Two stranded in ocean overnight after wave topples boat; res

Good out come, and some lessons learned.

None of us are invincible.

DO YOU WEAR YOUR PFD?

This weekend was wear your PFD weekend, and the last week was national boating safety awareness week.

When was the last time you checked your Inflatable PFD re-arm date?

Just sayin

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
Having to swim under the boat for life jackets seems a little hind sighted. I didn't see what size the boat was, but it looked small. If the waves that were running when they were rescued were that same as when they were fishing, it seems that prudence would have dictated wearing life jackets. Maybe there were too many beers consumed early on in the fishing trip.
 
From what I read it was a 21' Parker and a rogue wave. Just because they had beer on board I would not necessarily conclude they were loaded. But that's just me.
D.D.
 
My opinion is that any boat which goes into areas where they cannot walk ashore needs to have at least one PLB or EPRIB aboard.--and these need to be on the person along with a VHF radio. The easy way to do this is to have a PFD with pockets which you can put the radio and PLB in. I have a "fishing vest" type which has fully zippered pockets.

However I am not one who wears the life jacket all of the time--and there are reasons for that. One is getting out of a cabin boat if it turns over--thus my life jacket/with strobe lite, PLB and VHF radio is hung on a hook by the door--can be put on if necessary on the way out--grabbed and pushed out the door, if the boat swamps etc…

One other comment. A 41 foot Beneteau is missing on a voyage from the Caribbean to UK last week. Four were aboard-two EPRIB were set off, but it is not clear why no precise location was obtained. There were 4 persons aboard. There should have been a life raft. A hull was found (presumably the "Cheeki Rafiki" which was returning from Antigua Sailing Week.) by a AMVER alerted ship (AUTOMATED MUTUAL. ASSISTANCE VESSEL RESCUE).

The point I make is that if you have several PLB or EPRIB--do not set them all off at once. We carry three--and would only set off one at a time. The PLB batteries last at least 24 hours, and EPRIB should last at least 48 hours. If you set all of the beacons off at once, it does not increase your chance of being found. Set them off sequentially--and that way the SAR authorities will not abandon the search after 48 hours, because they cannot find the signal. There are several rescues in the last year, where this should have been done….and this is one of them. We don't know if the crew is still alive, but we always carried several EPRIB on long voyages, as well as enough survival gear to last a number of days--even in these heavy seas….
 
As far as any locator beacons go it's just my opinion here but I think it depends on where you boat. Folks that stay inshore and on rivers and lakes should be able to radio Mayday or use the DSC function on their VHF radio. Plus you have aerial flares, flares, smoke etc. Carrying a hand held VHF in this same type of areas should help if you have to abandon ship. Of course if heading offshore a locator beacon are always recommended. For me if I was heading into a remote area or offshore more than twenty miles (unlikely in our current boat) I'd like to have or rent a satellite telephone. If you have deep pockets you can spend 10k or more for all of the possible electronics, VHF, Hand held VHF, Gps, radar, AIS, boat EBIRB $500.00 and personal locator beacons $300.00, IPADS, and the list goes on. Common sense still goes a long way. If you are taking a trip to where you feel an EBIRB is warranted Boat U.S. rents them which might be a good choice for some rather than dropping the dough to purchase. They drop ship them to your door via FED EX. Just a thought. Maybe a SPOT 2 Satellite messenger at $72 dollars on Amazon would be an option for some as they have an SOS button. This post is not to take anything Dr. Bob recommends just a thought for those of us with more limited resources.
D.D.
 
It is amazing how often other boaters do not respond to distress. Sort of like the car alarm going off in the city, you hear them all of the time so you ignore the alarm.--"I thought those folks in the boat were just waving at me". You can pick up a GpS enabled PLB for $230 (McMundo from Landfall current price). The spot is only $XX, but there is a yearly monitoring fee, which shortly makes the PLB seem a much better value--plus the PLB serves well in all other types of outdoor sports--hiking, back packing, skiing, etc. This is one situation, where I want to professionals in SAR doing the communication and rescuing.

The Spot (and Delorme in reach) have a good place in boating and other outdoor use, but I don't think they really are the best for an emergency distress. There are some very good discussions on this 41 foot boat, and what other options might have been available. I believe that they were communicating via Sat phone--when communication link was lost Friday AM. The Sat phones don't work well when they are wet.

There is a boater who has posted on C brats on occasion, and has posted on another forum, that he boats on a lake in an eastern state, where there is no VHF station in range, Nearest CG station is over 150 miles away, so what does he do for distress?

The problem with the Boat US program, is that just a single week for an EPRIB will be over $100, with the shipping back and forth--a PLB slightly less. I suspect the Boat US emergency center is good about keeping track--and I don't know about family notification--or if you deviate from your plan, how you notify Boat US. The nice thing about owning a PLB, is that you throw it in the duffle or pocket every time you go out in the boat. Unfortunately the catastrophic happens when you least expect it.

Cost: with gas at $4 to $5 a gallon, a PLB is less than one fill up of fuel for even a C Dory 22….
 
Bob,
I thought your recommendation was for both a Epirb and PLB. If that was the case it's a tad more money than a fuel fill up for a 22' Cruiser.
There are a number of items that don't work well when they get wet. Cell phones ,Ipads, etc. That's why the make waterproof cases for them.
One of the advantages to Spot and the other tracking devices is some have an ability to send text messages and let others see there whereabouts. This might allow for a description of the problem rather then just sending a distress signal for something other than a life threatening situation. Please don't view that as anything other than a response with an opinion. I never said my alternatives were the best just my opinion for some less expensive options. Respectfully
D.D.
 
Dave,
My recommendation for a ocean crossing boat would be two EPIRB--one near the helm or companionway, and one in the survival /ditch gear in the raft. A PLB for each crew member. Yes, this is a lot of bucks--but when crossing an ocean, the risks are substantially higher.

For the C Dory type, if in remote areas, just a PLB is better than none. We have 3 because the batteries were getting toward the end of life on the two we have, and I got the new one for less than $200. We will replace the batteries on the older units this year.

I agree that the two way message of the Spot--and especially in reach, which we tested last year with one of C Brats is fantastic--and can be a really great help in an emergency. It can also re-create what happened as it did in the Enseneda race sailboat which hit North Coronado Island several years ago, and all were lost. In that case there was a failure on Spot's emergency service, and no message was passed on to SAR that a distress and lack of tracking had occurred. The other issue, was that once the spot went in the water, it failed, and there was not further tracking. The PLB or EPIRB should continue until the battery fails, or if the owner cannot hold the PLB above water. Thus the drift of a raft can be tracker.

The reason I am more adamant about small boats is from what I have been reading on the various forums for the last 10 years, of the occasional incident an example of which was a small Boston Whaler, ran out of fuel, flipped, and the owner was in the water with a floating boat--but eventually drowned/hypotherma, in the San Francisco area. If that owner had a PLB he could have put out a distress call, and his life would have been saved. I hear about similar incidents a number of times each year. There are many other tracking mechanisms---but the relevant government SAR community is notified promptly with the PLB and EPRIB. Each of us chooses out comfort level. As I age, and become less agile, and strong, it changes.

No arguments, just feelings, and beliefs.

Regards,

Bob
 
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