Dent Island Charter Boat accident
- Thread starter BigHog
- Start date
S
salmon9
Guest
Terrible news. Won't be suprised if guests start wearing inflatable PFD's whenever on the boat. Another reason to wear a PFD whenever we are on the water.
Sushihunter
Active Member
I'm not sure a lifejacket would have saved this guy.
I remember a show a couple of years back where they took a dummy and rigged it with a life jacket and a data recorder and dumped it into tidal rapids of the Bay of Fundy.
The currents took the crash test dummy down 200' and it didn't come up for over an hour. When it did surface, it was several miles away from where they dropped it.
Depending on the conditions at Dent Rapids, a similar outcome might be the case.
Sad situation none the less.
Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://ca.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250
I remember a show a couple of years back where they took a dummy and rigged it with a life jacket and a data recorder and dumped it into tidal rapids of the Bay of Fundy.
The currents took the crash test dummy down 200' and it didn't come up for over an hour. When it did surface, it was several miles away from where they dropped it.
Depending on the conditions at Dent Rapids, a similar outcome might be the case.
Sad situation none the less.
Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://ca.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250
S
salmon9
Guest
I think you would have a better chance surfacing with a PFD than without one even in the rapids.
Charter Tofino
Well-Known Member
Wow thats to bad... Kinda makes you wonder why your laughin at the guys hammered in the chum derby. Fall in at some of the spots in those waters and it could be ugly.
T
tortuga
Guest
The 26 Grady tried to jump the rapids and one of the guests was thrown over. He called for help then was gone. Still no sign. [xx(]
LET GO OF THE REEL!!!
LET GO OF THE REEL!!!
S
salmon9
Guest
To get to any fishing spot up there when leaving the lodges you have to run the rapids and often during large tides and near max flows. It's easy to loose balance in a boat, then add cruising speed and crossing heavy current makes it even more challenging. I wouldn't say any guide up there is "hot dogging, ot jumping rapids", just getting back and forth around there you have to run the rapids in less than ideal circumstances. I would think Nordstrom's, the owners of the Lodge, are rethinking safety measures and their liability. Last time they had an accident they got new management, new guides and bigger boats. Larger boats are not much better as their deeper V hulls can be pushed around more easy than a shallower draft boat. Sad news, perhaps a reminder about being safe all the time.
Charlie
Well-Known Member
x2 and Emphasis,"I wouldn't say any guide up there is "hot dogging, ot jumping rapids". Judgement?? It doesn't sound the "boat" was ever in peril, so I hope people don't second judge the operator, but the outcome was still not good! Everyone has different experience levels. I am quite sure his knowledge and experience level of that area, is A LOT higher than mine. He's probably done it 1000 times, where I probably wouldn't be comfortable doing it at all?
I think you really have to see it and experience it, to believe it! That area can get downright "nasty"! Don't get me wrong, as I have seen Race Rock get pretty ugly, but I have always had room to maneuver there. It is nothing compared to some of the other areas, where the rapids and whirlpools go all the way across the channel! And "Dent", is one of them!
x3 on the "Larger Boats are not much better..." They are actually worse a lot of times? I would rather be in my 12' Zodiac. But then again, I would rather not play at all, period! When you get a drop in a whirlpool, you better know what you are doing and stay away, or you very well could lose your boat and life!
I think "Robert Hale" probably explains it best, "In major rapids, it is common for the current to increase until it no longer is a smooth, laminar sweep, and becomes a boiling, crashing, upwelling maelstrom that looks exactly like a fast-falling whitewater mountain stream. White water is full of air, and less buoyant than green water. Boats float lower. Rudders lose effectiveness and propellers lose bite. When diminished buoyancy and lessened control are combined with strong currents, standing waves, deep whirlpools and boils of upwelling water, very quickly you can have a recipe for disaster. This is why good boats are lost in tidal rapids.
While the time and duration of slack water varies with the individual rapids, each rapids is quite consistent within itself. By long observation, relationships have been established. For example, slack water at Malibu Rapids, at the entrance to Princess Louisa Inlet, occurs 35 minutes after low water at Point Atkinson, and 25 minutes after high water at Point Atkinson. Other rapids, such as Deception Pass, Seymour Narrows, Yuculta Rapids and Dent Rapids, have their own current tables that predict the times of turn and maximum current. Mariners experienced in these waters have those tables and live by them.</u>
We have enormous respect for tidal current rapids, and will not run a major rapids except during the narrow window of time that surrounds slack water. We study the current tables and make our travel plans with any rapids topmost in our minds. This book reflects our cautious approach. We discuss the various rapids frankly and without sugar-coating, and hope our readers will take our cautions seriously."
Very unfortunate accident!
I would highly recomment puting on your PFD or survival suit! At least you will get recovered sooner or later, one way or the other?
Copper Moon
Well-Known Member
Good post Charlie.
I have traversed these rapids a number of times but at, or very close to "slack water" while cruising. We were very careful to avoid the worst areas. It still gets your heart pounding. I never wanted to find out why they called the one spot the Devil's Hole. These rapids are to be respected.
I have traversed these rapids a number of times but at, or very close to "slack water" while cruising. We were very careful to avoid the worst areas. It still gets your heart pounding. I never wanted to find out why they called the one spot the Devil's Hole. These rapids are to be respected.
Years ago we were up at Stuart and went to the bluffs over by the Devils Hole to watch the water. A log between 50 and 60 feet long got caught in the whirlpools and stood on end like a swizzle stick before it disappeared. It came up about 90 seconds later which seemed like hours about 200 yards from where it went down. It shot about 5 feet clear of the water at about 30 degrees and most of the bark had been peeled off. I hold a lot of respect for that area.
Charlie wrote: When you get a drop in a whirlpool, you better know what you are doing and stay away, or you very well could lose your boat and life!
What do you do when you drop into a whirlpool?
I'd probably whirl pooh in my pants, but would like to know how to handle such a situation.
What do you do when you drop into a whirlpool?
I'd probably whirl pooh in my pants, but would like to know how to handle such a situation.
Charlie
Well-Known Member
I would advise, Avoid it! Unless, you have a boat designed for it, and the experience to go along! I would recommend not even getting close. You can see them well in advance. If you are caught in a 3 foot drop, you probably will "whirl pooh" your pants, right before it sucks you under!
Once in a 42 foot boat, running about 20 knots I went through an area with close to a 3 knot tide running against me. I saw a whirlpool in front, with about a 2½ -3 foot drop and decided since I was on plane and had plenty of room I would just skirt the outside of it on the starboard side. That was almost a very large and fatal mistake… I got on the edge of it and the next thing I knew it turned me 90 degrees to port. I immediately, and literally laid it over full starboard, went full throttle and broke free, it did get my attention.
So, I guess the answer you're looking for, if you do get caught in one; don't even think! Turn the boat 90 degrees from the center of the whirlpool and give it full throttle and hope you break free!
Here is an example of boats designed for whirlpools: http://www.whirlpooljet.com/faq/
Notice they are a "jet" with a hull design "flat bottom", weigh 24,000 pounds, and have "1500" horsepower. Hmm… I have outboards, props, a "Deep V", 14,000 pounds, and have "450" horsepower? They are twice the weight, different hull, and over three times the horsepower; nope I don't want to play!
Shermanater
Member
A commercial fisherman friend of mine told me if you ever get sucked into a whirl pool to throttle back and wait until it spits you out. He said if you panic and hammer down on the throttle you will put yourself into more trouble. But like charlie said just AVOID IT!
Charlie
Well-Known Member
Oh, I completely agree with your friend! If you get sucked into the center of a whirlpool, enjoy the ride as "YOU ARE DONE", at least in most of our boats? The only thing you can do is "wait" until it spits you out... that is unless you have that 1500 horsepower "jet" to get you out! Hopefully, I will never have the chance to experience that!
nedarb2
Active Member
I was going through porlier in my 30' grady two summers ago on close to a 7knt current, whirl pools and **** everywhere, we were doing about 27knts as we came into it and were being thrown around and turning side to side through the whole pass - one scary experience and we were scared to go back in! I remember looking out to the side when we hit a wall of water through the tide rip just about coming out the far side, and it was a wall of water, we have a hardtop and i swear it was above that- put us into perspective of the forces going through that place.
Similar threads
