RedactedNarrative: At approximately 1430 hrs the operator of vessel 1 (V1) and six passengers departed from Williams Park Boat Ramp on the Alafia River for a boat trip to Pine Island in Tampa Bay. The operator reports the vessel speed was cruising (20-30 MPH) prior to the accident.  After passing through Day Marker number 9 and 10 on the entrance channel to the Alafia River, vessel 1 departed the channel to the south.
  V1 operator had V1 on plane (approximately 20-30 MPH) and turning to port (left) when V1 passengers and operator saw an object in the water (later identified as a section of dredge pipe) off the bow.  Due to the proximity of the object, operator of V1 could not stop in time to avoid the allision.  V1 traveled over top of the dredge pipe and lifted the stern of the vessel up.  Concurrently water started to enter the bilge of the vessel.  There were no reported injuries
  V1 operator and passengers donned personal floatation devices on the two minors onboard and noted the vessel was starting to sink.  V1 operator with the assistance of a good Samaritan contacted emergency services and Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office marine unit arrived on scene and towed the vessel back to the dock at Williams Park Boat Ramp. At the boat ramp the vessel was trailered and showed the outboard drive unit separated from its flange and only being held on by cables.  The separation allowed for free communication with the sea (sea water freely entering the inside of the vessel).
  Upon completion of my interview with the operator and passengers of V1, I went to the reported accident scene location with Hillsborough County Sheriff’s marine unit.  I found dredge pipe at the water’s surface and on scene weather of approximately 1-ft seas and winds of 5-10kts.  I contacted the dredge pipe operator on the dredge vessel. V2 dredge operator reported crews working on the dredge pipe earlier in the morning, but they did not sink the pipe. The V2 dredge operator noted they are required to sink the dredge pipe. I noted dredge pipe at the water’s surface and using GPS estimated the approximate distance to the nearest westerly buoy was 273-feet and the approximate distance to the nearest easterly buoy was 104-feet.  There was a noticeable section of the exposed dredge pipe without barnacle growth as if to suggest it had been removed by an object moving over top of it.
  