History and mysteries · Cape May and nearby Atlantic waters
Conch’rd: a loading problem behind a sudden capsize (2020)
Investigation closed · Source reviewed
A Coast Guard investigation closed in January 2026 traced a Cape May fishing loss beyond the immediate propeller entanglement.
More than a fouled propeller
On December 3, 2020, the two people aboard Conch’rd were retrieving conch pots offshore from Cape May when a pot line fouled the propeller. The vessel took water over its stern and capsized. A nearby fishing boat rescued the owner/operator; the other crewmember was lost.
The Coast Guard identified overloading and improper placement of conch pots as the initiating event because they reduced the vessel’s stability. Its conclusions also addressed the lack of a stability test or loading instructions, propeller fouling and use of the vessel for this offshore fishery.
The completed investigation
The report linked delayed deployment of the liferaft and delayed beacon transmission to the survival emergency. It recommended circulating the findings to fishing and surveying organizations.
The Commandant’s action dated January 16, 2026 approved the report and closed the investigation. The report found no evidence of criminal acts or acts subject to civil penalty. Its safety findings should not be recast as a criminal conviction.
Sources and research limits
Coast Guard report 7107811, with January 16, 2026 final action, executive summary, conclusions and endorsements. Personal identities redacted in the report are not reconstructed here.