Sinking report released

A report from River Diving & Salvage describes in detail what caused the Mary Woods No. 2 to sink on January 31.
According to the report, a rusted pipe and water seeping through deck hatches caused the boat to sink.
“In the same  tank as the starboard “Sea Chest” valve, a 3-inch pipe with an opening through the hull was found to be rusted out, with a damaged area at the water line of the vessel,”  the report says.  “Our opinion is that water collected from rain, ice and snow dripped and ran into all of the square rectangular hatches, which were not water tight at the deck.  All seven tanks on the starboard side were connected through various holes in the bulkhead, as water collected through the starboard wing tanks it pulled the damaged pipe below the water.  The combination of non-water-tight hatches and holes in the bulkheads, which connected all of the tanks, and rusted out pipe at the water line is what sunk the Mary Woods 2 paddle wheel boat.”
Jacksonport State Park Superintendent Mark Ballard told the Independent during a May interview that water was pumped periodically from the flooded hull compartments.  
“It depends on how much rain we get,”  Ballard said.  “There’s times we go 4 or 5 or 6 months without pumping.  It varies.”
According to weather data from the National Weather Service, there were more than three inches of recorded precipitation during the 15 days prior to the sinking of the floating museum.
The report also states a plate was welded over the intake hole on the starboard side on June 8.
Ballard said during a June 16 interview there would not be a report from River Diving & Salvage, but a copy was obtained from the prosecutor’s office last week.  During the same interview, Ballard said the boat was raised and checked on Friday, June 4.  According to the report, it was raised on Tuesday, June 8, and the “Sea Chest” valve was inspected under the supervision of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Ballard.
The Mary Woods may have been raised sooner, but park officials, the sheriff’s department and River Diving & Salvage decided to postpone the salvage operation because of the large crowd of people at the park to celebrate Portfest.