About a 1.5 nautical miles or so to the west of the North Coronado Island there is a change in sea elevation. It goes froma over 3000' feet to 150' in a 1/2 nm. However, they were tracking along a path which was roughly along edge of the break. Further about 5, or less, nautical miles before they apparently crashed into North Coronado Island they would have seen the depth change to over 600' from about 150', then return back to 150'. The shorter purple line is about 1.5 nm's. (This is from one of Jon's dreaded chartplotter programs (Nobeltec) :^))))) )

You would have expected to hear something (unless they were already motoring) because the wind wasn't supposedly blowing.

Situational awarenss. Jon, while I agree that misadjusting scale on a electronic chart plotter might miss a rock or buoy -- it won't miss and ISLAND like that. IF THEY HAD LOOKED AT THEIR CHART PLOTTER (if the had one, and were using it), they couldn't have missed what was going on. Moreover, they had a bunch of other clues that should have been available.

In this case, I don't know of any good excuse for driving into that headwall.