Odisea - An Argentine yacht was holed and left beached near Colonia after trouble on the River Plate
Bound from Buenos Aires for the Uruguayan shore, the Odisea took on water and grounded near the Riachuelo stream mouth; the Prefectura took the two crew off unhurt and the boat was left on the beach.
What happened.
In late December 2025, the Argentine sailing yacht Odisea, crossing the River Plate from Buenos Aires toward Riachuelo on the Uruguayan side, was left stranded and taking on water near the river mouth in the Colonia department. The Uruguayan Prefectura took the two crew off by launch, both in good condition, and the holed yacht was left beached. Reports differ on whether a malfunction or striking rocks caused it.
In late December 2025, the Argentine sailing yacht Odisea set out from Olivos, near Buenos Aires, to cross the River Plate toward Riachuelo on the Uruguayan shore. Near the mouth of the Riachuelo stream, in the Colonia department, the boat got into trouble and began taking on water — local reports differ on the cause, citing either a mechanical malfunction or a strike against a rocky area — and the leak compromised its buoyancy within minutes. The Uruguayan naval prefecture (Prefectura) reached the yacht and took the two crew off by launch; both were found to be in good condition. The Odisea itself was left beached on the coast. It was a modest but instructive River Plate incident: a fast-developing leak on a wide, shoal estuary, ended safely because the crew got help and got off.
What it teaches.
- 1A leak on a shallow estuary can put you aground in minutes. The Odisea took on water near the Riachuelo mouth and lost buoyancy fast. On the River Plate's shoal, rock-strewn shores, know your bilge pumps and bungs, watch the depth, and steer for shallow safe ground if you cannot stop the ingress.
- 2When water is winning, get the crew off and let the boat ground. Both of the Odisea's crew were taken off safely and the holed yacht was left beached. A hull on the sand is a salvage problem; two people ashore unhurt is the win — call the prefecture or coastguard early and don't go down with the boat.
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