Are You Prepared?

[Dmanmastertracker]

 In the wake of the boating tragedy back east, I pondered this question. Many of my previous trips came to mind out in the salt, up in Canada etc.. For you boater's out there, how many take the following precautions before going out?

 -Filing a travel plan with the Coast Guard before leaving
 -Travel with a partner boat
 -Carry three different forms of communication: Cell, VHF, CB, Satellite, etc..
 -Check the long range forecast
 -Carry PFD's and an inflatable
 -Carry at least two GPS units
 -Carry enough water to last a week
 -Carry food, emergency shelter and fire starter for at least a week
 -Carry a signal flare gun
 -Have a spare motor and carry oars
 -Carry a heavy rope to tow with, or be towed.
 -Carry an emergency locator beacon.


 I can think of several occasions I've had to use equipment listed above.
 

[boneaddict]

I agree with your list, but what of all that do you think would have helped these folks out?

[HawkenBob]

I used to drive my 21 footer up to Rivers Inlet every year. I carried 2 VHF's and add one survival suit for everyone on board.

One backup hand held GPS as well as full charts of the area's you will be in.

It was definately a tragedy, but unprepared boaters and ill experience along with a bad decision is what caused this. No fish is worth this. With that forecast they should have NEVER went that far.

[Dmanmastertracker]

I agree with your list, but what of all that do you think would have helped these folks out?

 First to me would have been the forecast and understanding what it means. If you plan on heading out 50 miles, taking hours to get out and hours to get back in a small boat and the weather is predicted to get nasty with rough swells, at a minimum, take a partner boat along and keep the radio on to get updates on the forecast in real time. Most would never go out that far in that kind of weather, but if you feel you have to, take a partner boat, or even 3 -4 boats so you can help each other out. If it does get rough beyond safety limits, get your flare handy, it will still fire after being in the water, no doubt in this case, a flare or two would have been seen from up to 15 miles away and helped the search teams find them quickly. One I didn't have on there is loading your boat properly. If you plan on going out in rough water, it's always best to have closer to 1/2 your payload if you can. The other important one to me is the travel plan, that would have put the CG right on them quickly after reported missing.

[boneaddict]

First to me would have been the forecast and understanding what it means

Yeah no kidding.

Respectfully to the families and the dead I won't say what I want to about them.  I kind of wonder if it comes from their invincible pro athlete attitude that some of them seem to have.

[huntnphool]

You never heard any mention of a call from them. As soon as they got caught in those swells they should have been on the radio with the coast guard. Like Hawkenbob we visit Rivers Inlet, trailering boats to Port Hardy and launching at first light in the morning. Its critical to have a weather report before making the crossing and knowing its quite possible you have to spend a few extra days on the other side should the weather turn. Personally there is no way in hell I would take my 22' boat out 35 miles off the coast but I know several that do. My VHF is tied in with my GPS so one push of the emergency button and the two act together, the radio sends an emergency signal and the Garmin Sonar/GPS sends the coordinates at the same time so you dont need to stay with the radio. Something like this could have made a world of difference for them

[Dmanmastertracker]

 That's a nice feature. I usually travel with another boat that has the person to person locator (Rhino 530GPS), that also has NOAA updates and marine charts, nice unit. I also carry two handheld VHF's and my fixed -dash unit GPS and VHF. Anytime I don't have a partner boat, I sit on the local marina frequency on one and 16 on the other and never go out in bad weather. I've been in 6-7' swells in our 21' and it scared the *censored* out of me. Won't do it again -if I can help it. We crossed the Marrowstone Point bar going into Port Townsend into a northerly and a huge tide and it was brutal. Found out later boats up to 40' have sunk in bad weather there, you just never know when or where rough weather will hit sometimes.

[WDFW-SUX]

You won't catch this homeboy out in a boat in bad weather been there done that and Im done.  Small boats off shore is another thing thats out of bounds for me even when the weather is good.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,505172,00.html

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,504464,00.html

One thing that i dont understand is why they didnt tie themselves to the boat at some point???

[huntnphool]

Sounds like they panicked and had dementia

[jackelope]

A 21' boat 35 miles out into the gulf of mexico is not a good idea at all.

[HawkenBob]

IMO, with the styles of boats they use there 35 miles is less than an hr jaunt. With good water and a good forecast its no problem if properly prepared in a boat like that.

Its not for everyone, but definately not crazy IMO.
Its the norm there as the bottom is so shallow you have to travel a mile for every foot of depth after about 8 feet of depth.

[Machias]

I was sure hoping they found these fellas alive, I really feel for their families.  That was four big boys in a 21 footer as well.

[HawkenBob]

The story just astounds me. Why would they give up? I know it was rough and they were taking a battering trying to hold on but man, those guys were in the kind of physical condition required to ride out that kind of situation. I guess not mentally...
Just floors me though.

[popeshawnpaul]

I've been to blue dot and 72 square which is about 50 miles off Neah Bay in a 19 foot boat.  We had water like glass and a good vhf radio, as well as other boats being around.  Not something I would ever make a habit of.  I regularly go to Swiftsure Bank which is about 20 miles off Neah Bay and did it in my 21 foot boat.  As long as you are diligent about when to go and have a vhr radio, I think you are fine.  Realistcally, if you are in the water out there more than an hour you are dead. 

I don't understand why they gave up after a couple of hours.  It doesn't make sense.  They just weren't mentally tough.  The obvious thing to do in that situation is keep on a life vest and sit on the overturned boat.  The other options are crazy.  I might attempt to swim if I had my life vest on, the water was warm, and it was like 20 miles and I could see what direction I was going via the stars, lights, or sun position.  That's a long swim in rough conditions and you have to be a really strong swimmer. 

[HawkenBob]

Those seas were breaking at 14 feet. All 4 guys had to try to hold on to the outboard shaft. Getting the shiat beat out of them. But I know I would have never let go...keep in mind the boat was anchored when it went over. If it did not break anchor, it was a real beating.

[GoldTip]

I'm wondering what the water temp was that far out, if they had a good percentage of their bodies in the water, unless the water temp was above 80F, they could still start to suffer some effects of hypothermia.

[WDFW-SUX]

I guess someone could swim in good weather.....the English channel is 21 miles at Dover but With tides and current it may not have been possible even for Micheal Phelps

Water in that part of the gulf was 68 degrees

[GoldTip]

I guess someone could swim in good weather.....the English channel is 21 miles at Dover but With tides and current it may not have been possible even for Micheal Phelps

Water in that part of the gulf was 68 degrees

At that temp just hanging on definitely hypothermia would have started to set, and they may have simply let go.......

[@RCHER]

It's too bad and people make mistakes. Sometimes we don't get to walk away from them. But of the spotty information I read and heard, the thing that doesn't make sense to me is that the survivor mentioned they were "anchored when the boat flipped and they all had life vests on." Yet no life vests were found. They found a cooler and other debris some 16 miles from the boat. Even if they were taken by sharks, I would think at least parts of vests would be found. They don't sink too well.

Without vests, panic alone kills a lot of folks in this type of situation. A couple good gulps of water, they panic, and that's it. Clothes and shoes make it worse.

[HawkenBob]

They found a cooler as well a life vest...they had vests on and 2 took them off and gave up and gave themselves to the seas. The other missing guy took his off and tried to swim to safety.

[popeshawnpaul]

Here is another question I have...why are you anchored up in a 21' boat in 14' seas?  You have to be really careful with an anchor.  I would have stayed with or held on to that boat and not ever let go. 

[PST]

I agree with your list, but what of all that do you think would have helped these folks out?

EPIRB would have helped.  Rather than searching 16,000 or 22,000 square miles, can't remember which it was, the epirb would have sent a distress signal to the coast guard.  They provide instantaneous identification of vessel and location. 

If they had an EPIRB they all would have been rescued, as least from the report I read stating they were with the capsized vessel for 12 hours.

[PolarBear]

Every one of my boats is fully equipped with emergency gear.  All have handheld, waterproof radios, flares, first aid kits, life rings/jackets etc.  If I go offshore, the Columbia or anywhere other than the south sound I have my EPIRB at the ready.  You CANNOT be too prepared!!!