BANGOR (AP) – A Coast Guard report says the fishing vessel Candy B II may have sunk because it was unstable after being refitted for scalloping. Four Maine crewmen were lost when the boat went down off Cape Cod on Oct. 10, 2003.

But the final report on the Coast Guard investigation also says there’s “insufficient evidence” to determine exactly what caused the 46-foot, wooden-hull boat to sink in 200 feet of water southeast of Nantucket, Mass.

The report, obtained through the federal Freedom of Information Act, says alterations to the Maine-based vessel diminished its stability, possibly causing it to roll and sink, the Bangor Daily News said.

Winds were blowing in a northeasterly direction at 35 knots, and seas were running 10 to 12 feet, according to fishing vessel reports the day the Candy B II sank.

“It is clear that the vessel’s stability was significantly reduced by the modifications (additions) made for scalloping,” an investigator wrote. “The son of the previous owner, who crewed for KPW LLC up until about two trips before the sinking, verified that when the dredge was hauled over the side, the vessel heeled terribly.”‘

Scott Knowlton of Waldoboro owned the boat with Dave Witham, also of Waldoboro, and Douglas P. Pittelko of Mountain Green, Utah, who operated under the corporate name of KPW LLC. Lost at sea were Howard “Cappy” Crudell, 38, of Warren; Adrian Randall, 25, of Rockland; Ralph “Bubba” Boyington Jr., 34, of Waldoboro; and Brandon “B.J.” Feyler, 17, of Union. The boat’s home port was Waldoboro.

The report says no distress or other radio calls from the vessel were heard by or reported to the Coast Guard.

“The fact that the life raft was never found suggests it became tangled in the rigging, which further suggests the vessel rolled over,” the report says. It points out other known or suspected problems with Candy B II, such as deck drainage that easily became blocked and recent equipment failures.

AP-ES-02-11-05 0215EST

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