Sportsfisherman accident-Jupiter Florida

Yeah, I'm from Maine/NH/MA and have 20 years+ on the water there. I would love to know the exact harbor entrance this 20-30kts develops in.

Also, the Venturi Effect is a change in pressure measured between a slow-moving mass of fluid in a large diameter pipe and a faster moving fluid in a narrower section of pipe. It is an effect measured in units of bars or pascals (pressure), not in units of velocity or energy.

I think you meant to say that Bernoulli's Principle (a related cousin) is what causes these 20-30 knot currents...

Anyway, what are the harbors or rivers these happen in again?

 

Another example of why you ALWAYS wear your PFD when on deck.

 

I don't, none of my passengers either. How are those guys on that sportfisher going to enjoy a day of fishing with PFDs on?
Oh, I get it - you were kidding.

 

What is odd is that once that sportfisher gets through across the bar then that boat is probably 20 minutes from the marina or less....you might expect that the 1st mate would have come above at this juncture at least to be alongside the captain atop for a return across the bar in following seas...It may be something that has already occurred to that person whoever he is and he may or may not have a hard time living with that question...and I hope he was simply below on the head ...but it is a valid question...he could have helped his Cap'n or died/been injured along with the captain so it is a total what if and maybe I am full of crap to pose this what if since I dont usually do the what-if thing....but where was he/she I can't help but wonder?

 

In rough water, my deckhand would be making sure the passengers are behaving and making sure everything she had already secured stayed secured. It wasn't even that rough there and from what I remember of the full picture sequence, the guy was coming in pretty hot and it just got away from him.

 

I agree with souljour. In my years traveling through the inlets of the North Carolina coast on sportfishing vessels such as the one in this incident, Captains and Mates would almost always be together going through inlets and across bars. Two sets of eyes are always better than one. The Sport Fishing charter fleets would line up going out and coming in and would caution one another by vhf if needed.

 

Stupid question from a guy who has spent all his sea time on megayachts and smaller sailboats:

Why wouldn't one steer from the inside helm?

Shifting bars and quasi-charted depths easier to see from the flybridge?

When on megayachts, we'd take them in through the inlets carefully, but use the pilot house.

 

A different perspective, to be sure, but I guess I just mistrust what people might do more than I mistrust what I might do. For example, passengers, for some reason, always try to move around at the stupidest times, i.e., when it's rough. There is none among the passengers that can cope with an eventuality (an old person starting to fall out of his seat, someone trying to get a better view from up top, someone choosing that moment to get a cup of coffee, etc.) as well as a crew member. I couldn't imagine leaving untrained passengers alone below in harsh conditions... but to each their own. You can't see that well from the lower station on these type boats, in fact many don't even have forward windows below. I can't tell but that one may not have forward windows, just painted "to effect".

 

The Carolina style sportfisherman doesn't have a lower station. The boat in this incident did not have forward windows in the salon. They are built with a solid front painted black to match the salon windows. The black front is called a mask.

 

Nope, I wear mine at all times while on deck and so does everyone else on the boat.

 

What about this loon dancing around on the deck taking pics.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByGSMmenPDM

 

I spent my lifetime on the ocean and I can only wish I had never been wrong enough to put a boat that size in water like that but I have never seen video of it. That is the real deal there - I'm puckered up from 9,000 miles away. Yes, the guy is a loon. Pardon me, I have to go install better dogs on my hatch covers...

 

Hydrostatic auto inflating life jackets are the way to go if you're interested in protecting your life. To get full benefit, they should be donned before you get on the dock. In some instances, I prefer not to wear mine while below in the event of major down-flooding it can make it difficult to get out if one becomes prematurely buoyant.

A landyard activated kill switch would have been prudent in this situation but only if worn. Sadly, most are not.

Lets not forget, we don't know the timing of these photos. It's tempting to assume they were taken at regular intervals but this may not be the case.

My crew-member would have likely been below with passengers as they are the most dangerous cargo one will ever carry and should be monitored continueously.

Glad it wasn't me.

-Tom

 

Too many kooks spoil the broth..I am outta here..posted story and pics again so some of us who only get out there every few months like myself remember who's the boss out there...namely Mother Nature and she can be a ***** if you tempt her wrath...This guy was a seasoned Capt. with alot of water-time who made a "foolish" mistake that cost him his life...but would have likely only embarrassed a sailboat captain tucked into a cockpit and it's lifelines...or a smaller boat that you can't fall 12 feet onto a hard deck from like the boat in question....it was something that the sportfishermen Captains who read it will likely find interesting and I imagine a few went out and installed good seatbelts on their Capt's chairs after this and maybe a few new handholds or lifelines that can be taken down so they don't affect the aesthetics or "coolness" factor of a sleek big fishin boat......I know I would if I rode a flybridge very often after seeing these pics...Be safe out there everybody...

 

My kids wear Stormy Seas with a few puffs of air in them. http://www.stormyseas.com/lighterjacket.html They make one for tikes with a crotch strap so the Gomer can't fall out of it. I have one but only wear in compromised positions, on a boat with no rails, etc. Yes, those are good.