Time for Prayer

[Dustoff '68]

I ask that we take a little time from our busy lives and say a prayer for those 3 still missing boaters and their families in Clearwater, FL...Godspeed

 

[Dave LeGear]

I am sad to say that the Coast Guard after much effort, called off the search today at sunset and they have put a lot of hours and assets into the search effort like they always do... Some very hard lessons to learn from this tragic outcome as I have been witness to in the past are,

• Watch the weather! Going far offshore on such a day in 21 feet of boat with 4 aboard was not wise as we can see from the end result Consider yourself blessed every time you hit the key and the engine starts! If you keep this in the back of your mind, you may not press your luck as much and come home sooner.
• File a float plan if you are going offshore, the Coast Guard was not contacted from what I hear, until very late in the game as compared to when they should have been back at the ramp. It is easy enough to update the float plan "if" the fishing and weather is good and you are going to be late
• I saw it stated in one of the articles written, that one of the parents were shocked they did not hear back from the party on the cell phone? Cell phones do not work very far offshore and should not be trusted for such. The hull was found upside down 35 miles off the pass. In my opinion 33 miles past what I would ever trust a cell phone to work.
• The hull more than likely flipped due to being on anchor in heavy seas. Be logical and cut her free and fire up the motor and come home long before such. You need power to keep her bow in the waves OR to surf her back home. Learn how to motor quickly in between wave sets when turning, this so as to not broach the hull by taking a wave over the side. Unsinkable (even with a Triumph) does not mean self righting... Only the Coast Guard (I know I worked and drove them) has the money to build such hulls.
• If in the water even if the boat is upside down, stay with the boat! It is much easier to see 20 feet of hull upside down from either a Chopper or Cutter, than bodies floating alone. I keep lines tied and faked down out of the way to my hull as a back up to such. If the hull rolls and I get pitched off, I may just have enough power swimming to grab one and pull myself the rest of the way to it. I heard it stated that they were all together with life jackets on until 2am, and some then elected to make a swim for it. Needless to say the one that stayed was found setting on the upside down hull and rescued.

Be safe! It is much better be on land wishing you were on the water, then being on the water wishing you were on land.