>>This was not a freak squall. It was accurately forecast — hours in advance of when it hit. NWS tracked the squall line and predicted exactly what happened. It was gross negligence on the part of the boat operator not to monitor weather forecasts and radar. <<
I went back and saw the timeline and see what you say. The real question is still going to rest on what the standards are. A weather warning is NOT a small craft advisory and I don’t see one of those.
It was visually clear.
This is NOT open and shut as you seem to think. Given the clean history of this operation it seems you are jumping to conclusions.
I learned my lesson about that in the Zimmerman incident and now am very hesitant to proclaim guilt or innocence (or liability) based on partial data.
Winds up to 70 mph were forecast. There is nothing magic about the words “small craft advisory”. If there’s a forecast chance of 70 mph winds, a prudent boat operator makes it his business to know this, and does not send minimally seaworthy craft full of unsuspecting tourists into the water.