V1 was exiting Mill Cove (traveling north)  from the east end at the mouth of the Harbour's North Channel.  V1 struck a submerged dredge pipe.  Vessel and motor were damaged.

Operator said he was traveling north exiting Mill Cove at the east end near the mouth of the Harbour's North Channel.  He said he had a passenger and he was operating his vessel FL9888RY.  He said he was traveling approximately 38 MPH when he struck a submerged dredge pipe at approximately 12:30 pm.  He said he had extensive damage to his transom and engine cowling.    He said there were some floating balls to the west of him on top of the pipe but there was a significant amount of pipe stretching to the east with no markings and the pipe was not marked at all where he struck it.  

The next day Operator returned to the area where he struck the pipe and photographed a red ball marking the pipe that was completely submerged beneath the surface.  U.S. Coast Guard Lt. J.G. told me that they began broadcasting a notice Mariners after Operator reported this incident to Coast Guard. 

On 5-13-13 Operator e-mailed me photo's of his vessels damage and the photo he took of the submerged red ball. The photographs showed large cracks in the transom of the vessel.  Operator said that he sent his vessel to the Manufacture (Egret Boat Company) and they said the vessel was totaled.  He said his insurance company paid the Egret boat company approximately $29,000 to build him a new boat and they paid his mechanic approximately $4,000 for removing the motor on the vessel and making repairs to the engine cowling.  He also said that his St. Croix fishing pole was damaged which was worth approximately $130  I estimated Operator's damage at $24,000 because the boat is 6 years old.

On 5-06-13 I contacted the USCG and spoke to Lieutenant and asked him to investigate to make sure the markers and lighting on the dredge pipe were incompliance with U.S. Coast Guard standards and he agreed to investigate.  I advised him that there have been multiple incidents (4 reported to FWC) of boats striking the same dredge pipe recently.  

On May 8th I was contacted by Lt. J.G. of U.S. Coast Guard Sector Mayport  He informed me the U.S. Coast Guard along with the Army Corps of Engineers were going to investigate to see if the lights and markers in Mill Cove that are marking the dredge pipe were incompliance with Coast Guard Regulations.  He said that Dredge America was the company dredging Harbour Waterway Channel in Mill Cove for the Harbour Waterway Association.  He produced a Army Corps of Engineer issued permit(SAJ1993-01030-PRJ) showing that Dredge America had a permit to dredge in Mill Cove and told me the project manager involved in this permit.
JACKSONVILLE