Marine investigation experts are in Falmouth today to examine a boat which is believed to have been in collision with another which sank within minutes.

The Blithe Spirit was on a trailer near the Falmouth dinghy hard this morning with a warning notice telling people not to touch on it. Two of the windows of the vessels were missing and its wheelhouse buckled.

Blue and red paint could be seen clearly on the hull which had smashed open revealing the internal buoyancy material.

It is thought the vessel collided with the fishing boat Lady Hamilton two miles off Falmouth yesterday at 6.30am. The Lady Hamilton, owned by Chris Bean of St Martin, sank almost immediately.

At first it was thought the vessel had hit a large log known to have been floating in the bay over the past few days.

Mr Bean was on board the vessel with his daughter Lorna and crewman Mario Rios Olmos. The three were plucked from the sea by the Falmouth pilot vessel Arrow, crewed by Mike Tuffery and Allen Stevens, which was in the area at the time. They were later transferred to the Falmouth lifeboat.