Sharphooks
Well-Known Member
Last June I was explaining to one of my brothers the trepidations I sometimes feel when planning and executing a solo expedition in a small boat when it includes long distance running in some very exposed places. I mentioned that just the simple act of anchoring while alone during a storm on a bucking deck with nobody around for many miles can lead to a bad outcome. We’re both skiers. We both do some very steep stuff in places where you’re completely exposed and you just can’t afford to make a mistake.
Skiers call it the no-fall zone.
As I was trying to explain the anchoring drill and the other various things solo boaters end up doing in places where you don’t want to make a mistake, he offered the following:
You mean you’re in the no-fall zone?
That struck me. Yes, we’re in the no-fall zone, I conceded.
So, not sure if you guys followed the saga of the two young firemen in Florida who just yesterday, after a 6 day search by a large contingent of Coast Guard, Navy and private vessels combing a huge piece of ocean, we’re finally pronounced goners, probably having capsized in a storm last Friday after launching from Cape Canaveral in a single-engine CC ?
The saga was painful to follow....thousands of people following and commenting on a thread started by one of the fireman’s brother-in-laws on a marine web site in which he asked boaters to keep their eyes open for the missing boat. Hundreds responded, some posting advice, most including suggestions along the lines of coulda, woulda, shoulda, and everything in between with regards to what those two unlucky firemen could and should have done to properly prepare for the trip they took
They were in the no-fall zone, and unfortunately, they fell.
I learned quite a bit from some of the responders, ex-CG guys, ex-SARS guys. It would not be distasteful or show disrespect to those two lost firemen to say that their demise caused lots of people following the story to review the way they currently conduct themselves while out on the water and how they’re probably re-evaluating their preparedness and will probably do things a bit differently in the future.
That includes me.
I learned about PLB’s, EPIRBS (the pluses and minuses) the newer tech of IN-Reach and VHF hand-helds that have both DSC and GPS capabilities and why this could be so important to have as back up. None of these things I own but I will be purchasing several of the items shortly, no doubt
IN-Reach: During part of my trip this summer I was out of touch for a two week period——zero internet, zero cell, just VHF
Meanwhile, back at the ranch I was having some serious business issues and nobody could get in touch with me. One of my daughters was trying to put out the brush-fires but needed critical information from me.
My GF returned from her EU trip in early August, heard what was going on with my business stuff from m,y daughter, learned that nobody had heard from me for almost two weeks, and put a call into the Prince Rupert CG who, God bless their souls, finally tracked me down
Long story short, I lost about $ 4,000 on the business melt-down—-I had trucks at the border full of frozen bait which were denied entry into Canada due to lapsed export permits...I blew town for my North Coast expedition and didn’t leave a clean trail.
Once I got back to a cell signal and trouble-shot the snafu, I quickly realized that the amount of $$ I lost could easily have covered the costs of both satellite phone hardware and the subscription to use it.
Or a hand-held unit called IN-Reach which would have allowed me to send and receive texts....not just for business and for letting people know my whereabouts but just in case I ended up falling in the no-fall zone
And I learned another bread-crumb trail trick from a poster who had worked with the Coast Goard—-label everything on your boat with your name and your boat name. That includes PFD’s, coolers, and anything on deck that floats, an item that someone can perhaps find after a capsizing event and draw a conclusion about your drift pattern
Back in Florida they found one of the fireman’s tackle bags. There was no name on it but the guy’s wife identified it. Yes, it was my husband’s.
That’s all they’ve found since last Friday from the boat that carried those two unfortunate souls who fell where they shouldn’t have fallen.
Skiers call it the no-fall zone.
As I was trying to explain the anchoring drill and the other various things solo boaters end up doing in places where you don’t want to make a mistake, he offered the following:
You mean you’re in the no-fall zone?
That struck me. Yes, we’re in the no-fall zone, I conceded.
So, not sure if you guys followed the saga of the two young firemen in Florida who just yesterday, after a 6 day search by a large contingent of Coast Guard, Navy and private vessels combing a huge piece of ocean, we’re finally pronounced goners, probably having capsized in a storm last Friday after launching from Cape Canaveral in a single-engine CC ?
The saga was painful to follow....thousands of people following and commenting on a thread started by one of the fireman’s brother-in-laws on a marine web site in which he asked boaters to keep their eyes open for the missing boat. Hundreds responded, some posting advice, most including suggestions along the lines of coulda, woulda, shoulda, and everything in between with regards to what those two unlucky firemen could and should have done to properly prepare for the trip they took
They were in the no-fall zone, and unfortunately, they fell.
I learned quite a bit from some of the responders, ex-CG guys, ex-SARS guys. It would not be distasteful or show disrespect to those two lost firemen to say that their demise caused lots of people following the story to review the way they currently conduct themselves while out on the water and how they’re probably re-evaluating their preparedness and will probably do things a bit differently in the future.
That includes me.
I learned about PLB’s, EPIRBS (the pluses and minuses) the newer tech of IN-Reach and VHF hand-helds that have both DSC and GPS capabilities and why this could be so important to have as back up. None of these things I own but I will be purchasing several of the items shortly, no doubt
IN-Reach: During part of my trip this summer I was out of touch for a two week period——zero internet, zero cell, just VHF
Meanwhile, back at the ranch I was having some serious business issues and nobody could get in touch with me. One of my daughters was trying to put out the brush-fires but needed critical information from me.
My GF returned from her EU trip in early August, heard what was going on with my business stuff from m,y daughter, learned that nobody had heard from me for almost two weeks, and put a call into the Prince Rupert CG who, God bless their souls, finally tracked me down
Long story short, I lost about $ 4,000 on the business melt-down—-I had trucks at the border full of frozen bait which were denied entry into Canada due to lapsed export permits...I blew town for my North Coast expedition and didn’t leave a clean trail.
Once I got back to a cell signal and trouble-shot the snafu, I quickly realized that the amount of $$ I lost could easily have covered the costs of both satellite phone hardware and the subscription to use it.
Or a hand-held unit called IN-Reach which would have allowed me to send and receive texts....not just for business and for letting people know my whereabouts but just in case I ended up falling in the no-fall zone
And I learned another bread-crumb trail trick from a poster who had worked with the Coast Goard—-label everything on your boat with your name and your boat name. That includes PFD’s, coolers, and anything on deck that floats, an item that someone can perhaps find after a capsizing event and draw a conclusion about your drift pattern
Back in Florida they found one of the fireman’s tackle bags. There was no name on it but the guy’s wife identified it. Yes, it was my husband’s.
That’s all they’ve found since last Friday from the boat that carried those two unfortunate souls who fell where they shouldn’t have fallen.
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