The 43.3-metre Royal Denship superyacht Baca collided with the Simpson Bay Bridge in Sint Maarten, the Caribbean, over the weekend, causing damage to the bridge operator’s booth. This is the second superyacht to strike the bridge in three years.
According to the local media outlet Loop News, “The Simpson Bay Lagoon Authority (SLAC) said officials from Port St Maarten Group (PSG) carried out a preliminary assessment and bridge operations can continue as normal from the machine room despite there being damage to wires leading to the operations consoles.”
Photo: caribbean.loopnews.comThe structure of the booth, rebuilt only last year, has been severely damaged. The surrounding wires that lead to the booth have also been impacted. The cause of the incident and the extent of the damage to the superyacht are unknown.
Photo: caribbean.loopnews.com Baca was delivered in 2008 and has been regularly maintained over the years, with her most recent shipyard visit just last year at Derecktor Shipyards in Florida, the United States. Her exterior design and naval architecture were penned by Diana Yacht Design, while her interior spaces were the joint effort of Michela Reverberi and Bonville Associates.
With 498 GT and five staterooms, Baca offers accommodation for 12 guests. She can also host eight crew. In terms of performance, thanks to twin Caterpillar engines she cruises comfortably at 12.5 knots and can reach speeds of 14 knots. 
The last boat to clash with Simpson Bay Bridge was the 85.95-metre Feadship superyacht Ecstasea in 2019.