Manufacturing or design error not the fault of 28m Viking yacht Pastime's grounding

Following a statement from Viking Yachts, the grounding of the 28.4-metre yacht named Pastime has been attributed to a loss of power caused by "fuel interruption" to the generators and main engines.

"[Pastime] was set adrift as the captain and crew tried to resolve the problem. The crew tried to deploy the anchor by releasing the brake, but unfortunately, the devil claw was still attached," explained a spokesperson for the shipyard. "It subsequently was lodged into the deployment chute rendering the anchor unusable. [She then] came to rest on the shore in Delray Beach, Florida."

Pastime is now at Viking Yachts' Riviera Beach service centre, with minimal damages reported – including a bent prop and rudders. The statement concluded: "Once we receive the needed parts and materials, we expect to have the boat back fishing hopefully by the New Year. Most importantly, the captain and the crew are safely ashore with no incident."

This follows Pastime's successful ungrounding on Sunday 5 November after her accident at Delray Beach, Florida on 3 November. TowBoatU.S (a towing service based in Pompano Beach) was able to rescue her after pumping out over 1,000 gallons of fuel and water.

Prior to running aground, a towing company arrived on the scene to pull the 2016 Viking model to safety, but multiple lines snapped and the towing attempt was initially unsuccessful.

The yacht is one of just a few Viking 92 models with an open bridge and according to BOATPro, she spends the majority of her time cruising in Florida. She was delivered as Sweet Tuna and sold in 2022 with a last known asking price of $8,750,000.

Pastime was en route to Fort Lauderdale at the time of the incident.