Coast Guard Photo Release
(Click pics for very large versions)
Posted on 03/02/2009 12:06:36 PM PST by Reagan69
It was totally irresponsible to put that kind of weight in a 21 ft boat, let alone in that weather. My husband was saying that the four of them could weigh close to a thousand pounds.
Water Temperature (A) Expected Time Before Exhaustion or Unconsciousness (B) Expected Time of Survival
32.5° (A) < 15 minutes (B)45 minutes
32.5° – 40° (A) 15 – 30 minutes (B)30 – 90 minutes
40° – 50° (A) 30 – 60 minutes (B)1 – 3 hours
50° – 60° (A) 1 – 2 hours (B)1 – 6 hours
60° – 70° (A) 2 – 7 hours (B)2 – 40 hours
70° – 80° (A) 3 – 12 hours 3 hours – (B)indefinite
> 80° (A) indefinite (B)indefinite
handsome guy
70° – 80° (A) 3 – 12 hours (B)3 hours – indefinite
The boat is rated for more than 1000 pounds. See the link further up in this thread.
But it’s designed for travel in lesser seas.
Thank goodness. Thanks.
21 feet out in the open ocean? May not have been the wisest decision ever made, hopefully it won’t be fatal decision for any of them.
Gutless, not...smart yes! Things out there can turn on a dime!
The station just apologized for reporting Marquis Cooper found alive, they said they reported it from a “tip”.
As most have speculated, your only chance would have been to hang on to the boat and stay out of the water as much as possible.
The chances of finding the other 3 guys alive, taking into account the temperature of the water, and how long they have been in the water is slim, most likely hopeless.
Ongoing live coverage here.
http://www.freep.com/article/20090302/SPORTS01/90302030
You are right. With the right hull design even a twenty foot boat probably would have been ok. Unfortunately their boat was more of a bass fishing boat than an offshore fishing boat. It wasn't designed for heavy seas.
You are right! We did a lot of open ocean sailing (28 foot reverse shear) when I was young. My mother, when I moved close to Lake Erie, told my she would never go out on Lake Erie in a storm, as we used to do in the ocean.
One thing about a good sailboat, you can always rig up a sea anchor in a storm. You drop all your sails, and drag the sea anchor, and unless hit by a rogue wave, can usually make it through.
But, Lake Erie? Nope, the ocean is safer.
“Lake Erie is the one that scares me the most. It’s so shallow and it can whip up to a fury in a very short time. More than once I have chickened out and just stayed another day at Put In Bay. Call me gutless, but gutless and ALIVE’
Years ago, I got caught by a summer squall about 12 miles out of Fairport Harbor with a dead engine, no radio, no compass on a 16 foot boat owned by a friend. How we survived I will never know. In 30 minutes we went from 2-3 footers to 8-12 footers with lightning and thunder all around us. Did I mention he is my now ex-friend. We had a quite heated discussion about the essentials of boating. I had made the stupid mistake of assuming no one would go out 10 miles into Lake Erie without the usual safety equipment.
This overnighting in 60 something degree water would be a nightmare.
Water Temperature (A) Expected Time Before Exhaustion or Unconsciousness (B) Expected Time of Survival
32.5° (A) < 15 minutes (B)45 minutes
32.5° – 40° (A) 15 – 30 minutes (B)30 – 90 minutes
40° – 50° (A) 30 – 60 minutes (B)1 – 3 hours
50° – 60° (A) 1 – 2 hours (B)1 – 6 hours
60° – 70° (A) 2 – 7 hours (B)2 – 40 hours
70° – 80° (A) 3 – 12 hours 3 hours – (B)indefinite
> 80° (A) indefinite (B)indefinite
It’s filled with foam and floats like a cork. It’s reportedly nearly unsinkable.
All boats under that size since 1971 are required to enable floating when swamped. Many larger boats, such as Cobalt, will sink when swamped.
http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5102
"...That would be a 'Boston Whaler'.... can't sink em..."
CAN flip 'em, though. :(
Wow. I don’t even go out in my bass boat, fishing 30 feet from shore without checking the weather report.
Still it did provide more than adequate flotation for at least one passenger and didn't break up; that's a good and valuable thing.
The news said the Coast Guard found the boat 35 miles out. Single engine 21 footer open fisherman with 4 big guys with money. The beacon or survival raft would cost $1300 each.
Anyone buying a boat should take a power boat course and they should tell people if you go in the ocean you better have one or two or both things if you value your life.
This small single engine open-fisherman should stay within a mile or two of the shore. Also going out before a major front is crazy. The winds yesterday afternoon were whipping at 35 mph or more.
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