The Lucky 7 yacht slammed into Balboa Pier at about 8:15 p.m. Sunday. The pier was closed Monday morning until city engineers assessed the damage to the structure and deemed it safe for the public.
Nick Radoi, the owner of the 55-foot yacht, and several friends took the boat out to sea Sunday. When the boat suddenly lost power, Radoi said the captain called 911 but authorities couldn't locate the boat because of the fog.
Radoi said he knew the boat was close to shore and would likely crash into the pier or the beach. They lowered the anchors, but that did not hold the boat. He said all of the 13 people on the boat were panicked because some aboard could not swim.
Fortunately, all 13 were wearing life jackets and none were injured. However, the boat and the pier did sustain damage. The pier was evacuated.
The reopening on Monday made many folks happy - especially the owner of Ruby's Diner. The restaurant sits at the end of Balboa Pier.
"I'm happy for the employees, happy for being Labor Day, a very busy day for us. So this is the end of summer, so we need these sales," said restaurant owner John Fisher.
Radoi is taking this all in stride, saying he won't let the accident keep him or Lucky 7 from hitting the high seas.
"We're going to get it fixed, and we'll be back in the ocean," Radoi said.
Radoi does not yet know how much damage was done to his $1.3 million yacht. He said he'll start with figuring out why it lost power in the first place.
