More than a few potential Darwin Award candidates in these posts!
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Small boat and cold water
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I don't have any similar stories or anything different to add about the effects of cumulative bad decisions.
At least they were wearing PFDs.
I'll say this about foam flotation. I think you'll find that the flotation rating of foam is predicated on that foam being DRY. If the foam is water logged, as so many find in their boats, the flotation rating is useless. If the foam is waterlogged (before the boat sinking), then the "hidden" weight of that water counts against the weight rating of the boat.
At least they were wearing PFDs.
I'll say this about foam flotation. I think you'll find that the flotation rating of foam is predicated on that foam being DRY. If the foam is water logged, as so many find in their boats, the flotation rating is useless. If the foam is waterlogged (before the boat sinking), then the "hidden" weight of that water counts against the weight rating of the boat.
The floatation calculation is based on:
- Load capacity of boat ("max weight" on HIN tag)?
- Or based on the amount floatation needed to float the empty hull level with max rated outboard?
- Or some other criteria of the USCG?
A lot of boats are missing part or all the original floatation that they had when the boat left the factory.
Also the floatation is not always placed to prevent the boat from turning "Turtle" when swamped or flooded.
Had a friend whos boat was swamped on calm day at a inlet by a rogue wave. He and his young passenger spent a hour or so before being rescued off the bottom of the boat.
- Load capacity of boat ("max weight" on HIN tag)?
- Or based on the amount floatation needed to float the empty hull level with max rated outboard?
- Or some other criteria of the USCG?
A lot of boats are missing part or all the original floatation that they had when the boat left the factory.
Also the floatation is not always placed to prevent the boat from turning "Turtle" when swamped or flooded.
Had a friend whos boat was swamped on calm day at a inlet by a rogue wave. He and his young passenger spent a hour or so before being rescued off the bottom of the boat.
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Yes, have pulled more than a few off the over-turned hulls of small boats. IIRC my brother and I are up to 11 on-the-water rescues ... and I want to STOP counting ... (meaning - BEHAVE, BE SMART people!)
20 or so years ago a buddies wife called me to tell me her 75 year old husband went fishing and never returned that afternoon, after figuring out where went from several who refused to go with him, we found him passed out drunk adrift with his 50ft anchor out in 900ft of water with four rods in the water and a flooded motor.
(He had hung a 150hp on a 15ft trihull and would regularly go places no 15ft boat owner should ever contemplate going), We found him using radar early the next morning unknowingly drifting south east passed out cold with a half empty bottle of scotch. When we woke him he said he had flooded the motor and figured he'd take a nap and wait while he fished some more but he passed out again and just drifted not realizing he was in 900ft water with only 50ft of anchor line. We towed him in that day but it was far from the last time he got stuck somewhere in that boat.
How he lived to see 92 is beyond me. The last time he went out, he had argued with the wife over going and his last words were that he'd be lucky to die out there vs getting old and not being able to fish. When he didn't return that time she calle dthe police and coast guard too. They foud him almost just as far off shore out of gas, and drunk
That ended his driving days, he was 86 then with a touch of dementia so a few of us took his boat and stripped it and cut it up for scrap under orders from his wife. After cutting up the boat it was amazing it held together as long as it did. I had many layers of plusood in the floors, a half ton of water and soaked foam, and a fake registration.
The boat was cheap or free and but had no title so he 'borrowed ' one from another boat. He never got caught and somehow managed to run it like hat for more than 10 years.
(He had hung a 150hp on a 15ft trihull and would regularly go places no 15ft boat owner should ever contemplate going), We found him using radar early the next morning unknowingly drifting south east passed out cold with a half empty bottle of scotch. When we woke him he said he had flooded the motor and figured he'd take a nap and wait while he fished some more but he passed out again and just drifted not realizing he was in 900ft water with only 50ft of anchor line. We towed him in that day but it was far from the last time he got stuck somewhere in that boat.
How he lived to see 92 is beyond me. The last time he went out, he had argued with the wife over going and his last words were that he'd be lucky to die out there vs getting old and not being able to fish. When he didn't return that time she calle dthe police and coast guard too. They foud him almost just as far off shore out of gas, and drunk
That ended his driving days, he was 86 then with a touch of dementia so a few of us took his boat and stripped it and cut it up for scrap under orders from his wife. After cutting up the boat it was amazing it held together as long as it did. I had many layers of plusood in the floors, a half ton of water and soaked foam, and a fake registration.
The boat was cheap or free and but had no title so he 'borrowed ' one from another boat. He never got caught and somehow managed to run it like hat for more than 10 years.
freeisforme
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Old glass boats with rotten wood buried in several layers of plywood with water logged foam are all too common. About half of the guys I know keep their boat outside year round, uncovered. Many have patches on top of patches and motors that barely run but they keep going.
All are broke old guys who retired years ago and most won't spend a nickle to do it right if cheap suffices for now.
When I lived in FL I had a neighbor there who owned a 1950's era half wood, half fiberglass 14ft boat. He would run out of Gov. cut in Miami every weekend, he'd go out late on Friday, and stay on the water till he caught fish, sometimes staying out in that tiny boat for three days sleeping under the bow deck adrift in the ocean. A few times he drifted too far, one time he drifted into a storm and nearly sunk the boat. He did it till he was in his early 80's. He gave the boat away after he fell overboard trying to rinse his hands of cut bait and almost didn't get back in the boat. The boat had a mid 50's Johnson 15hp on it that was missing its cover for years. He'd also take a bottle of Jim Beam with him as well, he said it helped him sleep and not worry about the boat sinking while he slept out there.
He would go out there, with no radio, no phone, no tools, and no registration on the boat, He said he had paid enough for the boat back when it was new and he's not paying any more for it. As far as I know he never got stopped or asked for papers and never got any tickets.
All are broke old guys who retired years ago and most won't spend a nickle to do it right if cheap suffices for now.
When I lived in FL I had a neighbor there who owned a 1950's era half wood, half fiberglass 14ft boat. He would run out of Gov. cut in Miami every weekend, he'd go out late on Friday, and stay on the water till he caught fish, sometimes staying out in that tiny boat for three days sleeping under the bow deck adrift in the ocean. A few times he drifted too far, one time he drifted into a storm and nearly sunk the boat. He did it till he was in his early 80's. He gave the boat away after he fell overboard trying to rinse his hands of cut bait and almost didn't get back in the boat. The boat had a mid 50's Johnson 15hp on it that was missing its cover for years. He'd also take a bottle of Jim Beam with him as well, he said it helped him sleep and not worry about the boat sinking while he slept out there.
He would go out there, with no radio, no phone, no tools, and no registration on the boat, He said he had paid enough for the boat back when it was new and he's not paying any more for it. As far as I know he never got stopped or asked for papers and never got any tickets.
