VESSEL ONE AND VESSEL TWO WERE BOTH FISHING IN A BASS TOURNAMENT ON 3/24/12.  THE TOURNAMENT LAUNCHED AT 7:00 AM MIDWAY MARINA.  AT APPROXIMATELY 7:10AM BOTH VESSELS WERE APPROACHING ROCKY CREEK ON LAKE NORMAN.  VESSEL ONE WAS AHEAD OF VESSEL TWO AND WAS THE STAND ON VESSEL.  VESSEL TWO WAS BEHIND VESSEL ONE AND WAS THE OVERTAKING VESSEL.  VESSEL ONE STARTED TO TURN INTO ROCKY CREEK AND DECELERATED TO FISH THE SHOAL.  VESSEL TWO STARTED TO TURN INTO ROCKY CREEK STILL AT CRUISING SPEED AND FAILED TO YIELD TO THE STAND ON VESSEL.  AT THAT TIME VESSEL ONE OBSERVED WHAT WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN AND TURNED HIS VESSEL TO THE PORT SIDE (LEFT SIDE).  VESSEL TWO ALSO OBSERVED AT THE LAST MOMENT WHAT WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN AND TURNED HIS VESSEL HARD TO THE STARBOARD SIDE (RIGHT SIDE).  VESSEL TWO STRUCK THE STARBOARD STERN OF VESSEL ONE WITH THE PORT BOW OF VESSEL 2 APPROXIMATELY 61 INCHES BACK FROM THE BOW OF THE BOAT WITH THE MAIN IMPACT POINT AT APPROXIMATELY 80 INCHES BACK FROM THE BOW PORT SIDE.  THE DAMAGE ON VESSEL 2 WENT APPROXIMATELY 16 FEET BACK FROM THE BOW OF THE VESSEL TO THE STERN.  THE DAMAGE INCLUDED FIBERGLASS AND TRIM DAMAGE TO VESSEL TWO.  VESSEL ONE HAD AN IMPACT POINT ON THE STRBOARD STERN OF THE VESSEL IN THE BEND OF THE VESSEL APPROXIMATELY 12 INCHES DOWN FROM THE TOP OF THE VESSEL'S GUNNEL.  THE MOTOR OF VESSEL ONE HAD SCRATCHES AND TRIM TRANSFER ON IT AND THE STARBOARD SIDE HAD FIBERGLASS AND TRIM DAMAGE 16.5 INCHES TOWARD THE BOW FROM THE STERN.  BOTH VESSELS CAME TO A STOP AND OPERATED TO PINNACLE ACCESS AREA TO MEET WITH THE TOURNAMENT SUPERVISOR AND NCWRC WHERE THE BOAT ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION OCCURRED.

BASED ON THE EVIDENCE AND STATEMENTS I HAVE CONDUCTED, I CONCLUDE THAT THE OPERATOR OF VESSEL TWO'S NEGLIGENT INATTENTION OF HIS RESPONSIBILITIES AS THE OVERTAKING VESSEL WAS THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT.  ALCOHOL WAS NOT A FACTOR NOR INVOLVED IN THIS ACCIDENT.  BOTH VESSELS WERE WEARING THEIR PFDS.  DURING THE INVESTIGATION IT WAS EVIDENT TO ME THAT BOTH VESSELS WERE MOVING AT CRUISING SPEED BASED ON THE IMPACT POINTS/WATERLINE ON EACH VESSEL, AND BOTH VESSELS AT THE LAST MOMENT TRIED TO AVOID THE ACCIDENT.
MOORESVILLE                   