Root cause: what has been done and what is still open
What this page tells you: which steps are finished, which are still open, and what would close the investigation.
Facts as recorded by the owner. Root cause not determined. No cause is asserted on this page.
Since early 2024, parts have been cleaned, bypassed and replaced, quotes issued and a replacement plant ordered. Several technical teams have attended the yacht; none has identified the root cause. This page shows which steps are complete and which are still open.
The first faults were recorded in early 2024 (controller alarms logged in January, contamination found in the chilled-water loop in February), about 6–7 months after delivery on 26 Jun 2023 and within the 12-month warranty period.
Azimut’s stated position (after-sales email, 28 Jul 2026) is that the 2024 loop contamination is technically unrelated to the 2026 failures.
No one has yet established a root cause that either links or separates the 2024 faults and the 2026 failures.
| Step | Status |
|---|---|
| Replacement options quoted by the regional dealer | Done 6 Aug 2026, revised 13 Aug |
| Installation labour quoted by the local contractor | Done 13 Aug 2026 |
| Replacement plant ordered (to protect the lead time) | Done 7 Sep 2026 |
| Builder on-board inspection (see timeline) | Planned 27–28 Oct 2026, with the builder’s electrical subcontractor and a builder-appointed specialist |
| Insurer’s survey | Done 26–27 Aug 2026; the insurer advised the survey did not determine the AC cause |
| Joint root-cause finding (builder and manufacturer), agreed on the 30 Jul 2026 call | Open |
| Witnessed teardown of a failed compressor and oil analysis | Open The regional dealer advised (Sep 2026) it would not lead a root-cause investigation and recommended involving the compressor manufacturer |
| Cooling restored on board | Open Waiting for the replacement plant |
Why this matters
- A quote or an order is not a finding. Installing a new plant without knowing what started the failures risks a repeat.
- The failed compressors, drives and reactors are kept under custody so that they can still be examined.
- The contamination found in Feb 2024 means the history runs back more than two and a half years.
What would close it
- A written investigation scope agreed by the parties: who opens what, who takes samples, who keeps custody.
- Witnessed teardown and oil analysis of at least one failed compressor.
- Electrical testing of the retained drives and reactors.
- A dated written finding: what failed first, what contributed, and how to prevent a repeat.