On May 20th, 2023, at approximately 11:30 AM, I, Ofc. and Cpl., both of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, were on boat patrol aboard NRP 877 in the South River. We received a call from DNR Communications regarding a boating accident that occurred on May 19th, 2023, at approximately 3:00 PM in Selby Bay on the South River at Holiday Point Marina. The caller was the owner of a struck vessel.  I spoke with Subject1 on the phone and arranged to meet him at his vessel and arrived at approximately 12:04 PM. Subject1 was aboard his 2002 Green 35-foot Chesapeake Yacht Clipper Catamaran with Virginia registration at Holiday Point Marina.

Subject1 provided me with all documentation of the vessel and showed me where another vessel, a white 2002 21-foot Reliable MFG model 21CC with Maryland registration, struck his port outboard engine Skeg. I took pictures of the engine and the vessel and performed an inspection of Subject1’s vessel. Subject1 was provided a witness statement to fill out and Subject1 took me over to where the striking vessel was located. The striking vessel's transom displayed the name "Rocco." I then took pictures of the striking vessel which are included in this report. Subject1 and the operator of the striking vessel exchanged information after the accident on May 20th, and Subject1 provided me with a picture of the driver’s license of the operator onboard the striking vessel. The operator of the striking vessel was the vessel’s registrant.

Subject1 initially believed the damage to be less than the reportable amount of $2,000 but had not received an estimate before my arrival. Subject1 reported that he was in the cabin of his vessel, while it was docked.  His girlfriend was on the center of the deck when the striking vessel came towards a bulkhead east of his vessel to dock. The striking vessel had two persons on board and put the vessel in reverse to correct its docking approach. While the vessel was in bare steerage reverse, the port side quarter of the striking vessel contacted the port outboard engine skeg of the docked catamaran. A scrape occurred on the striking vessel’s port quarter that was approximately 2 feet and ¼ inch wide. There was a 7 to 8-inch portion that had about a ¼ inch gouge in the fiberglass on the striking vessel. The outboard engine on the catamaran, a 2022 25-horsepower Tohatsu, was knocked out of its alignment on the transom mounting bracket. I told Subject1 to contact me if the damage on his outboard engine exceeded 2,000 dollars. Subject1’s witness statement is included in this report. Subject1 does not have insurance for his vessel and Operator1 has Erie insurance for his vessel.

Weather conditions at the time of the accident were cloudy and daylight with good visibility. The air temperature was 75 degrees Fahrenheit, and the water temperature was 67 degrees Fahrenheit. Water conditions were calm with no strong current or hazardous waters. Sustained winds of 16 miles per hour were coming from the East-southeast.

On June 1st, 2023, at 12:55 PM, Subject1 contacted me by phone and advised that the Erie Insurance Company sent a marine surveyor to assess the damage to his vessel. The damage to the outboard engine was a bent steering tube, a bent yoke in the motor bracket, and a bent steering lock with an estimated replacement cost of $3,960 but at the time of this report, the estimate is verbal. I called Operator1 at 7:29 PM on June 1st, 2023, and provided him the report number. Operator1 did not provide an estimate for the damage to his vessel. Based on my prior knowledge, training, and experience, Fiberglass repairs of that size typically cost between $500-$1500 dollars.

All events occurred in Anne Arundel County.

This case is closed.
Selby Bay, Holiday Point Marin
Edgewater                     