MILLIONAIRE’S YACHT STRANDED
THERE are fears a partially sunk yacht belonging to a controversial Gold Coast millionaire will become an “environmental disaster”, almost a week after it ran into trouble, taking on water off Yeppoon, near Rockhampton.
The yacht, owned by property mogul Jamie Mcintyre, first ran into trouble last Wednesday afternoon when its anchor lost hold near Rosslyn Bay Marina in rough conditions. The Coast Guard towed the vessel out to deeper water, before it began taking on water late that night. During Thursday, the boat attracted a crowd as it began to slowly sink.
A spokesman for the Yeppoon Coast Guard said because there were no lives in danger, the vessel was the owner’s responsibility.
Capricorn Coast Landcare
Group president Malcolm Wells said debris was washing ashore and he was concerned it could be swallowed by local marine life.
“The pile of rubbish that’s already washed ashore is a bit of an environmental nightmare,” he said.
It is not the first time one of Mr Mcintyre’s yachts has been at the centre of controversy. In August 2020, his company GC Princess Boatshare Pty Ltd was fined $20,000 for hiring out a 27m, four-bedroom yacht Livin II on the Gold Coast Broadwater without a certificate of operation or certificate of survey, as required.