VESSEL 1 OWNED AND OPERATED LEFT THE AIRLEE WEST DOCK AT OR AROUND 8:15 PM.  OPERATOR AND OCCUPANT RODE AROUND WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH THROUGH BANKS AND MOTTS CHANNEL.  OPERATOR STATED THAT THEY STOPPED BY BLUEWATER TO LOOK AROUND FOR A WHILE.  AT OR AROUND 9:30PM, VESSEL 1 HIT THE PIER.  OPERATOR STATED THAT HE USUALLY USES A SPOTLIGHT WHILE OPERATING AT NIGHT, BUT HIS SPOTLIGHT WAS NOT WORKING.  THEREFORE, HE COULD NOT SEE THE CHANNEL MARKERS.  OPERATOR SAID HE THOUGHT HE WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CHANNEL.  OPERATOR BELIEVED HIS VESSEL WAS ON PLANE WHEN HE HIT THE PIER.  ONCE THE VESSEL HIT THE PIER, OPERATOR SAID HIS VESSEL CAME TO A STOP.  VESSEL 1 PROP GOT CAUGHT IN A WIRE ANCHOR FROM THE PIER.  VESSEL 1 HAD NUMEROUS SCRATCHES DOWN BOTH SIDES OF THE HULL.  A PIECE OF WOOD FROM THE PIER WAS STUCK THROUGH THE FIBERGLASS ON THE STARBOARD SIDE HULL.  THERE WAS ALSO ANOTHER HOLE IN THE FIBERGLASS ON THE SAME SIDE.  THE PIER WAS COMPLETELY TORN DOWN AT GROUND LEVEL.  THE WIRE ANCHOR THAT HELD THE PIER TO THE GROUND WAS CUT INTO.  OPERATOR SAID THAT HE HAD TWO BEERS TO DRINK OVER THE WHOLE DAY AND HE DID NOT DRINK ANYTHING WHEN THEY STOPPED AT BLUEWATER.
WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH            