ACCORDING TO THE STATEMENTS OF THE OPERATOR/OWNER, she WAS HEADING NORTH UP CURRITUCK SOUND IN THE ICW CHANNEL ON HER SAILBOAT AT APPROXIMATELY 6 KNOTTS.  SHE HAD HER CHART PLOTTER ON AND WAS CAREFULLY WATCHING HER LOCATION WITHIN THE CHANNEL.  HER BOAT SUDDENLY STOPPED PROGRESS REARED UP AND SETTLED BACK INTO PLACE.  SHE TRIED TO BACK UP AND WAS UNSUCCESSFUL FOR A FEW MINUTES.  SHE HEARD LOTS OF NOISES COMING FROM THE BOAT AS IF IT WERE BREAKING APART AND FINALLY WAS ABLE TO BACK OFF, AND COULD SEE THE CHANNEL MARKER BARELY ABOVE THE WATER SURFACE.  THE CHANNEL MARKER HAD EVIDENTLY BEEN HIT BY A BARGE AT AN EARLIER TIME (ROUGHLY TWO WEEKS) WHICH HAD BENT IT DOWN INTO THE WATER, THEN NO BUOY NOR MARKER WAS PLACED TO INDICATE THE LOCATION OF THE MARKER DIRECTLY UNDER THE SURFACE.  SHE CALLED FOR HELP ON THE RADIO.  THE BOAT FILLED WITH WATER IN APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES.  A LOCAL FISHERMAN CAME OUT TO RESCUE HER.  SHE PUT ON HER PFD AND PUT HER PERSONAL BELONGINGS IN A PACK AND BROUGHT THEM TO THE FISHING BOAT WITH HER.  THE WATER FINALLY SWAMPED OUT THE ENGINE AND SHE LEFT THE BOAT WITH WATER APPROXIMATELY A FOOT DEEP ABOVE THE DECK, AND LEANING ON ITS SIDE IN THE SHALLOW WATERS.  SHE INDICATED THAT SHE WAS ALERT AND PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO HER CHART PLOTTER AND WAS NOT UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ANY ALCOHOL OR DRUGS.  SHE INDICATED THAT SHE HAD A LIFELONG EXPERIENCE WITH SAILING AND BOAT OPERATION, AS WELL AS 26,000 NAUTICAL MILES ON THE PHAROS.  SHE INDICATED SHE WAS CONCERNED THAT THERE HAD BEEN NO BUOY OR MARKER PUT OUT TO WARN OF THE CHANNEL MARKER BELOW THE SURFACE, AND THAT THERE HAD BEEN ONE PUT OUT ONLY AFTER SHE HAD LOST HER BOAT.  SHE ALSO INDICATED THAT SHE HAD NOT SUSTAINED ANY INJURIES.  AT THIS TIME THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS HITTING THE SUBMERGED CHANNEL MARKER DUE TO ITS LACK OF VISIBILITY.  NO CHARGES HAVE BEEN FILED.
CURRITUCK                     