Francisco Yáñez Herrera y su yate "ISAMAR"

De la cima al hundimiento 

                                

                                 

Dentro de las investigaciones al vapor que ha realizado la PGR para lograr la detención de la Maestra Elba Esther Gordillo, jamás se han mencionado las millonarias cuentas de Francisco Yáñez Herrera ni a su lujoso yate "ISAMAR", mucho menos la forma en que éste fue comprado, lo que nos hace pensar que Ricardo Raphael de la Madrid estaba en lo cierto al comentar que la detención de Gordillo Morales "fue un quinazo", pues todo el séquito que le rodeaba sigue viviendo en la impunidad y gozando de los millones producto de los truculentos negocios de la ex lideresa sindical del SNTE al igual que otros líderes sindicales.

Yáñez Herrera, uno de los personajes más obscuros y cercanos a la Maestra Elba Esther Gordillo y quien sigue viviendo en total impunidad, es producto del infame pacto del ex presidente Felipe Calderón Hinojosa y Elba Esther Gordillo Morales.

En septiembre del 2009 Francisco Yáñez Herrera ayudado por su amigo Mauricio "Moro" Kuri (dueño de la empresa Mekate Films y quien obtuvo contratos con la Lotería Nacional durante la gestión de Yáñez Herrera) realiza la compra del yate "ISAMAR" y de otra embarcación de menor tamaño en la misma operación. Para ello Francisco Yáñez utilizó una empresa creada en Grand Cayman denominada "MANSAN INTERNATIONAL" con la ayuda del abogado Agustín Salvador Villarreal de la Vega del despacho Martínez Arrieta, quien fue el cerebro financiero para lograr cubrir a Yáñez y tratar de no dejar rastro en la compra de las embarcaciones. Otra persona implicada es el Capitán George Llop, quien vendió la embarcación de menor tamaño en 65,000.00 dólares americanos. George Llop dice haber trabajado para una persona de nacionalidad mexicana y que fue contratado para atender el yate de nombre "ISAMAR" en el Florida, posteriromente el bote y el yate se enviaron a México. De lo anterior contamos con una serie de correos electrónicos enviados por Agustín Salvador Villarreal de la Vega, Francisco Yáñez Herrera y Mauricio "Moro" Kuri como prueba , además de una conversación con el Capitán George Llop documentada.

El yate "ISAMAR" comprado por Francisco Yáñez tiene 24 metros de largo, cuatro cabinas, 1 Master, 1 VIP y 2 dobles, baños de mármol, salas y comedores y tiene un costo aproximado de 2.5 millones de dólares.

Yañez y sus amigos disfrutaron el "ISAMAR" hasta que la mañana del 17 de agosto del 2013, en un soleado y claro día la nave se hunde en circunstancias misteriosas, sin muertos ni heridos. Según un reporte de la MAIB (Marine Accident Investigation Branch) NO se accionaron las bombas para sacar el agua ni se cerraron las escotillas pertinentes lo cual hubiese evitado el hundimiento de la nave. Tal vez era más fácil para Yañez y su empresa en Grand Cayman MANSAN INTERNATIONAL,  hundir la embarcación y cobrar el seguro,  que tener que realizar arriesgados trámites de venta, tomando en cuenta que la situación era peligrosa pues la Maestra Gordillo Morales ya estaba en prisión y se supone que la PGR y el SAT estaba investigando al ex director de la Lotería Nacional. El reporte no especifica el nombre de las once personas que estuvieron abordo del yate el día que se hundió, solo que eran 11.  A continuación una transcripción del reporte.

Simplified report on the investigation of the grounding of

the pleasure vessel ISAMAR

Grand écueil d’Olmeto, Corsica

17 August 2013

Summary

On the afternoon of 17 August 2013 the 24m, 62gt, privately owned motor yacht

Isamar struck the Grand écueil d’Olmeto shoal while on passage from Bonifacio,

Corsica to Roccapina bay. The three crew were unable to halt the flooding,

but were able to abandon the vessel with the eight passengers before Isamar

foundered in 55m of water.

Narrative

Isamar left Bonifacio at about 1600 local time. The weather and sea conditions

were ideal with calm seas and good visibility, and because of this the master

decided not to switch on the radar. The master navigated by eye and monitored the

vessel’s passage on an ECS1, which was set on a 6-mile scale. The vessel had no

paper charts on board, and the master relied on the ECS to identify land masses

and seabed topography. The ECS’s electronic charts had not been updated for

nearly 10 years. Although the echo sounder was switched on, its shallow water

alarm had not been set.

1 Electronic chart system (ECS), any type of electronic navigation system that does not comply with

the International Maritime Organization’s requirements for classification as an Electronic Chart

Display and Information Systems (ECDIS).

The master was on watch while the mate and stewardess attended to the passengers’ needs. After

clearing Cap de Feno, he set a north-westerly course at 10.5 knots to pass through the 0.5 mile wide gap

between the shoals Grand écueil d’Olmeto and Petit écueil d’Olmeto (Figure 2). No waypoints or course

lines were set on the ECS.

At about 1730 Isamar lurched suddenly. This was followed by violent vibrations and the sounding of the

high level bilge alarms for the engine room and lazarette2. The mate looked behind the vessel and saw

an underwater reef through the clear sea.

The master immediately disengaged Isamar‘s engines and rushed towards the engine room, which was

entered through the lazarette. On descending into the lazarette he found himself thigh deep in water. He

passed through the watertight bulkhead door into the engine room, where he found about 0.5m depth

of water. He started two bilge pumps and, in an attempt to ensure their efficiency, led a flexible 75mm

suction hose from the pump suction chest, directly into the lazarette through the open watertight door.

While the master was below decks, the mate mustered the passengers and instructed them to don their

lifejackets. He then checked the vessel’s position on the ECS and noted that the display was on quite

a large scale. By pushing the scale adjustment button four or five times, he reduced the scale to its

minimum setting of 0.5 mile. At this scale, the ECS did show an area of shoal water not apparent on the

larger scale. However, it did not display any depth soundings as shown on official hydrographic charts.

Upon his return to the bridge the master transmitted a “Pan Pan” urgency message by radio, which was

heard by both the coastguard and vessels in the area.

Isamar settled by the stern and a nearby sailing yacht came close by to assist. As a precaution, the

passengers and stewardess were transferred to the yacht by Isamar’s tender. The rescue yacht then took

the survivors about 3 miles to their intended destination of Roccapina bay where they were transferred

ashore. The master and mate remained by Isamar on the tender, but in constant communication with

rescuers using portable VHF3 radios.

Around 1825 Propriano SNSM4 lifeboat arrived on scene to find Isamar settled by the stern and her

forefoot almost 1m out of the water. It was apparent that Isamar was beyond saving and that any attempt

to put men on board would be hazardous. Isamar finally sank in 55m of water about 3 hours later.

A subsequent dive inspection of the wreck showed that Isamar’s starboard propeller was intact  and that her port propeller and support bracket had been driven through the glass reinforced plastic

hull  when the vessel struck the shallow reef.

Personnel

Master: The 60 year old master had spent most of his career on commercial yachts and had been

master of Isamar for 6 years. He had previously held an STCW II/5 Certificate of Competency, issued

under the International Maritime Organization’s International Convention on Standards of Training,

Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, enabling him to act as master on yachts up to 500gt

no further than 150 miles from a safe haven. He also held a Royal Yachting Association Yacht Master

qualification.

Mate: The 35 year old mate had been involved with private and commercial yachts for 8 years. He held

a Yachtmaster Ocean Certificate of Competency, issued by the UK Royal Yachting Association, which

enabled him to act as master on yachts up to 200gt.

Conclusions

1. Isamar’s master relied on an ECS with electronic charts that were set to the wrong scale, unsuitable

for the intended voyage and out of date as the primary means of navigation. The UK Maritime

and Coastguard Agency’s Marine Guidance Note (MGN) 379 (M+F) Navigation: Use of Electronic

Navigation Aids advises: “If an ECS is carried on board, the continuous use of up-to-date paper

charts remains essential for safe navigation.”

2. Had appropriate, updated charts been available on board, Isamar‘s master could have prepared

a passage plan which would have enabled him to ensure that the intended route was suitable

for Isamar’s draught. MGN 489 (M) Pleasure Vessels - UK Regulations explains, inter alia, the

requirements for passage planning.

3. The standard marine emergency procedure of isolating damaged areas by closing watertight doors,

were not applied, allowing the vessel to flood and sink faster than would have been the case had the

watertight openings been closed. Flooding was not contained by closing the watertight door between

the lazarette and the engine room, and pumping capability was not used to best effect. Had the

watertight door been closed and the pumps set to pump out the engine room, the vessel would have

stayed afloat longer and might have been saved.

SHIP PARTICULARS

Vessel’s name Isamar

Flag United Kingdom

Classification society Not applicable

IMO number/Fishing registration Not applicable

Type Private pleasure yacht

Registered owner Stella Ducet Ltd

Manager(s) Not applicable

Year of build 2003

Construction GRP

Length overall 23.97m

Registered length 23.97m

Gross tonnage 61.50

Minimum safe manning Not applicable

Authorised cargo Not applicable

VOYAGE PARTICULARS

Port of departure Bonifacio, Corsica

Intended port of arrival Poltu Quatu, Sardinia

Type of voyage Coastal

Manning Three

MARINE CASUALTY INFORMATION

Date and time 17 August 2013; 1730 (local)

Type of marine casualty or incident Very Serious Marine Casualty (UK)

Location of incident Grand écueil d’Olmeto, Corsica

Place on board Engine room and lazarette

Injuries/fatalities None

Damage/environmental impact Foundering with minor pollution

Ship operation On passage

Voyage segment Transit

External & internal environment Wind west-south-westerly force 1

Daylight; visibility good

Persons on board 11

A continuación imágenes del "ISAMAR" hundido.

Mientras tanto Francisco Yáñez Herrera sigue impune,viajando, jugando golf, bebiendo,  comiendo como rey y disfrutando de los millones de dólares que le generó el haber tenido una relación con Elba Esther Gordillo mientras la PGR y el SAT se quedan cruzados de brazos demostrando ineptitud ó complicidad. Juzgue usted.

Los inseparables Francisco Yáñez Herrera y Mauricio "Moro" Kuri