Sunk Houseboat Lake Powell

[DaveH]

Not the same one we saw out there, but close. I REALLY wanted to go down that slide.

“Mrs. Lucky”

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these Adonia boats are all over there now. killer slide but there is a pair of these Adonia boats that have an entire floating water park. must take days to get it set up. looks like something off a TV show.

 

[HgH Vltg]

Looks very similar to a gentleman that just took ownership of a brand new M37r, regardless tho possessions can be replaced, hopefully there wasn’t any injuries etc.

It's a different boat.

 

[CLdrinker]

Took on water through the vents to engine compartment? Gotta be more to this.

Bilge pumps was to expensive of an upgrade.

 

[RVRKID]

Don’t think he will be piloting anymore boats if this is true.

 

[bk2drvr]

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Don’t think he will be piloting anymore boats if this is true.

Bummer for this new captain if its true but that boat shouldn't sink in choppy water. Of all the houseboats out there this one should handle choppy water better than any of them. If in fact the engine breather vents took on water I'd love to hear the manufacturers explanation for this. Crappy deal all around. This story keeps getting worse. I think its the Anchor bag guys fault, J.k.

 

[TVMNick]

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Don’t think he will be piloting anymore boats if this is true.

I don't believe this is true, I will verify but it was my understanding that the pilot who was onboard at the time is one of the pilots I've known at APM for years and he is very capable. My suspicion is Knockers lost an exhaust bellow and filled the bilge, then got caught in the microburst which caused the boat to list and started taking water through the transom vents. In short a series of cumulative issues caused a major issue.

Beyond that, there isn't really much to driving these houseboats once out in the main channel, I'm not sure what error the captain could have made to cause this other than not keeping the bow into the wind during the microburst, but the direction of travel was favorable for him keeping the bow into the wind. I truly feel the exhaust bellow started the issue. We have another friend with a similar sized Adonia that lost a bellow last year and filled the bilge enough that it scared him.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Maybe this was a planned sink?

 

[77charger]

Bummer for this new captain if its true but that boat shouldn't sink in choppy water. Of all the houseboats out there this one should handle choppy water better than any of them. If in fact the engine breather vents took on water I'd love to hear the manufacturers explanation for this. Crappy deal all around. This story keeps getting worse. I think its the Anchor bag guys fault, J.k.

Agree a modern boat like that should handle powell water.they know where boat will be used and conditions it will face. Add to that with a boat that size an extra water pump can fit somewhere to use in an emergency. Still think if acted on in timely matter airbags could have been attached to possibly save it. I’m sure an investigation will determine exact cause.

 

[NicPaus]

How much is a houseboat like that cost?

 

[Boat 405]

How much is a houseboat like that cost?

That version, probably close to 5 million probably. A week shared ownership is about $200,000 plus yearly dues

Typically they have about 10 - 15 owners. Each owner gets a week during peak season, then use of the boat at the dock during off season is included.

 

[TVMNick]

Maybe this was a planned sink?

Doubtful, the owner has a net worth in the hundreds of millions. I doubt committing a fraud for a few million is worth it to him.

I do agree that more could have been done to save this boat from hitting the bottom, several things in my view could have kept it above water. I'm truly curious to hear what is found about why so little was done to keep it from going to the bottom. I'm sure when I'm on the docks in a few weeks I will get more info from some of my friends in the marina.

 

[Lucky Larry]

That version, probably close to 5 million probably. A week shared ownership is about $200,000 plus yearly dues

Typically they have about 10 - 15 owners. Each owner gets a week during peak season, then use of the boat at the dock during off season is included.

How much is a houseboat like that cost?

Obviously prices have jumped in the last few years. And the sunk one looks bigger /newer~ but I had called Bravada a few years back and they said the 16” x 75” that my sister bought into was right around $1,000,000. They paid $63k for their 9 day 4th of July week when the boat was new. Laketime had a week in August available on the same boat 2 or 3 years ago for $29k. Not bad if you have 3 buddies that want to go in. Turnaround is a few grand for the week, plus an annual maintenance divided amongst the owners. Boat is 5 bd/3ba, 2 kitchens.

 

[TVMNick]

How much is a houseboat like that cost?

Depends on the spec and size. Adonia's start at a 18'x75' around $900K for a base spec and work up to their biggest offering a 124'x24' 5 deck that is about $5.8 million. A replication of Knockers would run about $3.5 million currently. When Knockers was new it ran in the high $2 million range, but that was also back in 2015.

 

[FROGMAN524]

Knockers was my favorite Adonia on the lake simply for the color. I took these pics in 2017.

 

[szobell]

I saw lots of thoughts of what might have happened, but does anyone have an update as to what really happened here?

 

[Spudsbud]

You can go 300' deep ?

hehehe...... you can "Go" as deep as you want !!!
Youmay not come back up.
Sport diver limit is 130' on compressed air.
Mixed gas, "Nitrox" no O2 slighly deep.
You can bounce dive (down and up) to 200'. I've done it. But your bottom time allowed is like 2 minutes.
300' ??? you aint coming back up...... alive anyway !

 

[Echo Lodge]

There was a little rock island in the middle of LC when we were there for Memorial weekend and week after. However, the water was rising and it might now be under water, but I'd imagine it's not very deep. It wasn't marked so just be mindful.

Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Bpracing1127]

So any new causes of sinking. I find it very hard to believe from choppy water

 

[Sherpa]

I wanna see some ROV pics of that boat on the bottom...........

 

[Duramax]

I just don't understand why pumps where not brought on when it started taking on water. It looked like they had PLENTY of time. They literally just sat back and watched it go down.

Horrible..

 

[Good Stuff]

I almost wonder if the “pilot” who was bringing it back in hit something. Just the way he went and shoved it up into the rock wall while it was still floating made me think he was trying to cover some damage. There had to be some seatow boats that could have made it there within an hour and started pumping more than any “Bilge vent leak” was letting in.

 

[Singleton]

I just don't understand why pumps where not brought on when it started taking on water. It looked like they had PLENTY of time. They literally just sat back and watched it go down.

Horrible..

Why did the pilot not call for help the minute something started going wrong. Not one support vessel in any pics makes you question the events more. Too many questions and we will never know the answers. The answers so far, just open up more questions. No way the bilge pump got overwhelmed IMO. Something big was allowing water in. I say bellows blew or one of the lowers broke off from the boat.

I worked the Powell houseboat dock during college. Only saw multiple HB go down and almost all where from water coming over the bow entry in huge waves and was 100% operator fault for not staying beached when we told them to wait out a storm.

 

[throttle]

Not openly talked about on the docks there a week ago, however some things are in the works to get down to it.

 

[oldschool]

Could you bring that up without destroying it in the process?

 

[Singleton]

Could you bring that up without destroying it in the process?

It is not coming up. Water is 250-300’ deep where it went down.
DOI would have to push the issue for insurance to play fetch IMO.

 

[Marios Metalworks]

I don’t believe it’s coming up either. The scope of a recovery project seams incredibly complex. Seams more logical for insurance to pay a fine which includes mitigation costs for any ecological impacts of the wreck.

Not only do you have some pretty significant depth to contend with, the lakes at 3500ft of altitude which is a whole different ball game. I can’t get my head around a commercial op popping divers into a decompression chamber like they did with the sunken houseboat recoveries following the marina fire at the north end of the lake.

 

[Boat 405]

Submersibles… not divers.

 

[Marios Metalworks]

Are you thinking manned or ROV?

 

[spectra3279]

Seems there should be enough cleats on a house boat to send an rov down and bag it. Lift it up to a reasonable depth, then divers can go and finish the job

 

[Marios Metalworks]

The whole recovery project has been an interesting challenge to navigate.

I believe the most plausible theory for recovery includes a commercial diving team supported by a working class ROV and a fleet of barges.

If the houseboat is laying upright in silt I don’t see it ever coming up in one piece. The amount of lift needed to overcome the suction between the bottom and the hull’s surface area has to be enormous. Then add in the complexity of reducing that lift drastically once it it is free and again as it nears the surface.

What about the location? I’m guessing the straights would need to be closed down during operations. I don’t think the barges would be free floating so most likely pinned to the canyon walls.

Assuming a million things go right and the heli deck sees the surface. What shallow water can they tow this thing to complete the float?

 

[Mandelon]

Why bring it up? Just wait a few more months and the lake level will be low enough they can drive out and put it on the trailer.

 

[Marios Metalworks]

“Welcome to Knockers…the upper upper Colorado’s premier river front AirBnB. Once under the water but now under the stars!”

 

[Boat 405]

Are you thinking manned or ROV?

ROV. They have done one at 350 ft at powell
In the past. A smaller boat alas, but air bags are incredibly powerful when used correctly. Im betting the NPS and other government agencies want it recovered and not sitting down there. Not to mention the insurance company is willing to spend significant coin to salvage before cutting a check

 

[Marios Metalworks]

Ideally it’s recovered but there’s a possibility that the best option is to let it sit. If the wreck isn’t leaching fuel, oil or black water now, trying to lift it could rupture those tanks.

Right now, the atmospheric pressure of 300ft is a pretty good insulator. Case in point federal officials were good with the north end of the lake acting as a safety envelope for radioactive mill tailings left over from the uranium boom.

Focusing on the lift part of the op I don’t believe cleats are going to cut it. I feel like most are built to to withstand sheer force but tension from a dead lift would prob rip the backplates out. Looking at pics of the superstructure and how it’s assembled, I’m wondering if you’d break the windows on the main deck and pilot a light working class ROV from port to starboard while dragging a lift line behind. I was surprised to see how robust they’re built.

What I’d like to examine next is what happens once it initially breaks the surface. Is it towed towards the marina or up lake? You’d have a ~35’ draft to deal with

 

[Boat 405]

Ideally it’s recovered but there’s a possibility that the best option is to let it sit. If the wreck isn’t leaching fuel, oil or black water now, trying to lift it could rupture those tanks.

Right now, the atmospheric pressure of 300ft is a pretty good insulator. Case in point federal officials were good with the north end of the lake acting as a safety envelope for radioactive mill tailings left over from the uranium boom.

Focusing on the lift part of the op I don’t believe cleats are going to cut it. I feel like most are built to to withstand sheer force but tension from a dead lift would prob rip the backplates out. Looking at pics of the superstructure and how it’s assembled, I’m wondering if you’d break the windows on the main deck and pilot a light working class ROV from port to starboard while dragging a lift line behind. I was surprised to see how robust they’re built.

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What I’d like to examine next is what happens once it initially breaks the surface. Is it towed towards the marina or up lake? You’d have a ~35’ draft to deal with

Someone showed a picture right after it went down of the oil slick from diesel fuel coming up. However it happens stays down or gets brought up it's gonna be a mess. And as time marches on the salvage value is dropping by the day.

 

[Dontmiss]

I know where it sank and it is definitely 300' deep there, I just saw it on my depth gauge last week. I don't know about stated reason for sinking, water in vents, seems like it would be something more than that. I will say, from Wahweap Marina to Antelope (which is where this sank) there is not much in the way of unmarked shallow spots, none that I know of in the middle of the channel which is where this boat would be running. That's not to say that the previous user or pilot didn't put it onto a rock while beaching it for a user then new pilot goes to bring it back and it starts going down.

What I don't get is:
1. Why can't bilge pumps keep up with water coming in engine vents?
2. Why are engine vents that low to allow water in?
3. Why does nobody get on that thing same day with massive water pumps and some float bags under it to save it?

Seems like if it doesn't go under until the next day that there was some lost opportunity there.

Either way there must have been an issue with some bolt on equipment because this just doesn't seem natural.

Will you please provide a “pin” on a map. I would like to know where it sank. Thanks in advance.
I have tried to find its location from the background in the photos and am not having success. I have heard it was between buoys 11 and 12. I am still struggling finding its location.

 

[Boat 405]

I heard from one of the storage yards in town they want it back up and out of there. I understand they’re waiting for the lake to reach a low point in March April to deal with the minimum depth required to bring it up. They being the park service and feds

 

[4Waters]

I heard from one of the storage yards in town they want it back up and out of there. I understand they’re waiting for the lake to reach a low point in March April to deal with the minimum depth required to bring it up. They being the park service and feds

That should be interesting, looking forward to those updates

 

[JFMFG]

I heard from one of the storage yards in town they want it back up and out of there. I understand they’re waiting for the lake to reach a low point in March April to deal with the minimum depth required to bring it up. They being the park service and feds

Someone better call Heavy D

 

[Orange Juice]

Home monitoring rates are going up in 2023….. you know, inflation.

 

[jetboatperformance]

If it had been a Jet this never would have happened .........Just sayin

 

[done]

Recreational dive limit is 130 feet.
32% nitrox limits to 113 feet.
1
At approx 110 feet on a HP steel 100 starting at 3200 psi my usual is about a 15-25 minute dive with 2 safety stops around 60 and 20 feet.

That boat at 300 is about beyond even rebreather tech rigs. Even with numerous 02 and canned gas staged bottles.

You’re at hard hat staged depth diver/decom
Shit. Better just to use ROVs on it..

To dangerous, Nice fish habitat !

 

[Boat 405]

Trust me they’re not using divers it’s gonna be all ROV

 

[Dontmiss]

Will someone please put a pin on a map of where it sank, and post it?

 

[LHC Kirby]

Here ya go, best I can do.

 

[4Waters]

Will someone please put a pin on a map of where it sank, and post it?

No offense but we don't know who you are, or your intentions with the houseboat. I don't think you will get your answer here.

 

[RogerThat99]

No offense but we don't know who you are, or your intentions with the houseboat. I don't think you will get your answer here.

I agree with you, but he got an answer 3 minutes before your comment.

 

[4Waters]

I agree with you, but he got an answer 3 minutes before your comment.

I saw that

 

[monkeyswrench]

I agree with you, but he got an answer 3 minutes before your comment.

He asked Friday night too, but no responses. I have no clue, just "at the bottom"

 

[Flying_Lavey]

I agree with you, but he got an answer 3 minutes before your comment.

I saw that

Not really the right answer because that pin would take him right to the Glen canyon dam. Lol!