Another deadly boating accident out of Bodega Bay yesterday. I have no knowledge other that what I saw in the news, but I can say that the weather was likely a factor, similar to the other two accidents. It was not good yesterday with a large swell and small craft advisory winds. The boat was pretty big and that may have been a factor in deciding to go crabbing anyway, but bad weather multiplies the effects of any unexpected event. The pictures look like they might have got a crab rope in the prop (a line in the wheel, they say) and that would kill the engine and be pretty much unfixable on a shaft drive like this boat. Strong winds would push any boat around and make driving over your own rope (or any other out there) likelier. They called for help, but it takes it a bit for the USCG to get on the boat and get to wherever you may be in the event of a mayday. They weren't super far (Salmon Creek) and they probably dropped anchor, but a big boat in the wind and swell can drag anchor pretty easy and pretty fast. It looked like the boat had an auxiliary motor but it didn't help in those conditions. I assume that they did all the right things, but the conditions were such that it didn't really matter. What would have been a bummer on a calm day became a life ender. Let's all choose better weather days.
3 comments:
Amen. Remember in my younger days working 50+ hour weeks indoors I lived for ocean fishing adventure days on my 17.5' Whaler and would generally tend to push it too weather conditions wise on those rare days having other excited fisherman all lined up you just hated not to at least give it a try...
Remove all doubt folks. The ocean doesn't play fair and never loses.
When small sport boats catch a crab pot line in the wheel they effectively become anchored from their stern which causes the stern of the vessel to face into the sea and wind conditions. Except perhaps under flat calm conditions, a swamped boat quickly results.
On any small sport boat that I am aboard the agreed upon drill for a line in the wheel is to immediately catch the bight of the offending line with a gaff or boat hook, bring it onboard, and run it forward to be secured at the bow. This will cause the bow, as opposed to the stern, to face into the weather usually providing ample time for the prop to be cleared.
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