"....Last week as we were getting ready, a gentleman driving by, pulled up and stopped, got out and walked back to chat, I thought. He walked up and peered over the starboard cock pit rail and said, "You don't use a carpet in there do you?" Answering in the negatively affirmative, I asked why. "That's good", he said, "and here's why." Here is his story:
"Mind you this was several years ago, and we were both just over 70, he said, speaking of himself and his wife. We were out fishing, about 5 miles north of Ediz Hook, (That's Port Angeles, WA) in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It was cool so I was wearing a heavy jacket, and had just pulled up the downrigger to reset and reached over the side to pick up a 10 pound ball, gave it a bit of a jerk to clear some seaweed off of it, and the next thing I knew my feet slipped, as the carpet slid and I was over the side and into the 45 degree water. Boat running at trolling speed, wife in the cabin, didn't hear the splash, but noticed the boat rock, and looked out in time to see me waving and yelling. Now she didn't drive the boat, ever, didn't know how to turn, stop or use the radio. There was a red line tied to the kill switch on the kicker, and I yelled at her to pull that. Finally she got it. She then grabbed the throwable, but when she threw it the line snagged and fell far short. Boat is 100 feet away by now and drifting away with the wind. No boats close by, and my PFD was in the cabin, nice and dry. I couldn't swim with the heavy coat on, all I could do was turn on my back and try and stay on the surface.