfectly!

Captain's Table

Sunset Dinner Cruise

 A  4~hour paired wine event

 with our professional chef  who will 

personalize the menu for your group

personalize the menu for your group.  

Top class service, as you should expect.  

Drop Anchor Beach Day including the use of water toys

(IF you desire to operate our JET SKIS, visit this website to be sure you qualify:

boaterexam.com )

( This cruise will fit into any of our charters 

that are 5 hours or longer. )

ShipsAhoy! Sea-Spa

What could be better than 

a soothing sea massage

and a floating facial?

(...I'll get back to you on that!)

Indoors or out, your choice.

Full, or minis- as an add on to your event.

Couples, singles, or group.

Meet our top professionals!

Great Gatsby Party

Listen, Doll Face, grab your pearls

and meet me at the  

ShipsAhoy! Speakeasy .

We're Puttin' on the Ritz

and having a Roaring Good Time 

on Gatsby's private yacht!

Cooking Class 

with Chef Katie Cox

Join Chef Katie in our floating galley

as she shares her culinary secrets.

(A customized event for 6 people max.)

Skyway Color Run

No exercise involved here!

Hop aboard as we t a sunset run out to Tampa Bay's Iconic Skyway Bridge to enjoy the colorful light display and water reflections.

Skyway Mimosa Brunch Cruise

Enjoy your morning mimosa's 

with a view.

Waterfront Real Estate 

Champagne Tour

Everyone knows the back of a waterfront home is much more important to a potential buyer than the front. This is what sells the home! Before you make appointments to see waterfront properties, let's make a float plan and go check out your favs. Or... we can just go spy on rich people!

Networking Event

Boost your Business on a Boat!

These are great opportunities to find out how we can all help each other.

Let's schedule one now!

Wine Tasting Party or Beer Flight MUCH more fun than you can have around your coffee table at home! Come explore, and rate, an exciting selection of fine wines or craft beers with your besties. Cocktail Party with a professional bartender. Enjoy a little flotation with your libation before heading downtown for your dinner reservation!

Fondue Fun!

Just another delicious excuse

to be on the water with your friends.

We have all the ingredients for a great group DATE NIGHT! This is a guided "cooking" experience that is sure to satisfy your hunger for food and fun.

International Cruise to Nowhere! Feeling hemmed in? We'll design a "cruise" to the country of your choice, with culturally appropriate food, music, etc., to give you that feeling of an authentic international experience. No Packing & No Passport Required! Business Luncheon Cruise Impress potential clients, present your new proposal,  or show your appreciation to your hard-working staff. Murder Mystery Cruise We have several nautical themes you will love.

Karaoke Cruise Sing your heart out with your friends 

on the open sea!

(This will protect your reputation on land.)

Yacht-Sea Game Night Cruise Participate in your favorite GAME SHOWS complete with a LIVE game show HOST 

and all the props!

Ladies' High Tea on the High Sea We will prepare for you a traditional and extraordinary High-Tea  with all the grandeur you'd expect  so you can chat it up with your friends in fancy hats.

"God save the King!"

Celebration of Life Memorial We know how it feels to lose someone special.  It would be an honor to help you celebrate the life of your loved one.

(Personalized Certificates provided at no additional cost documenting exact location of 

the Scattering of Ashes.)

We love to celebrate:

Birthdays,  Anniversaries, 

Vow Renewals, Promotions,  Graduations, Showers, Baby Reveal Parties or Special Events such as:

Waterfront Conventions Grand Prix of St Petersburg Offshore Powerboat Races Superbowl

Check out our PRICING PAGE HERE

Weekend/ Weekly/ Monthly  Charters 

are available for parties of six or less.  Prices vary with destination/dock fees/ fuel/ catering.

Check out our Weekend (or longer) Excursions HERE!

Exciting Options aboard ShipsAhoy!

Our shipsahoy 30' super slide.

Slide into the ocean from the top deck of ShipsAhoy! during your 6-8 hour Drop Anchor Day at Egmont Key!

This new addition to our water toys is available now to bring thrills to your next adventure!

(Additional charges do apply.)

Book your Drop Anchor Day NOW!

MEGA CHILL IS HERE!

Chillax with your entire party of twelve in this floating oasis when you charter ShipsAhoy! for a Drop-Anchor Day.  This rim is so strong, you can stand on it! And, no worries... this will be tethered to the yacht so you can just PRETEND you are floating away! As usual, there is no extra charge for the use of our water "toys."

Weekend Excursions & More!

If you are ready for something more, 

ShipsAhoy! now offers weekend and long term excursions to several very exciting destinations in our beautiful state. Each location has a lot to offer, and we can't wait to take you there in comfort and style!

Check out our Extended Charters! 

and let's get outta here!

We are having YACHTS of fun!

Boat charters/ yacht charters/ sunset dinner cruises/ special events, weekend excursions, long-term charters, etc., connect with us on social media...and share, share, share, a day on the water with shipsahoy.

This was a fun day out with family and friends when we first got ShipsAhoy! (prior to any major renovations.)

The real Story of ShipsAhoy!

The original owner of "r cabana iii".

...was Brigadier General Gerald "Jerry" Alde Hart, who bought the beautiful yacht brand new in 2004 for $5 million dollars. The General was a decorated WWII  fighter pilot who flew 55 missions in P-38s with the 474th Fighter Group from Warmwell, England. He was shot down by ground fire over France in July of 1944. They consider him a hero there because, even though he was headed to prison, he refused to eat with those German soldiers who stole part of  his money to treat themselves to that meal. Upon returning home, he joined his father in the family business. He was a success and an avid sportsman, but no stranger to pain and loss having survived the loss of his first wife and a beloved son. 

Jerry passed on February 26, 2017, survived by his second wife, a daughter, and a grand daughter. Before his passing at 94 years of age he expressed a wish to a dear friend... "I've been selfish hanging onto this boat for so long. I want it to go to a family that will have as much fun on it as we have had." 

The story continues...

Well that "dear friend" came to be a dear friend of ours as well. When we contacted him about this beautiful boat Ray's brother told us about, we shared with him our story of the loss of our oldest son five years previous, and told him we were ready to have some joy in our lives and this was our dream. I (Carleen) sent him an email explaining all this, which normally, he never would have answered, except... he had lost his own son six months ago. Together we, and the General, were all part of "the club" no one ever wants to be in. "You are like family to me,"  he said,  "and  I'm going to do whatever it takes to get you this boat." And he did. So the boat passed from a pilot to a pilot, and we are all quite sure there were three boys in Heaven who watched the whole thing go down.

How ShipsAhoy! got her name...

Our son, Christian, LOVED ChipsAhoy! cookies. Every year on Christian's birthday, family and friends have ChipsAhoy! in remembrance of him. When I was charged with the task of coming up with a new name for the boat, I thought of lots of good ones, but none of them were right. One night while washing dishes I closed my eyes and said, "Christian, what would you name our boat?" Right away in my head came the words, " ShipsAhoy! " and I knew it was from him. It couldn't be a more perfect name for our boat, which is in fact, our home. And you can always be sure that we have ChipsAhoy! cookies on board!

Now, that you know the real story of why ShipsAhoy! is so special, feel free to go to the drop down menu/ Headerline and explore the rest of our site.

ShipsAhoy! is a drug-free vessel

Drug-free crew.

Our crew are members of the 

American Professional Captains Association Drug Consortium

Copyright © 2019 ShipsAhoy! - All Rights Reserved.            ShipsAhoy! LLC         

Not associated with Nabisco.

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Ultimate Cruise Unparalleled Views

With spectacular views and superior service aboard StarLite's luxury fleet

WE HAVE A CRUISE FOR YOU!

Choose one of our regularly scheduled cruises for that special occasion like a birthday or anniversary. For larger parties, we offer private dining areas and private vessel charters. From nature cruises to fine dining yacht cruises, casual tropical party cruises to dolphin tours, and luncheon cruises to full day tour group excursions, we offer it all! Check out our fleet of passenger vessels and variety of cruises on scenic Florida inland waters. We have a cruise for you!

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StarLite Cruises

• 25 Cswy Blvd, Clearwater Beach, FL 33767
• (727) 462-2628

Enjoy lunch and dinner cruises that offer the best waterfront views of coastal Florida, and a tantalizing selection of entrees from full menu. Enjoy gorgeous views while cruising aboard the StarLite Sapphire Dining Yacht in St. Pete Beach, or the StarLite Majesty Dining Yacht out of Clearwater Beach.

Enjoy lunch & dinner cruises that offer best waterfront views of coastal Florida, and a tantalizing selection of entrees from a full menu. Enjoy gorgeous views while cruising aboard the StarLite Sapphire Dining Yacht in St. Pete Beach, or the StarLite Majesty Dining Yacht out of Clearwater Beach.

Dining/Nightlife

• Average Price of Entree: $26.95
• Cuisine: American
• Days/Hours of Operation: Lunch, Dinner, and Sightseeing cruises are offered 6 days a week. Please call the reservations office for hours of operation.
• Number of Indoor Seats: 280
• Private/Group Room Capacity: 280
• Style: Fine Dining
• Total Restaurant Capacity: 280

Dining & Entertainment

Things to do & see.

• Admission Prices: Adults; sightseeing-only cruises begin at $14.95; Lunch cruises begin at $19.95; Dinner cruises begin at $25.00; Meal service available on board for additional cost.
• Average length of Stay/Tour: Stay 3 hours
• American Express
• Days/Hours of Operation: Lunch, Dinner, and Sightseeing cruises are offered 7 days a week. Please call the reservations office for hours of operation.
• Largest Banquet Capacity: 280
• Largest Reception Capacity: 280
• Total Capacity (Reception): 280
• Map Show Map

Community of Homosassa held fundraiser for woman battling cancer: 'It means a lot'

Community helps homosassa woman battling cancer.

Jordan Bowen reports.

HOMOSASSA, Fla. - Sabrina Graybeal was diagnosed with ovarian cancer on her 21st birthday. She's now 25. In the years since the diagnosis, her cancer has spread.

On Saturday, the community of Homosassa came together to help raise money to help with her medical costs.

Sabrina has become like a daughter to her boyfriend's mom Teresa Lewis.

"She's my daughter. I would trade places with her right now if I could, I really would, even though I have a five-year-old to take care of, I would definitely give my life for her," Lewis said.

Sabrina was diagnosed with ovarian cancer the same day she turned 21. She underwent a complete hysterectomy, but that's doctor's noticed something more.

"When they cut her open they realized her whole entire abdominal cavity was full of cancer, they then told her they exhausted their resources. She left there and went to the University of Tennessee, where she exhausted their resources and then moved to St. Louis Berkshire Hospital, where they gave her six months," Lewis said.

READ: Millennials, Gen Xers face higher risk of 17 cancers than previous generations, study says

Lewis and her family have been leaning on the community of Homosassa while they care for Sabrina. On Saturday, the community held a special fundraiser at the Fraternal Order of the Eagles club where they sold 50/50 raffle tickets, held a silent auction, and hosted a spaghetti dinner. All the money raised will go to help the family with Sabrina's rising medical costs.

"I cry just thinking about how much these two have done, how much the Eagles have done to make sure we have the venue, the community, all the vendors that's donated stuff. It means a lot," Lewis said.

Currently, Sabrina is at Tampa General Hospital after fluid was discovered in her lungs. They're waiting for her to get healthy enough so she can begin treatment at Moffitt Cancer Center.

For now, they say they're praying and hoping for a miracle.

"I just want to thank everybody and continue to pray for her. Pray for God's will," Lewis said.

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BREAKING: Suspect arrested in the deadly knife attack in Germany

Tech magnate missing after luxury superyacht sinks off Sicily in 'violent storm'

A British tech magnate and several other people are missing after a luxury superyacht sank near Sicily’s main city, Palermo, during a violent storm, Italian officials and sources familiar with the matter told CNBC . At least one person was killed.

Mike Lynch, who was regularly described in U.K. media as “Britain’s Bill Gates,” was not among those rescued, said the sources, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the situation. They added that Angela Bacares, Lynch’s wife, had been plucked from the waters off the Italian island.

Lynch was among six people who were unaccounted for, The Associated Press quoted Salvo Cocina of Sicily’s civil protection agency as saying. “They were in the wrong place at the wrong time,” he said. Cocina also confirmed that Bacares had survived.

Italy's coast guard said in a statement that the 184-foot sailboat, named the Bayesian, sank “due to a violent storm” off Palermo at around 5 a.m. local time (11 p.m. ET) with 22 people on board. Fifteen people were rescued, and six passengers were missing, it said.

American, British and Canadian citizens were among the missing, the statement said. The coast guard said in later statement that the ship’s cook had died. It did not give the cook's nationality.  

Karsten Borner, the captain of a ship that rescued the survivors, told reporters that there was a “strong hurricane gust, and we had to start the engine to keep the ship in an angled position,” according to Reuters.

He added that they had “watched the ship behind us not to touch them and we managed to keep the ship in position.” After the storm was over, he said, “we noticed that the ship behind us was gone.”

“Fifteen people inside. Four people were injured, three heavily injured, and we brought them to our ship, he said. “Then we communicated with the coast guard, and after some time, the coast guard came and later picked up injured people.”

One of the survivors, identified as Charlotte Emsley, 35, told the Italian news agency ANSA that she had momentarily lost hold of her 1-year-old daughter, Sofia, in the water but managed to retrieve her and hold her up over the waves until a lifeboat inflated and they were pulled to safety.

“I immediately hugged her again amid the fury of the waves. I held her tight, close to me, while the sea was stormy,” she said. “Many were screaming. Luckily, the lifeboat inflated, and 11 of us managed to get on it.”

The City Council of Bagheria said in a statement that a child of that age was being treated at a children’s hospital. It said that seven adults were taken to the emergency room but that “it seems that none are in serious conditions.” 

Lynch, 59, the missing tech entrepreneur, founded the enterprise software firm Autonomy and became the target of a protracted legal battle with Hewlett-Packard after the U.S. tech giant accused him of inflating the company’s value in an $11 billion sale. Extradited from Britain to the U.S. last year to stand trial, he was acquitted of fraud after a three-month trial.

Italy’s national fire department said in a statement that “divers, a motorboat and a helicopter” had been deployed to help with the search. The wreck was at a depth of around 165 feet, the statement said.  

Divers from the Sicilian city of Sassri and Naples, a city on the Italian mainland , were “arriving on site to search inside the sunken vessel,” it said. 

Built by Italian shipbuilder Perini in 2008, the U.K.-registered Bayesian has an aluminum hull and can carry 12 guests and a crew of up to 10, according to online specialist yacht sites. Online sites list the luxury vessel for charter for up to 195,000 euros (about $215,000) a week, the AP reported.

The boat left the Sicilian port of Milazzo on Wednesday and was last tracked east of Palermo on Sunday evening, with a navigation status of “at anchor,” according to the vessel tracking app Vesselfinder.

Fabio La Bianca, 40, took a picture of the boat at around 10 p.m. local time Sunday shortly after he closed his bar in nearby Santa Flavia. “Absurd tragedy tonight. I am lost for words,” he said Monday on Facebook.

Matteo Moschella is a London-based reporter for NBC News' Social Newsgathering team.

Henry Austin is a senior editor for NBC News Digital based in London.

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Veteran finds therapy with Tampa Bay Dragon Boat Club

TAMPA, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Dragon Boat Club and Adaptive Adventures have teamed up to offer physical therapy of sorts and a mental and emotional escape to veterans or civilians with disabilities.

They practice just about every Saturday and on Tuesdays as well.

Team Blue is the name of the group from the TBDBC that goes out on the water with veterans.

They are looking for more veterans and people with disabilities to join them on these excursions.

What You Need To Know

 tampa bay dragon boat club and adaptive adventures joint venture team blue takes veterans and people with disabilities out on the water malika montgomery, an army veteran diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, has joined team blue for dragon racing for almost two years  malika says it is more than physical therapy; it is a way for her to find peace and calm.

There are many water sports in Tampa Bay.

But one in particular combines individual grit and teamwork and that is dragon boat racing.

The Tampa Bay Dragon Boat Club’s Team Blue hits the water on Saturdays.

It is not a leisurely trip down the Hillsborough River.

From a distance you can hear the grunting from the paddlers, the yelling from the coach, and the hypnotizing beat of a drum keeping the team in sync.

It is quite a sight with plenty of sounds to take in.

Malika Montgomery, an Army Veteran, continued her practice on a clear Saturday in downtown Tampa.

“It’s amazing,” Montgomery said. “You get out and just do a little more each time.”

Montgomery has been enjoying paddling for the last year and a half.

“It makes you feel good,” she said. “You come out of it like you did the best physical therapy test you ever done and that’s what it’s like. I love dragon boat racing.”

Soon after her military retirement more than 20 years ago, Montgomery was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. She is wheelchair bound now.

For her, being out on the water is therapy.

“That’s what this makes me feel like,” she said, describing being on the water. “Like I have that power and that strength to do what I was supposed to be doing in the military

“This gives me that I still got it feeling.”

However, the club’s Team Blue adaptive program goes beyond the physical therapy.

David Nelson is one of the founding members of the Tampa Bay Dragon Boat Club and has coached many teams.

He joins Malika on her practice runs.

“It is about community. It’s about team,” said Nelson. “It’s about building that camaraderie that most of the veterans understand what that means.”

Grinding out these runs on the river is part of the journey Montgomery now takes.

She only wishes it could have happened sooner.

“It took me to go through the woe is me stage,” she said. “It took me to go through the ‘I can’t do this…’ and I got out of that and began to think I was stronger than what I think I am, and I did it.”

She now wants more veterans and other people facing challenges like herself to do what she does.

“Just one time try it,” she said. “And I guarantee that you’ll either like it or love it, but once you love it, you won’t stop.”

Italian prosecutors open a manslaughter investigation into yacht sinking off Sicily

ROME — Prosecutors in Italy said Saturday they have opened an investigation into culpable shipwreck and multiple manslaughter after a superyacht capsized during a storm off the coast of Sicily, killing seven people onboard. They included British tech magnate Mike Lynch and his daughter.

Termini Imerese prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio confirmed the investigation has been launched, but said no suspect is currently identified.

“We are only in the initial phase of the investigation. We can’t exclude any sort of development at present,” he told reporters at a news conference.

Cartosio said his team will carefully consider each possible element of responsibility, including those of the ship's captain, the crew, individuals in charge of supervision, the ship-builder and others.

“For me, it is probable that offences were committed, that it could be a case of manslaughter, but we can only establish that if you give us the time to investigate," he said.

The main question investigators are focusing on is how a sailing vessel deemed “unsinkable” by its manufacturer, Italian shipyard Perini Navi, sank while a nearby sailboat remained largely unscathed.

Prosecutors said the event was “extremely rapid” and information they gained seemed pointing to a “downburst,” a localised, powerful wind that descends from a thunderstorm and spreads out rapidly upon hitting the ground.

Initially, Civil protection officials said they believe the yacht, which featured a distinctive 75-meter (246-feet) aluminum mast, was struck by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout.

Investigators were also asked why the crew was almost entirely saved, except for the chef, while six passengers remained trapped in the hull.

Local official confirmed that most of the bodies recovered were found in the same part of the ship — on the left side and closer to the surface — suggesting that passengers had sought safety in the cabins where the last air bubbles had formed.

Deputy Prosecutor Raffaele Cammarano said it was likely that the passengers were asleep, adding that one of the main focus of the investigation is to ascertain whether they were alerted by someone.

Cammarano confirmed that one person was on watch in the cockpit.

Rescuers on Friday brought ashore the last of seven bodies from the sinking of The Bayesian, a 56-meter (184-foot) British-flagged luxury yacht that went down in a storm near the Mediterranean island in southern Italy early Monday. The sailboat was carrying a crew of 10 people and 12 passengers.

The seventh victim was Hannah Lynch, 18, the daughter of Mike Lynch., whose body was recovered Thursday. He had been celebrating his recent acquittal on fraud charges with his family and the people who had defended him at trial in the United States. His wife, Angela Bacares, was among the 15 survivors.

Rescuers struggled for four days to find all the bodies, making only slow headway through the interior of the wreck lying on the seabed 50 meters (164 feet) below the surface.

The other five victims are Christopher Morvillo, one of Lynch’s U.S. lawyers, and his wife, Neda; Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley’s London-based investment banking subsidiary, and his wife, Judy; and Recaldo Thomas, the yacht’s chef.

Copyright 2024 NPR

State law enforcement investigating propeller death near MacDill Air Force Base

• Jack Prator Times staff

Law enforcement officials with the state’s wildlife agency are investigating a fatal boating accident they believe occurred in Tampa Bay last month.

On July 17, a body with “marks conducive to being struck by a boat propeller” was found near MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, according to a news release from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Investigators believe the victim launched a blue kayak from Apollo Beach two days prior.

The state agency declined to provide any identifying information about the victim, citing an active investigation.

When asked why the agency did not release information about the incident until more than a month later, a spokesperson wrote: “The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office began the investigation, then, due to the nature of the investigation, turned it over to FWC once more details were revealed.”

There is no record of a public announcement for a July death investigation connected to the incident, according to an archive of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office news releases.

“Upon determining that a boat strike caused the death, the investigation was given to FWC per protocol, which would explain why we did not put anything out,” said Phil Martello, a spokesperson with the sheriff’s office.

The state wildlife agency is asking boaters who witnessed a boat strike, an abandoned blue kayak or “any other suspicious activity” between July 15 and July 17 to come forward with information.

Tipsters can call the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922) or text 847411 (Tip411) with keyword “FWC”

Jack Prator is a reporter covering breaking news and environment. Reach him at [email protected].

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