GL: Sunken Yacht in the ICW near Belhaven, NC

[Dave Cooper]

<Randy wrote in part: The navigable water in that river is approximately 1/2
mile wide at that point and there is plenty of room for awide pass.>

It would seem that prudent navigation in a 2500' wide channel wouldn't be to
"hug the edge" at any speed. We cruise thru many many miles of water with no
nav aids at all. Hugging the edge of anything gets the pucker factor up. At
22 knots the depth sounder is useless. You're on and over the shallow before
it ever registered.

So speed is OK and I love it but this guy certainly was running fast in an
area that if he hadn't hit the marker he may have been just seconds from
running aground as he didn't know where he was, IMHO. He may have thought he
did but in fact he didn't.

We slow from our "fast" speed of 7-8 kts down to 2 or so when we are unsure
of the location of reef & shallows. Last week we ran softly up on a hump in
the middle of nowhere surrounded by 50+ ft of water. Would have torn Swan
Song up if I'd been at 8 kts.

So I guess I'd give this guy an F for navigation and something similar for
good sense.

As always YMMV...

Dave & Nancy
Swan Song
Roughwater 58