Doofus Of The Day #484

Today's winner comes from Birmingham in England.

This is the moment the aptly named Titanic II lived up to expectations by sinking on her maiden voyage.

Just like the doomed liner 99 years ago, the rather more modest, 16ft cabin cruiser went down after taking on water.

Hapless owner Mark Wilkinson was left floundering as the vessel disappeared beneath the waves.




Bemused holidaymakers looked on while Mr Wilkinson, from Birmingham, was pulled out of the sea by the local harbour master.

But unlike her namesake, Titanic II was saved from a watery grave when it was later towed out of West Bay harbour in Dorset.

Mark, aged in his 40s, said afterwards: 'If it wasn't for the harbour master I would have gone down with the Titanic.

'It's all a bit embarrassing and I got pretty fed up with people asking me if I had hit an iceberg.'

Mark had recently taken ownership of the second hand boat and towed it from his home to the south coast for its first outing.

He enjoyed a successful fishing trip in Lyme Bay but as the cabin dory boat entered the harbour a large hole opened up in the fibre-glass hull.

Mark tried to pump the water out but was forced to abandoned ship when the boat sunk stern first.

There's more at the link.

Well, if you will name your piddling little boat for one of the greatest maritime disasters in history, what do you expect?





Peter