Anything else?

[888]

I feel pretty horrible right now i'm just glad it didn't end in a fatality. Long story short...I sold a boat 2 months ago to a local guy thru craigslist and he had very little boating experience besides a canoe. I told him once the weather breaks and we get calm waters I would take him out and run the boat. Pleaded him to not use the boat till I showed him how things work but he never called and didn't wait for calm waters either,well I will let the link below explain what happened to him,his wife and 13 yr old daughter,his best friend and his wife. Just wondering if there was anything else I could've done to prevent this.
BTW......The news article says 13yr BOY but its not correct. It was a 13yr old girl
Boaters rescued from Susquehanna River in Conoy Twp. - LancasterOnline: Local News

 

[MikDee]

Re: Anything else?

OMG! They were very lucky! You know, People just don't listen sometimes! Or get too headstrong! I'm so glad they all survived, somewhat unscathed. What size boat was it?

 

[888]

Re: Anything else?

18FT open bow with 140hp omc stringer

 

[888]

Re: Anything else?

The boat is at his house on the trailer right now and almost unscathed,he says the sterndrive is a little cracked up. Says he wants to repair and give it another go

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Anything else?

Was the answer to toss out the anchor and wait for a tow? Is that all he needed to do?

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Anything else?

The basic principle in auto safety is that you can NOT control what the other driver will do. You can only control your actions.

You did nothing wrong and could have done nothing more. In fact, you went well above any moral requirements by offering on water instructions.

Susquehanna is a river full of rocks. Pa Fish and Game issued the operator a pamphlet describing boating hazards AND the dangers of low head dams when he registered the boat. HE chose to either ignore it or boat without understanding.

The onus for the accident is on him, not you.

I have a little 10 foot tunnel hull go-fast that I am selling. It is a snappy little boat that will turn around and bite you if you aren't right on top of it. I will only sell it to a responsible adult and I will warn about the handling characteristics but after that, my responsibility is over. If the buyer flips it and gets hurt, that is his responsibility, not mine. That's the trouble today: No one wants to take responsibility for their actions, It is always someone else's fault.

 

[888]

Re: Anything else?

Was the answer to toss out the anchor and wait for a tow? Is that all he needed to do?

He says he did toss anchor but either his knot left loose or line broke within seconds of catching something.

 

[greenbush future]

Re: Anything else?

Some people just don't have enough brains to be considered "boat safe". While I'm glad no one was injured, could you imagine being married to that kind of person? Who would risk their entire family in a boat, they have 0 experience with? Boats are fixable, but I don't hold hope for folks that fail to listen to common sense. Don't take ownership of his ignorance, no I take it back, his stupidity!

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: Anything else?

A sheriff deputy that patrols the ICW often says "you only need money to buy a boat, no requirement for brains"....

 

[Starcraft5834]

Re: Anything else?

Was the answer to toss out the anchor and wait for a tow? Is that all he needed to do?

I think the answer is to not run a boat anywhere near a dyrolic dam,, 888 nothing you could have done to prevent this...

 

[Starcraft5834]

Re: Anything else?

"Susquehanna is a river full of rocks. Pa Fish and Game issued the operator a pamphlet describing boating hazards AND the dangers of low head dams when he registered the boat. HE chose to either ignore it or boat without understanding"

that about say's it all......... Am very familiar with the Susquehanna.......... it aint the Mississippi............

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Anything else?

We often advise new boat owners not to take the family on the maiden voyage, but that's usually more for sanity than safety. But this shows how important the safety aspect is.

Among his many mistakes was overloading the boat--even if legal, 5 people in a 16' on the maiden voyage, or with an inexperienced boater, is asking for trouble. And no doubt he underestimated the hypothermia factor that adds a far greater risk that what may have happened in July.

As for the anchor, although maybe not, sounds again like lack of seamanship--either his equipment was worn or too small, he didn't rig it right, or he didn't know how to tie a proper knot. Could be that the anchor was just for a lunch hook--but this shows why an anchor is your #1 piece of safety equipment, and shotr-cuts are not justified.

As a coastal boater, I know nothing about dams and rocks*, but I know enough to know what I don't know, and would not just launch into a river alone any more than a lake boater should go out Oregon Inlet. So I can't judge but so much, but it sounds liek the boating trip was a disaster from the start.



*Actually I have done some major white water canoeing so I can read the surface but I know for me, not to have any equipment in the water other than a paddle!

 

[shrew]

Re: Anything else?

It's not your responsibility to teach him how to operate a boat. I can't even imagine why he needed to follow-up with you to show him how to operate it. Once the bill of sale is signed (provided there is no warranty), it's his. What if you took him out to show him the ropes and then this occurred, would it be your fault for not teaching him properly?

At some point we need to stop the insanity. He placed his friends and family in harms way. You have nothing to do with this.