That sinking feeling (again)

A HIRED pleasure boat recently sank near Cabo de la Nao in Javea.
Although none of its 11 occupants were injured, all had to jump overboard and leave personal possessions behind.
“We were very afraid,” a passenger told the local Spanish media, adding that the person in charge of the boat was an experienced sailor.
“When he saw the boat filling up with water, he tried to turn and return to port, but it sank too rapidly.”
The passengers were picked up by three nearby boats, which took them back to the yacht clubs in Javea or Denia.
This was the same boat that also sank earlier in August, although on that occasion there were “only” eight people aboard.  As before, it was towed away by the Diphda marina rescue boat.
The same passenger also explained that the group had asked boat with a capacity for 12 people.
Instead they were given the six-metre boat and, according the Spanish media source, were not informed that it had sunk 13 days earlier.  Neither was it adequate for sailing in the open sea, and still less along the Marina Alta’s cliff-lined coast.