On July 5, 2013, at approximately 15:30 I received a call from the National Park Service dispatch about a house boat that collided with another boat in the Bullfrog Marina. Dispatched informed me that there were no injuries and that executive services are requesting an officer. 

I responded to executive office at the covered slips. In talking with executive services they explained that a houseboat named Summer Sun was in the covered slip marina when it struck a boat docked in H-6 and H-8. I requested the contact information of all boats involved. I asked the Aramark employee if she knew about the location of the Summer Sun houseboat she said she did not know. 

Looking over the damage of the vessel docked in H-6 a 50ft Sea Ray. I found that the bow anchored of the Sea Ray to be pushed towards the port side of the vessel. The anchor was detached from the boat, but still connected to the anchor line. I also noted fiberglass damage from where the anchored plate was broken off. I found this to be the only damage to the Sea Ray. The house boat docked next to Sea Ray in H-8 slip had no visible damage. While conducting my on scene investigation several people told me that they saw the accident. These people said that the houseboat Summer Sun hit the Sea Ray and that one of the pontoons hit the swim platform on the docked houseboat. They went on to give me a description of the driver of the houseboat as a heavy set, bald, African American male.    

I finished up with my on scene investigation and stopped by executive services to pick up all the information on the boats involved. While in the office I found out the houseboat Summer Sun was on the way to the fuel dock.

 I made contact with the houseboat Summer Sun and identified the operator from the description given to me. I then began to question the driver. I first asked if he was driving the boat while it was at the marina in the covered slips. Operator1 said yes. I then asked if he knew he hit another boat at the slips he said that he did know and contacted executive as he was leaving the marina. Operator1 went on to explain that because of the wind he did not want to sit in the marina and cause more damage so he left. While he was outside of the covered slips marina he contacted executive services to let them know what happened and that he requested help piloting the houseboat over to the fuel dock. I asked Operator1 what happened. He said that he was leaving the dock and was looking forward down the slips when he heard a noise. He did not know exactly what happen but knew he hit something. Looking over the front port side of Operator1's houseboat I found the canvas along the hand rail to have a triangle hole. This is similar shape and size of the anchor from the Sea Ray.

The following day I contacted the owner of the Sea Ray over the phone to let him know his boat was damaged. I explained to him that I would need his boat and insurance information to complete my report.  

In talking with the eyewitness's and Operator1 I have come to a conclusion on what took place. Operator1 was coming into the Bullfrog covered slips area heading east during a wind storm. After docking along the main walk way (port side), Operator1 then turn west to leave the dock however the wind was making difficult. As Operator1 completed his turn heading west, the houseboat (Summer Sun) clipped the anchor of the Sea Ray docked in H-6 with the hand rail. The anchor was caught in the upright of the handrail until it broke off the Sea Ray. The houseboat Summer Sun then drove up and off the swim platform of the houseboat docked in H-8. Once cleared of the marina and out in open water Operator1 contacted executive services to notified them and have an executive service captain come out to the boat to drive it over to the fuel dock. 

I feel that Operator1's inexperience was the main cause of the accident along with the s
Bullfrog