Wrecked hull of crashed yacht found

[Brian D]

Not sure if this was posted or not.

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Two San Diegans trying to solve a maritime mystery found the wrecked hull of the Aegean yacht four months after the 37-foot sailboat crashed and killed the four people on board.

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/aug/29/wrecked-hull-of-crashed-yacht-found/

 

[Mike B1026]

Not a lot of info. Did they say exactly where the wreck was found? Has anyone heard the outcome of the toxicology reports of the four sailors? Cause of death?

 

[Brian D]

Cause of death was determined and reported sometime ago. Mostly blunt force and/or drowning. Nothing on toxicology. I think the article said on the northern tip of the island. They also said, in their unprofessional assessment, that they ruled out collision with another vessel. Remember, their GPS track has them running into the island. I also understand that the GPS track is not 100% accurate.

 

[zeehag]

wow--so was found--that is a start....rip all aboard. mebbe the mystery can be solved somewhat.

 

[Mike B1026]

I would think the autopsies would have included a tox report. I was just curious if there might have been a possibility of carbon monoxide? Did they say if the GPS track showed the time of collision? What was the issue about the GPS track and accuracy?

 

[kloudie1]

I don't see a lot of mystery.. Guys racing hard and all keyed up.. Wind does not cooperate.. Decision is made in the middle of the night to abandon the race but participate in ceremony at finish line.. Motor is cranked, Someone looks at a GPS and sets a course into the autopilot.. three guys go below to sleep .. Eventually the one guy on watch dozes off from the engine drone and no steering duty .. The autopilot drives the course it was given.. I have been close to that scenerio a couple of times but there was nothing for autopilot to hit on the course selected, and no current to move the track ..

 

[HukilauMike]

Someone commented on the news article site that the four sailors were stoned. I never heard that before; I don't know how that guy could know that if there were no toxicology report...

 

[Rick D]

Another Report

Here is another report that fills in some of the blanks. Someone I talked to last weekend had been interviewed by the CG who told him they had been unable to find the keel, drive train or rig. This may properly put the issue to rest with this discovery. Lousy luck to hit the island where it did.
http://www.ocregister.com/news/aegean-370013-moore-sailors.html

 

[Brian D]

Thanks, Rick D., that article was a little more detailed than the San Diego article. That must have been some impact to rip the keel off and cause the motor to go through the bottom of the boat. I cannot even imagine.

 

[Freedom77]

I'm no expert but it doesn't seem like the type of damage sustained would be caused by just running aground. Engines don't just fall out. In the mid 70's while racing to Ensenada I was standing watch during the night. Heard a thrumming noise and looked aft. A large ship with no running lights passed within 50-100 yards astern of us. If we had been struck there wouldn't have been much left. This area is a busy shipping lane. Bless Us Oh Lord Thy Sea is So Great and My Boat is So Small.

 

[tommays]

Having been on a friends boat when it hit a rock at 7 knots hard enough bring the boat to a STOP

And on a 7' draft boat it did damage in places you cant even imagine about 24" for and aft of the keel

Its easy to find pictures of shredded boats from much more minor incidents

 

[zeehag]

the aground the aegean ran aground in was sheer cliffs with some caves. no real beach like grounding places-- those will make a helluva dent in your day. most of west coat is rocky sheers and lee shore with sandy beaches in coves and bahias that can be difficult to enter. los coronados havent any sandy beaches or low level rocks for beaching kinds of running aground-- coronados grounding is more like grinding and bashing and clobbering. swells are usually not flat. with a southerly drift and swells from nw----not gonna find much intact.

 

[RobertLangdirect]

Here is another report that fills in some of the blanks. Someone I talked to last weekend had been interviewed by the CG who told him they had been unable to find the keel, drive train or rig. This may properly put the issue to rest with this discovery. Lousy luck to hit the island where it did.
http://www.ocregister.com/news/aegean-370013-moore-sailors.html

From the linked report, "How and why the experienced sailors aboard the well-equipped Aegean could have made the fatal mistake of slamming into the island has yet to be determined – and may never be. The sailors had not been drinking alcohol, according to toxicology reports."