Quote:
Originally Posted by VitaBene
I'm sorry but I will be shocked if it was not operator error. I think that BR scooped water. I can't believe that short of the outdrive falling off leaving a huge hole that any other opening (transducer) etc would overcome the bilge pump.
If there is a lesson to be learned- trim up (just a few degrees) and keep your bow cover on when the weather gets rough. That open bow creates a giant scoop.
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To preface, I grew up on this lake and also spent several years living in Michigan and boated on the big water of all the Great Lakes except Superior. All in my measely 22ft Formula. It's not the size of the boat that is the problem in this case. Winni, contrary to many folk's opinion, is not a big lake. As in all circumstances, it is up to the Captain of the boat to make the right decisions and the most important of these includes mating his choice of craft in which to ply the waters with his experience and seamanship.
Having said that, I also believe that the captain of this boat stuffed the bow into a wave that flooded and consequently caused the boat to go down...I admit that this is purely speculation on my part.
For the record I do not believe that Cobalt is capable of a producing a structural defect that would cause one of it's boats to sink. A Bayliner maybe, not a Cobalt
IMHO, the captain kept his nose into the wind and had a wave come over the bow. And short of a maintenance issue, I believe that this was the cause of sinking. If he was travelling in the opposite direction, my experience tells me that a boat of this size in rough water couldn't go fast enough and then back down on the throttle in those conditions to take that amount of water over the rear of the boat to cause it to flood.
IMHO, bowwriders and big waves do not mix well. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that having an open bow is a bad idea in rough water.