I'm sure you guys heard about the four

sailaway78 · Mar 3, 2009

Weather reports

I have learned that when the weather reports predict a front coming through, give yourself a good safety margin. Making a passage from Clearwater to Pt.St.Joe a couple years ago, the forecast was for a strong front to come through late on Thursday. Left early on a Wed. morning, should be plenty of time before the front hit. The front hit me about 12 hours before predicted. Got my brains kicked out getting into Pt. St. Joe. A shame these guys got caught, and a loss of life is always tragic. But 50 miles offshore, in a 21' boat, with a front predicted does not seem to be the smartest move one could make.

sailingdog · Mar 3, 2009

Four football players in a 21' boat might be close to overloading it, depending on what position they played. A former pro football player may weigh over 250 lbs... four of them would be like having six or seven regular sized people in a boat that size...

Banooma · Mar 3, 2009

it's truly a shame

I admire their courage, and love of the sea, but can't get past their questionable judgement. The piece of information most puzzling to me is that the boat was anchored at the time it capsized. No matter how confident I may feel in my abilities, I imagine that by the time the waves get that big I'd be motoring home. I can't help asking myself why they remained at anchor?
In huge seas, could an anchor actually make a boat more susceptible to capsizing?

Ron20324 · Mar 3, 2009

Maybe not necessarily capsizing, but an anchor can hold down the bow while waves come over the bow. A few years ago a skipjack in the Chesapeake Bay was sunk doing just that. They anchored well against the coming storm, but the waves just swept over her bow and filled her till she sank. Still intact, she was raised and lived to dredge oysters another day.

Deadhead · Mar 3, 2009

Search to End at Sundown Today

Just heard a report that the Coast Guard is calling off the search as of sundown this evening.

Bad Obsession · Mar 3, 2009

Were they in the Bermuda Triangle? Just curios.

Either way, it was not a good idea to leave you without knowing weather fronts. I wonder if alcohol was involved at all. A lot of people like to drink while having a beer.

Unfortunately they have likely joined the countless people that Ol' Davy has taken over the years. If you don't give him and the sea due respect then this can be the result.

I really feel bad for the families. The poor guy that survived will have that in his mind for the rest of his life. What a horrible thing to happen. Sadly, if this was just one of us it probably wouldn't have made national news.

maybe some people will learn more about water safety from this.

Stu Jackson · Mar 3, 2009

The triangle is on the other side of Florida

I think.

Netrick · Mar 3, 2009

If I had his money,

I would have bought a larger boat.

Larry Neese · Mar 3, 2009

Small craft warning, even 20 miles offshore? go figure, we take a small craft warning pretty serious down here, by the way the three points of the Triangle are: Miami, Bermuda, San Juan PR

Ross in Tampa · Mar 4, 2009

It was a miracle that they were able to find the one survivor. It has been quite brisk here this week since that cold front came through.

The survivor was found in a foul weather jacket, with a life vest on, clinging to the skeg of the outboard. He was straddling the "vee" on the bottom of the boat. He is now recovering at Tampa General Hospital. As one might expect, he was bruised and battered and quite hypothermic.

The boat was a 21 Everglades, arguably one of the better powerboats on the market. Unfortunately, it doesn't take much of a mistake for an afternoon of fishing to turn tragic. All of us in the Tampa Bay area are passing positive vibes to the families, but as of now the coast guard has called off the active search saying the prospects for survival are "bleak".

My wife and I had the conversation last night about what if's and what-to-do's. I shudder to think what it would be like to spend 2 days on the bottom of a boat, in 60 degree water and 8-14 seas. God bless those guys.

It is a shame.

larryw · Mar 4, 2009

I feel bad for the families, but what this comes down to is a lack of seamanship skills; not weatherwise, not seawise, not boatwise. I would bet money there was no VHF radio, but all four of them had a cell phone, which they thought was all they needed. Most people in small powerboats think that because they can drive a car they can operate a boat, which they can as long as everything remains copacetic. When it all goes pear-shaped, tragedy results. Do you think the owner/operator of that boat passed a basic seamanship course? Like I said, I feel bad for the families, but who is responsible here? I'm sure there are lawyers circling right now.

Bad Obsession · Mar 4, 2009

Guys...I didn't know what part of Flordia they went out of. I just know that it happened in Flordia and I assumed that it was on the Atlantic side.

kloudie1 · Mar 5, 2009

Those guys were in about 200 feet of water not much chance for anchoring.... I guess we'll know more about what was happening but they may have been pooped or rolled as they motored east toward land.. The front would have brought really strong westerlies clocking to north as time passed. Pointy end angled into the waves, slowly, would have been good, but maybe not heading home at high speed. I am curious to hear what the truth is.

Mike B · Mar 5, 2009

Looks like a lot of variation to the stories. Every article I've read states that they were anchored and got hit by rough seas that capsized them. Also read where they held on for closer to 10-12 hrs then drifted away. Still a shame no matter how you look at it.

sailingdog · Mar 5, 2009

VHF depends a lot on the type of radio and where the antenna is. If the boat is capsized, you're basically stuck with using a handheld unit, if you have one. If not, you're pretty much borked. A handheld unit, used from the water's surface has a much shorter range, possibly only 3-4 miles, depending on the sea state, transmission power and such.

larryw · Mar 6, 2009

With a VHF, hand-held or mounted, you put out a distress message and hope someone can relay it, (the commercial tow guys monitor VHF). Was the boat's owner aboard, or... ?

sailingdog · Mar 6, 2009

Given the weather conditions at the time... a hand-held probably wouldn't have done much good... not too many boats out given the conditions at the time.