2 boats capsized in last 2 days off NJ waters

Agreed - Can you imagine? Just goin' out fishing and then.....
 
Yes, very sad. The ocean gets very angry this time of year. It can change very quickly. Even if the the wrong assumption that nothing will go wrong mechanically offshore in November is true, on a rough day, a rogue wave can come from nowhere and kill you very fast. I wonder if something went wrong with the single engine outboard boat. The seas have been rough here in the Northeast. I don't think I would risk going offshore no matter how good the striper fishing is, even with an "unsinkable" boat like the Knucklehead, EPIRB, and survival suit.
 
This is sad but I wouldn't judge all people going out fishing this time of year the same. We get a lot of use on our boat from now until the end of January fishing in the ocean off the Virginia and North Carolina coast for striped bass. Generally speaking the weather is a little more predictable in that there are not thunderstorms that pop up but the prevailing high winds out of the NE make the ocean rather angry at times like you say.

This kind of stuff happens every year in these parts with people 3-10 miles from shore in small boats and not able to deal with simple things like a 480 DB wake from 2 miles away. I passed a boat recently that was a metal flat bottom Jon boat probably 7 miles from shore with 6 people in it (2 guys and 4 kids) and the adults not wearing PFDs. There was probably only 10" of free board left on the thing... Brings up an interesting question of if you are responsible for your wake in open water when a 1 foot wake could kill 6 people.

The other thing people don't realize is that if your boat sinks in 40-55 degree water, you won't be swimming after a few minutes due to hypothermia. Even if you do have a PFD on, you will be dead in less than 30 minutes because of the cold water. I'm a big believer in life rafts.

Every year on the fishing board I belong to, there is the debate of "Can I take my 20 foot ski boat boat stiper fishing off shore" and there are always the idiots saying "SURE!!!"... I just believe if you want to enjoy wide open waters, especially in the fall/winter, you better have the right equipment (boat designed for it, always wear a PFD, have a life raft, and EPIRB) or go out on a charter.
 
On the wake question, you are responsible for any damage your wake causes.

Proving that it was your wake and not somone else a mile away in the other direction is a question. Likewise, how could you be negligent for swamping a jon boat fishing too far from shore in a heavy swell when the boat was in the trough and you could not see it much less see it in time to alter course or pull back the throttles?
 
One of the boats was appropriately named.
 
Looking out of my window right now I can see two helicopters just off the beach hovering with search lights....I hope it's just an excercise and that there isn't a third?????
 
Nah...

They are desperatly trying to find stripers but they have ALL MOVED SOUTH TO AVOID THE SNOW YOU ARE GETTING THIS WEEKEND!!!!
 
So here's the weather report for tomorrow:

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 PM EST THIS EVENING
THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON

[SIZE=+1]TONIGHT[/SIZE]
W WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT IN THE LATE
EVENING...THEN BECOMING NW WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT.
SEAS 3 FT...BUILDING TO 4 TO 5 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 8 SECONDS.

[SIZE=+1]SAT[/SIZE]
N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. GUSTS UP TO 30 KT IN THE MORNING. SEAS 5 TO
6 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 7 SECONDS.

And on the fishing board here, some numb nuts wants to know if it would be safe to take his 18 foot boat out tomorrow in this and go fishing (water temp is low 50's)... and as usual, there are people saying "sure... just stay close to shore." I guess if he stays close to shore they'll have no problem finding his body and plucking it out of the water on Sunday.
 
Gary,

Let's suppose one leaves one's four kids, two stupid dogs and one angry wife on shore, and gets into an 18' unsinkable Boston Whaler, with twin outboards, while wearing an appropriate exposure suit (with a personal flotation device); one puts the fishing pole(s) into the rod holder(s) while still at the dock and lets the line out while leaving the harbor, and attachs one's personal safety harness securely to the boat.

Wouldn't you agree, that, with this setup, one could safely venture out to fish in the conditions you describe? Of course, one would be wet, cold, seasick and probably wouldn't have any chance of catching even a single fish. After a short journey, the numb nuts (and the rest of the cold and numb body parts) could, arguably, return to the safety of the docks.
 
Diver Dude said:
Wouldn't you agree, that, with this setup, one could safely venture out to fish in the conditions you describe?
Click to expand...

I know enough Coast Guard officers who would say that would not be safe. Equipment only adds a margin of safety. Equipment can fail. Experience adds another margin. Experience would keep you on the ground in this case. The unpredictability of the conditions renders the exercise unsafe despite the measures taken. I agree with Gary, to venture out, even so outfitted, would be poor judgement.
 
Diver - Key word there is "safely", my opinion is NOPE. You have a better chance of surviving, but its still not safe.

And just cause the BW is "unsinkable" doesnt mean it cant be capsized and now you are tethered in your survival suit to an upside down boat :)

but just my opinion and the question was asked of Gary..... Gary?
 
I was looking for a picture I have of about a 20 foot boat that was in the midst of pitch polling backward as it was leaving an inlet. Waves were probably 6-8 feet. I think it was in FL. Couldn't find it.

Sad thing is that happened here also about 2 years ago and the guys were tossed in the water about 50 feet from a rip-rap breakwater. One died due to hypothermia in a few minutes literally 50 feet from being able to climb out. The other lived but had to be saved from someone on shore.

You can't wear a true survival suit and be functional. If you are talking about those things that take a few minutes to get into and you look like Barney the Dinosaur, there is no way... Mustang makes some lightweight vests to help keep body warmth in but come on... you get to live 30 minutes instead of 15.

I know with 6 foot waves with a wave period of less than 7 seconds and trying to troll around 4 knots, the bow of my 480 starts to go under water... that lovely Sea Ray sloping downward bow design.
 
Diver Dude said:
Gary,

Let's suppose one leaves one's four kids, two stupid dogs and one angry wife on shore, and gets into an 18' unsinkable Boston Whaler, with twin outboards, while wearing an appropriate exposure suit (with a personal flotation device); one puts the fishing pole(s) into the rod holder(s) while still at the dock and lets the line out while leaving the harbor, and attachs one's personal safety harness securely to the boat.

Wouldn't you agree, that, with this setup, one could safely venture out to fish in the conditions you describe? Of course, one would be wet, cold, seasick and probably wouldn't have any chance of catching even a single fish. After a short journey, the numb nuts (and the rest of the cold and numb body parts) could, arguably, return to the safety of the docks.
Click to expand...

This sounds like a great idea.:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Should we start a poll to send Gary out and try it. :lol:
OK how do we start one of them spam attracting polls:smt043
 
I'm trained and Certified in Ice/Cold water rescue and we wear the Mustang suits. They are awkward and cumbersome at best. I couldn't imagine wearing them to fish or anything else other than dragging some poor dude-cicle out of the icy water.
 
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