VESSEL WAS A 35'6" CABIN MOTORBOAT WITH 3 PEOPLE ON BOARD.  THE VESSEL LEFT AT 7:30P P.M. IT WAS DARK THAT EVENING NO MOON THE VESSEL WAS EQUIPPED WITH A GPS CHARTPLOTTER WITH THE LATEST PLATINUM VERSION, A PAIR OF INFRARED NIGHT-VISION SCOPES.  VESSEL ROUNDED AN ISLAND WEST BOUND AND STARTED TO HEAD NORTH INTO THE COVE AREA.  OPERATOR STARTED TO THROTTLE BACK WHEN IT HIT AN UNSEEN OBSTRUCTION IN WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT 25 FEET OF WATER.  UPON IMPACT, THE VESSEL HEELED OVER ALMOST 90 DEGREES TO PORT AND THEN CAME TO A STOP.  OPERATOR CHECKED ON HIS PASSENGERS AND THEY WERE JUST SHAKEN AND SLIGHTLY BRUISED.  OPERATOR CHECKED FOR ANY BILGE PUMP INDICATORS, SEEING NONE THE BEST ACTION WAS TO IMMEDIATELY MAKE WAY FOR A BEACH.  OPERATOR SECURED THE BOAT TO THE BEACH WITH THE ANCHOR AND INSPECTED THE HULL FOR DAMAGE BY FLASHLIGHT.  THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE HULL AT THE POINT WHERE THE BOW THRUSTER IS MOUNTED.  THE NEXT DAY THE OPERATOR COULD NOT REACH ANYONE TO TOW THE VESSEL BACK TO THE MARINA.  WITH PFDS ON, THE VESSEL AND THE PASSENGERS MADE WAY BACK TO THE MARINA AS QUICK AS WAS SAFE TO AVOID TAKING ON TOO MUCH WATER.  BY THE TIME THE VESSEL REACHED THE MARINA THE WATER WAS AT CARPET LEVEL IN THE LOWER STATEROOM.  NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.  $43,277.00 IN DAMAGE REPORTED TO HULL AT AND ABOVE BOW THRUSTER AND TO STARBOARD SIDE, PLUS BOTH OUTDRIVES.
HENDERSON                     