DE GALLANT

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Report into sinking published

The 'De Gallant, sank off the coast of the Bahamas on May 21, 2024. after it was caught in a stormy supercell. The BEAmer investigation citesdunpredictable weather and the lack of modern maneuvering systems as factors leading to the loss of the vessel and two crew members. According to the BEAmer report published on March 11, 2025, the 'De Gallant' was impacted by strong winds of up to 70 knots while traveling at low speed, loaded with 22 tons of cargo. The crew consisted of four professional sailors and four passengers. Due to thunderstorms on the leeward side, the captain was supposed to prepare the halyard and the clinfoc halyard to be able to perform a quick jib maneuver in an emergency. The formation of the thunderstorm supercell had not been accurately predicted by the weather models. At 3:15 a.m., the first drops of rain fell, and five minutes later, a violent gust tilted the sailing ship 90 degrees, causing water to enter the engine room. The second, even stronger gust completely filled the engine room and condemned the ship to sink stern-first in less than ten minutes. The captain reacted immediately, gave the order to abandon ship, and activated the emergency radio beacons. The rafts were inflated using the hydrostatic buoyancy required by the Merchant Navy. Without this equipment, the crew's chances of survival would have been very slim. Six people managed to reach the rafts, one of which was upside down, but two crew members, likely entangled in the ropes or sails, failed to surface. The six shipwrecked survivors were rescued by helicopter by the U.S. Coast Guard several hours after the sinking. The parallel search efforts failed to locate the two missing sailors. The report, which was not approved by the ship's owner, highlighted how difficult it is to maneuver an old cargo sailing ship without modern tools. Unlike other modernized traditional ships, the 'De Gallant' had neither winches nor furling systems, making maneuvers lengthy and arduous, especially with a small crew. Furthermore, the deck drainage devices were undersized, further increasing the sailboat's instability in gusts. BEAmer recommended modernizing commercial schooners with the installation of remote control systems and improved safety precautions. It also emphasized that cargo sailing ships must be equipped with a sufficient and experienced crew to withstand extreme weather events.