Drunken captain runs motor yacht aground in Palm Beach

M/Y Time Out washed ashore in Palm Beach, Florida yesterday morning, following a “navigational error” by her captain, who was reportedly drunk at the helm.

According to reports from local news outlet WPTV, the 22m luxury yacht washed up on the beach in the early hours of Wednesday morning after the captain, who also owns the yacht, “failed to navigate his vessel into the Palm Beach inlet and ran the vessel into the beach”.

It’s believed that the skipper, Thomas Henry Baker, 63-years old, confessed to police that he had been drinking Long Island Iced Tea cocktails during the time of the grounding.

The U.S. Coast Guard said it received reports that the yacht had run aground at 2:15am EDT, but no injuries were reported. A search rescue effort was subsequently organised, but passengers were able to walk ashore.

Baker was arrested at the scene and taken to the Palm Beach County Jail at 7:03am, where arrest reports stated that Bakers blood-alcohol level was twice that of the legal limit. He was later charged with boating under the influence before bonding out of jail and returning to the boat to speak with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conversation officers, who said that “drunk boating” doesn’t explain everything about the incident.

After working to ensure fuel was not leaking out of the vessel, FWC Officer, Tyson Matthews said, “Right now we’re working the investigation part of how the boat got here and what exactly happened.”

At the time of the report, Towboat US, Sea Tow and other several agencies were working together to remove the boat, which was still on the shore at 6pm local time.

Superyacht News
March 28, 2024
Tried & Tested - Best Yacht Mattresses: Product Review
Tried & Tested - Best Yacht Mattresses: Product Review

In the realm of maritime luxury, the quest to offer yacht charter guests the perfect night's sleep has become an art form, one which luxury bed and linen supplier, CC Design, has fully committed to.

By Yachting Pages
March 15, 2023
Best Yacht Crew Jackets: Product Review
Best Yacht Crew Jackets: Product Review

A jacket completes any crew member's uniform so it's an important garment to get right. In this Tried & Tested, Sea Design pits eight popular jackets against one another to determine which one is best for superyacht crew in 2023.

By Nathan Bees
April 19, 2023
iAQUA Sea Scooters: Product Review
iAQUA Sea Scooters: Product Review

iAQUA creates high-performance, technologically advanced underwater scooters. In this Tried & Tested, a team of experienced testers have rated and reviewed the AquaDart Pro and AquaDart Nano series to reveal the stand-out iAQUA sea scooter.

By Holly Sanderson

Finished reading? Now find your perfect supplier.

Search our industry-leading directory for over 20,000 superyacht suppliers, providers and marinas.

Search now