Sailboat slams into speedboat

Wobble

Charter Member
Boat-us sent this out, an incredible chain of events to say the least

http://www.boatus.com/seaworthy/justice.asp

This is how it starts

"At approximately 9:30 p.m. on April 29, 2006, five friends on a 27’ O’Day were sailing toward their marina on California’s Clear Lake. It was an almost moonless night, very dark, with barely a hint of wind. The sailboat was ghosting through the water when a 385 hp, 24’ Baja Outlaw with three people aboard sped through the darkness and struck the sailboat’s starboard stern quarter.

According to forensic experts, the Baja ramped over the sailboat and crushed the cabin bulkhead, leaving prop marks in the deck. Much of the sailboat’s cabin top was torn off and its aluminum mast was sheared completely off at the base. The Baja exited on the port bow. Although the O’Day had rolled heavily to starboard and taken on water, both boats remained afloat. All five people on the sailboat suffered injuries, ranging from cuts and bruises to broken ribs and concussions. A 51-year-old woman, Lyn Thornton, who was the fiancée of the boat’s owner, Mark Weber, died a few days later from her injuries. The sailboat was insured through the BoatU.S. Marine Insurance program.

After a brief investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, 39-year-old Bismark Dinius, who had been at the helm of the sailboat, was charged with manslaughter and faces up to four years in jail. The driver of the powerboat, Deputy Sheriff Russell Perdock, was not charged. Perdock is the number two official at the Lake County Sheriff’s Department."
 
what is the term "ghosting"? Would that be sailing/under way with no lights? (which i see all the time here in the great lakes)
 
The "experts" concluded that the rear nav light was on as were the cabin lights.

Yes, I read that. Nonetheless, the image conjured in my mind by the use of the word "ghosting" was that it was silent and dark. But maybe that is a sailing term, and I am not aware of it.

I tend to believe that it was lit, based on the article.

But now that I think of it, it is in BoatUS interest to make me think that.
 
cabin lights mean nothing for night time illumination. I've actually almost run into one ass hat sailboater that had absolutely no lights on his vessel at all but when i approached he shined a flashlight into his sails. Yes i did turn around and heated words were exchanged and this dipschit still didnt get it.
 
Both sides of this story have an agenda of some type, it would appear that the cops are covering for their guy, and boat us is trying to avoid paying out all types of insurance claim. I'm sure after you sift through the bs, the truth is hiding in there somewhere.
 
Hum..... The title of the thread says sail boat slams into speed boat. Am I reading something wrong here or is it the other way around?
 
I've seen this subject on other web sites as well. It's going to push a lot of people's hot buttons...
 
That is one very unfortunate story. And also shows', how the law can be abused/ mis-used, when its applied against a member of a law enforcement agency. I do hope, that Bismark Dinus, is found not guilty, since based upon what I have read, he is being used as the Fall-Guy for the whole incident.
 
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