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boatbroke · 07-25-2007, 11:39 AM

Wow, when I read the earlier entries in this blog, I cannot understand how so many people can feel remorseful for this guy? Halmos placed the lives of his crew in jeopardy when he made them stay on board to ride out a Category 5 Hurricane. Halmos claims that no port from Key West to Georgia could accommodate his yacht, when there are in fact two between Miami and West Palm Beach. The projected storm track for Wilma remained the same for nearly seven days. We all knew where the storm was headed. There was plenty of opportunity to relocate the vessel away from the path of the storm. Even if there was insufficient time to relocate the vessel, Halmos never should have asked or 'required' his crew to stay aboard and risk their lives to save his possessions. It's not as much a matter of what happened to his mega-toy as much as it is what could have happened to those seven souls aboard.
I keep reading about the government’s intolerance with Halmos. Why wouldn't they be upset? Of the four major hurricanes in 2004 and Wilma that exited Florida over my old home in Martin County, how many other mega-yachts are still stranded? There are none. There were many yachts tossed around in Palm Beach County in 2004. Some were pushed into their docks and partially sunk; some pushed aground and had be raised and recovered. But they all were in protected waters in the intracoastal. This is an area with up to 35' depth just inside the Lake Worth Inlet that this vessel has passed through in prior years to have repair work in a local ship yard. Halmos had options that he chose to ignore, just like the safety of his crew.
Halmos’s stuff means more to him than people. According to his own tale of accounts, his mega-toy means more to him that his wife who 'rarely visits' his floating armada.
The only shame here is that the captain didn't have the courtesy to let the crew go home while he went down with the ship.

07-25-2007, 11:39 AM	#124
boatbroke Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Lake Worth, FL Posts: 1	Should have gone down with the ship Wow, when I read the earlier entries in this blog, I cannot understand how so many people can feel remorseful for this guy? Halmos placed the lives of his crew in jeopardy when he made them stay on board to ride out a Category 5 Hurricane. Halmos claims that no port from Key West to Georgia could accommodate his yacht, when there are in fact two between Miami and West Palm Beach. The projected storm track for Wilma remained the same for nearly seven days. We all knew where the storm was headed. There was plenty of opportunity to relocate the vessel away from the path of the storm. Even if there was insufficient time to relocate the vessel, Halmos never should have asked or 'required' his crew to stay aboard and risk their lives to save his possessions. It's not as much a matter of what happened to his mega-toy as much as it is what could have happened to those seven souls aboard. I keep reading about the government’s intolerance with Halmos. Why wouldn't they be upset? Of the four major hurricanes in 2004 and Wilma that exited Florida over my old home in Martin County, how many other mega-yachts are still stranded? There are none. There were many yachts tossed around in Palm Beach County in 2004. Some were pushed into their docks and partially sunk; some pushed aground and had be raised and recovered. But they all were in protected waters in the intracoastal. This is an area with up to 35' depth just inside the Lake Worth Inlet that this vessel has passed through in prior years to have repair work in a local ship yard. Halmos had options that he chose to ignore, just like the safety of his crew. Halmos’s stuff means more to him than people. According to his own tale of accounts, his mega-toy means more to him that his wife who 'rarely visits' his floating armada. The only shame here is that the captain didn't have the courtesy to let the crew go home while he went down with the ship.