Glad no one was seriously injured

Stupid accident. Even in a squall, GPS should have told him where he was, and radar should have picked up a rock big enough to impact the bow like that. I'll be interested in reading the report when the investigation is completed.

Yeah, I would have thought so too. Rocks don't move around too much..

I'm not a boating expert (or novice) but the tarp is on the upper part of the boat and "the damage was above the waterline"

How does one strike a rock with the deck of the boat? I just can't picture the deck going into the sea and hitting a rock without also damaging the lower part of the ship. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/titanic.gif" alt="" />

I don't know anything about boats either, but the only way I could see it happening is if you're docking the boat, for instance, somewhere that there are rocks sticking out of the water above the water line. Otherwise, as you say, doesn't make any sense.

There are several large, exposed rocks around Ile Forchue. Several have what look to be pretty vertical faces - such that you could ram the bow into it but not necessarily "run aground". Just guessing of course - I haven't gotten close enough to them to test this theory...

In a squall with bad/zero visibility and perhaps loss of control, I could see running into one and damaging the deck but not holing the boat.

OK, thanks for the sailors' viewpoint.

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