LANGKAWI – Leisure cruise operators and yacht owners here are concerned by the sinking of the 75m long Enigma luxury sailing yacht as the vessel may have been carrying up to 60 litres of fuel in its bunkers when it went down off Pulau Singa Kechil, about 8.7 nautical miles from here.
The vessel was originally named Phocea and had once belonged to top French corporate figure Bernard Tapie.
It is believed to have been sailing to Phuket, Thailand with a crew of seven when it caught fire at around 8am on February 18.
The four-mast yacht may have been carrying a large cache of fuel in barrels when it went down.
This may trigger an oil spill through leakage, and can cause widespread pollution around the collection of atolls and islands surrounding Langkawi.
During the fire, a rapid response patrol craft from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) rescued the crew and helped douse the fire.
However, it is believed that the hull had been damaged by the flames, forcing the vessel to sink at one of the deepest parts of the sea surrounding the island.
Malaysian Nature Society vice-president Eric R. Sinnaya urged the authorities to remove the threat of pollution by working to retrieve the fuel drums from the bunkers.
He said that if the vessel has not sunk too deep, its agent and the authorities can lift the yacht back up and send it onshore for repairs.
He said that the island’s ecology is fragile, and needs to be protected at all costs.
A MMEA spokesman said that they will look into the possibility that the yacht may be carrying spare fuel.
“The agent has been notified and we hope they will come over to assist us in the investigation on the fire and the yacht’s subsequent sinking,” said the spokesman.
Like Phuket, Langkawi has a thriving yachting industry, with its own repair and maintenance centre, as well as three marinas.
Telaga Harbour, the Langkawi Yacht Club, and Pulau Rebak Marina are home to hundreds of yachts and boats, and serve as take-off points for the island hopping services. – The Vibes, February 22, 2021
