Retrieving Anchor Caused Capsize OF NFL Players' Boat

Jane, do you have a copy of the FWC accident report? Also please see my blog on this subject on the IB Mississippi blog.

I wish I could read what the one survivor stated about how they attempted to free the anchor. Having grown up on the coast of Rhode Island (and having been rescued by the Coast Guard, for what amounted to a stupid idea to tie the mainsail so everyone inside could really make the boat keel.) I have an idea about what they attempted and it was a mistake from the start. Captain Krause is probably being misquoted. He is talking about dislodging the anchor that was stuck on the bottom. More than likely attempts to pull the anchor up manually failed to free the anchor from whatever it was stuck on. After manual attempts failed they probably considered using the power of the engine by revving the engine in forward and reverse, and out of frustration revved it higher and higher; which when going either forward and in reverse caused the side of the boat with the anchor line on it to fall below the water line resulting in the boat’s capsizing. Of course if it were done extremely fast would throw all aboard into the water. Once in the water they needed to get lifejackets on (and being so far out they probably needed a life raft of some sort) and to stay right the boat, a feat that would be very difficult but not impossible. First they should have taken turns diving under to retrieve the vests and remove everything they could from inside the boat. The boat appears to have had an outboard motor which could have had the motor removed with a couple of hand turning levers. I would have dropped that into the ocean because at that point it had little value and getting out of the water to avoid hypothermia would be more important. Next, they needed to position themselves all on one side of the boat and to stand on the gunnels while (on a sail boat you can hold onto the ) pulling across the bottom by way of fixed rope across the bottom and onto the frame of the roof on the opposite side. This creates leverage for “turtleing” the boat back right side up. With the weight of four football players they should have been able to be right the boat. One person gets inside and starts bailing while the others hang onto the sides. Eventually everyone gets inside and bails till it’s dry. They then sit and wait for the Coast Guard.

Now a bit about revving the engine throttle to free the anchor; it’s not a very smart thing to do. We all have done it but this is what can happen; and most boat owners know it. Cut the line and forget the anchor. First try moving in different directions but only if the line hasn’t shortened up so much that you can’t move the boat in any one direction without the bow dropping down dangerously close towards the water line.

Jerry, I did find the FWC report in Adobe format. Its 12 pages long and I’m going to read it and post later today. A quick scan indicates my hunch is correct.