Sunday, February 26, 2006

Shaft Packing Seal Blamed in Deaths

On February 5th two Florida men died when the brand new 35-foot Carolina Classic they had just picked up from the factory in Edenton, NC sank in the intercoastal waterway near Oriental. There was a lot of debate about what had caused the new boat to sink less than 70 miles from the factory on the same day it was picked up. The boat was raised from 18 feet of water and towed in for examination. Investigators have now determined that a severe leak around the port shaft packing seal lead to the sinking but questions about way the packing seal leaked and other circumstances surrounding the deaths are still unanswered. The Carolina Classic was equipped with three bilge pumps that were each rated at 2,000 gallons per hour and the boat sank less than a mile from shore. More on the investigation is available from the Jacksonville Daily News.

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