Like the Taki-Tooo boating disaster that claimed 11 lives in Tillamook Bay in June, none of the victims was wearing a life jacket.
Posted on 08/01/2003 10:28:57 AM PDT by bedolido
The U.S. Coast Guard has revoked the license of a charter fishing captain whose boat capsized last year, killing two.
In a ruling made public Thursday, Judge Edwin Bladen took Ted D. Howell to task not so much for having violated Coast Guard rules but over whether the charter guide had learned anything from the experience.
Specifically, the judge cited the captain's "cavalier attitude" toward life jackets.
Howell was piloting a 25-foot boat on May 18, 2002, when a fast-moving 12-foot wave capsized it south of Tillamook Bay. Both of Howell's passengers drowned. Howell, 77, who was able to swim to a floating life preserver, survived.
Like the Taki-Tooo boating disaster that claimed 11 lives in Tillamook Bay in June, none of the victims was wearing a life jacket. And like the captain of the Taki-Tooo, Howell had pointed out where the life preservers were but had not given his passengers a required safety orientation about how the vests function.
Howell of Longview, Wash., said Thursday he planned to appeal the revocation by the Coast Guard administrative law judge. He said losing his license was excessive punishment for "two very minor infractions."
"There hasn't been a night go by from the time of the accident that I haven't relived the big seas and the experience," Howell said. "It's a hazardous piece of water."
Troy Campbell, 34, of La Center, Wash., and Richard Davies, 61, of Bay City died in the accident.
Howell and his passengers were trolling for salmon in water 30 to 45 feet deep. By noon, the judge's ruling said, morning swells of 4 to 6 feet had doubled, leading to the wave that caught the boat.
Bladen's ruling made repeated references to Howell's "cavalier attitude" toward life jackets. The judge wrote that Howell seemed to view them as a "tolerated nuisance," an irony all the more striking because the guide was clinging to one when he was rescued.
Among the exhibits considered by the judge was a Feb. 25, 2003, article in the Longview Daily News, in which Howell downplayed the importance of life jackets.
"I've fished for 60 years on the high seas, and I've never worn one," Howell was quoted as saying in the story. "They're uncomfortable. They're big and cumbersome."
Coast Guard officials in Portland, who pursued the revocation of Howell's license, filed their complaint in March. A hearing was held in late May, about two weeks before the Taki-Tooo went down.
Lt. Marianne Gelakoska, a Coast Guard marine casualty investigator, said no other operator licenses had been revoked in Oregon or Southwest Washington this year or last year.
"In most cases the mariner is more than happy to work with us," she said. "But when a mariner exhibits an arrogance and blatant disregard for passenger safety like Mr. Howell did, it becomes important for us to step in and take action."
Like the Taki-Tooo boating disaster that claimed 11 lives in Tillamook Bay in June, none of the victims was wearing a life jacket.
He had the requisite number of Life Jackets AND he pointed out where the life preservers were. There is as of yet no law compelling mandatory life preserver use by adults.
Judge Edwin Bladen revoked the license of a charter fishing captain because he did not like the captain's "cavalier attitude"?
While I have probably only worn one once or twice since being forced to as a kid, in waters notoriously dangerous, a licenced captain should have known better. It was his responsibility to his paying fares to at least orient them, per the regs. His 'cavalier attitude' is just insult to injury, he should have known better. The sea is a very dangerous place, and he showed a profound disrespect for his responsibility.
"Farewell and ado all ye fair young ladies... farewell and ado ye ladies of mine"
Swells, not too bad, short, confused(variable direction) waves, is pushing it a bit, but should be O.K. for a pro. It was that damn 12 footer that was the problem. From what I heard about that area from the Taki-Tooo, a local captain should have been aware of the likelihood of seeing those kind of rouge waves.
I've been down in the bottom of a 6 foot swell and looking up at a 12 or so, foot wall of water. When the sea gives way to a swell the boat goes to the bottom of the swell. A 6 foot wave is alot high then it sounds.
A wave should be measured from trough to crest, if you are saying a 6' swell has a 12' wall of water, you are cutting the usual measurement in half. So in that case, you are right about how big a "6 foot wave" is, 12 feet, that is big, and can be quite scary. But the length of the wave is usually the determining factor as to how dangerous it is. I have run in 10-15' long swells in a 17' center consol that were actually quite gentle and fun. It is kind of like biking over a series of small gentle hills. ;-) But when they reach shallow water and start breaking, look out!
Until you get used to it, indeed it does.
For surfing waves, you may be correct, I wouldn't know. That is something interesting to check out. I was speaking of open sea swells, but I'm glad I could bring back such fond memories for you. I visited Hawaii as a 10 year old kid, it was great, but I could just imagine how much better it would have been if I was older and could have done more than follow my parents around. ;-)
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