Winnipesaukee,
Why is it with each of your posts you half apologize and then you finish by putting your foot back in your mouth? Doesn't your mouth get sore after a while?
I suggest you stop blaming the captain until you know why the boat sank. (I feel sorry for any defendant that ends up with you on the jury.)
We're talking a brand new boat here Buckwheat; unless the captain was operating the boat irratically or had it overloaded I really can't hold the captain much to blame in this case.
The bilge pump would have been shooting water out the side of the hull at the dock/ramp had the plug been out. I've seen more than one boat sink at the ramp due to no plug. Most bilge pumps can't even keep up with "only" the plug being out.
The boat sank; thankfully everyone made it off. PERIOD!
Those kids from the boat went back to school with a whopper of a "What I did this summer" story.
In the end we all have learned from this.......wear your preserver.
My 2 cents.
CZ