Welcome To My Book Blog

A place to update and discuss facts surrounding the controversial, tragic death of legendary Hollywood film actress, wife and mother, Natalie Wood who drowned mysteriously Nov. 29, 1981 off Catalina Island. Thank you for visiting.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Dinghy position view

15 comments:

  1. You are a wonder, Marti! What a great diagram, and I know you're busy right now. In my mind, I see no way someone could fall through the swim step without falling directly into the dinghy.

    I just can't stop replaying Dennis' "testimony" in my mind. This was such an unnecessary tragedy.

    from KB

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  2. ...let me restate in clearer words: I see no way someone could fall through the swim step door and fall off the swim step without falling directly into the dinghy.

    from KB

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  3. Oh, another question occurred to me: Would the ropes block someone from falling off the corner of the swim step? So if the argument was made that she might have fallen off the corner of the swim step and just missed falling into the dinghy, would it be a viable counter-argument that the ropes block the way?

    from KB

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  4. Thank you, KB, glad the diagram helps. I wish I had included one like it in the book.

    It's unlikely she wouldn't have ended up in the dinghy IF she had been on the swim step and fell, but you make a good point that the ropes probably would've help prevent her from fall into the water too! The lines (ropes) were tied tightly, and would've helped prevent a fall or provided something to hold onto.

    The dinghy cleats to adjust a dinghy are totally accessible from the deck. How ANYONE expects us to believe Natalie was out on a swim step in her socks and nightgown at late night is ridiculous. It's a preposterous theory on many counts! Truth is, Natalie was never on the swim step. Ironically, Wagner's scenario that she was doesn't make sense when you factor in that he claims the dinghy was tied port where there is no swim step!

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  5. Ms.Rulli,

    On 1/21/10 you posted a photo of the rear of the Splendour. It shows the tie down cleats for the dinghy are located on the back wall of the boat easly accessed from the sitting position in the dinghy, this is standard on all yachts. There are cleats on the top wall but they are at the left and right immediate corner of the boat and only accessable from the UNGAURDED section of the rear walkway on each side rear of the boat standard on all yachts. The only way you can reach the top cleats is if you REACH over the wall. The top cleats are not used to secure small crafts, the are used to secure the boat to a dock.

    On 5/26/10 you posted a photo diagram of the Slendour and you outlined the cleats shown to tie down the dinghy are located on the back wall of the boat.

    Today you posted a diagram stating the dinghy ropes were tied to the top wall surrounding the rear deck. Would you like to clarify yourself? LOL.

    One rope of the dinghy came loose and was in the water, the other rope was very loose but still attached to the boat, she attempted to snug up the rope that was already intact, the rope came undone she tried to pull the dinghy in but it pulled her out into the water this also explains the abrasions on her wrist and face they were rope abrasions.

    Look how small and confining the boat is and Dennis did not hear her go into the water? Like you said in the book one second she was there the next she was gone, come on. The fact is neither Dennis or Wagner were on deck when she went in the water, they were inside.

    You should and now may delete my post.

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  6. Anon 3:49

    Believe me, I want to delete your comment because it is nothing more than a waste of my time, and you would realize it's a waste of your time as well if you would smarten up and gather some actual facts. Your information is completely, totally inaccurate.

    I won't delete it and I'll answer it but in the future, please take your fabrications elsewhere.

    All boats don't have standard cleats. I would think Dennis Davern knows the Splendour far better than you do, and he tied the dinghy ropes to the cleats at the TOP OUTSIDE WALL of the Splendour. As my diagram is one-dimensional, I could not show that the cleats are a few inches from the top on the outside, but they are COMPLETELY ACCESSABLE FROM THE DECK. They were the ONLY cleats on the back wall of the Splendour, as the photo I posted last January shows. (I'll post it again). There was NEVER a need to use the swim step to adjust dinghy lines.

    Furthermore, Dennis secured the dinghy tightly on both of these cleats, 12 ft. apart, near the top of the wall. There was NO ROPE dangling in the ocean, and, if there were, only a pure bumpkin would believe Natalie went after a rope dangling in the ocean while wearing her nightgown and socks, out on the swim step.

    This accurate diagram clearly bothers you, so you've attempted to undermine it right here at my blog. And you must have attempted to use my blog for your misconceptional blatherings before or else you wouldn't have "suggested" I delete you. Next time, I will. Take your fabrications and creations elsewhere. This blog is for THE FACTS. I not only will appreciate you keeping your distance, I am asking that you do.

    Dennis Davern passed on a CERTIFIED polygraph about WHEN, HOW, and EXACTLY WHERE he tied the dinghy that fateful night, and he also passed with a "yes" the question of: Was Wagner with Natalie on deck when she went missing?

    Wagner was with her.

    Good day.

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  7. Anonymous 3:49, are you saying there are additional cleats nearby on the wall and the dinghy may have been tied to those cleats instead of the ones on the outside upper wall?

    If the dinghy was tied to the outside wall cleats I can see in the pic posted Jan 21, it looks to me like an average height adult wouldn't have a problem reaching over the side, even at an angle, to untie the ropes, assuming they know what they're doing.

    There was a history of Natalie asking Dennis to do a lot of things for her. She didn't appear to be mad at Dennis that evening, and like you said, the boat is small, so why didn't she just holler, "Hey Dennis, I can't tighten this dinghy... please help." Natalie was a star and she seemed to be used to having people do things for her. I have a hard time believing she would suddenly become stubborn about not asking for help with this task, which she might not have done before anyway.

    From Dennis' account and Marilyn Wayne's account, the music was pretty loud at that time. It doesn't even sound like Marilyn heard a splash of someone going into the water, even though she heard voices. Since we know for sure Natalie ended up in the water and probably did not dive into it, whether it was an accident or foul play there *should* have been a splash sound. And the same question you asked can be applied to RJ - "RJ did not hear her go into the water?"

    The splash issue has me perplexed because I'm amazed no one seems to have heard a splash, yet Natalie ended up in the water. That would point to the music being pretty loud and covering up various sounds.

    from KB

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  8. KB,

    The Anon poster is one who stirs trouble here occasionally. (please see my above answer to him, and I'll post the photo again to show the cleats on the boat.

    The splash has everyone perplexed, even Dr. Lyndon Taylor, and Dennis. They both suggested that maybe Natalie was "slipped into the water" as horribly gruesome as that sounds, but it's only their suppositions. I can't picture that happening without a lot of screaming coming from Natalie, but they have their personal ideas about that, too. I can only surmise that part of it, as we all must. I think she went over the right side wall, and no one heard a splash because of the music. Marilyn Wayne and John Payne were sleeping at that time, but Natalie's immediate cries for help is what John Payne heard. Her cries woke him up.

    Taylor's boat was over a football field away in front of the Splendour. Payne's boat was behind the Splendour, closer to where Natalie probably ended up in the water. It's possible there was a loud splash but no one heard it. Dennis was right near the loud music.

    Thanks for your interest. I really appreciate you wanting to understand these important details.

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  9. Also, it was a drizzly, miserable night and most boaters were enclosed with generators running. The Payne boat had a silent generator.

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  10. Looks like you showed this troublemaker up Marti. I'm glad to see you answered. Deleting is easy. Proving your facts is never a waste of time but I understand what you mean about it being redundant with those who refuse to accept the facts before their eyes.

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  11. No, deleting is prudent otherwise it opens the door to further harassment. This blog has barely been opened again and the BS is already starting. If they can engage her they will keep coming. It's lovely to be fair and reasonable, but not when it's consistently used as a weapon against you. Zero tolerance. It works.

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  12. I will take that good advice. My finger is on the delete button if the nusiance returns. KB asked a good question and in comes the ridiculous information. While composing this diagram, an insight came to me. I called Dennis to confirm it, and it's something I can't believe I never thought of before...something that exposes how deceitful Wagner was even more! We're saving it for good use. I thank KB for the question, as I actually learned something from this exchange.

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  13. I've seen pictures of how a dinghy can be tethered to the Splendour and one manner is being tied to the swimstep by a single line and not twice to the upper cleats. This would likely be the manner during the day when the dinghy is frequently used and securing it twice onto the wall's cleats would be redundant. During the night securing it twice to the cleats makes sense because the boat goes unobserved at least several hours. The last thing an occupant would want is a single tied dinghy to slowly loosen, bumping against the boat and possibly going adrift in the ocean current. A motorized dinghy is an expensive piece of equipment and necessary to have for movement of people, losing it simply by not securing twice for the night would have surely put employee Davern in an uncomfortable position with his bosses.

    By the way, both Davern and Wagner referenced the manner in which the dinghy was tied in the plural.

    Michael B

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  14. Thanks, Michael. Everything you said is accurate. Dennis tied the Dinghy with the two lines at the top cleats because when they had returned from the restaurant, they were in for the night (or so he thought).

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  15. Rebecca Howell

    Thanks for the yacht diagram. I always thought that the master would be located in the front of the boat not the rear. Strange design. every yacht i've been on has the salon in the rear and the bedroom in the front. But I guess this was 1981 and the designs were different. Seems odd for a fishing boat but now I see how he could explain away that she was tying the dingy. There were two entrances to the master suite. Also, it would have been very easy for Wood to have grabbed her down jacket without Dennis having noticed.

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