Boating accidents...

[Newbie@boats]

How in the world do they happen?

I remember reading in the paper last summer about 2 seperate boating accidents.

Both happened at night.....

Both boats that got hit were anchored in a cove.

Luckly no one was seriously hurt.

I guess beer and boats just dont mix!

 

[monk-monk]

Re: Boating accidents...

Reading your thread reminded me of a boating accident here in North Carolina...Interstate I-77 crosses Lake Norman, it is lined with rip-rap along both sides of the interstate...well some knucklehead trying to impress his friends...and traveling at a high rate of speed after dark ran dead into the rip-rap which sent the boat ramping in the air...it crossed both south bound lanes of the intersate and landed in the median...GOOD JOB! Hope he never owns another boat...if he survived..!

 

[lrlima]

Re: Boating accidents...

I remember that morning and the mess on 77 made me late for work. That guy must have been bombed out of his mind.

 

[monk-monk]

Re: Boating accidents...

I won't even go boating on 2 out of 3 of the major lakes in the Charlotte area..(lake norman and lake wylie) because of the heavy population of homes built on the lakes and the amount of boats and PWC that this brings...teenagers running wild in the afternoons after school on PWC, ski boats with massive sound systems and some "wanna-be" stunt man behind the boat with the latest stunt gear...multiply this scene by a hundreds...Reminds me of the dangers of texting while driving a car...Mmm?

 

[JB]

Re: Boating accidents...

They are not accidents. They are premeditated negligence.

 

[monk-monk]

Re: Boating accidents...

Your right JB...calling collisions an "accident" is not correct...it is negligence of the operator of the craft...

 

[BugsBunnyBoater]

Re: Boating accidents...

I lost a college friend a few years ago. she was in a boat at night and a drunk driver hit the boat she was in broad side at a high rate of speed killing 4 of the people in the boat.

When i saw it on tv I was like wow somebody with the same name as her was killed then later that day I found out it was her.

 

[5150abf]

Re: Boating accidents...

I fish at night on a river and always have my spot light handy so if someone gets too close I can flash them so I know they see me.

Not too much stupidity after dark here but now and then someone goes ripping up the river, there are lots of bends, logs and shallow spots so they are really asking for it.

 

[Newbie@boats]

Re: Boating accidents...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They are not accidents. They are premeditated negligence.

I am going to have to agree with you on that!

 

[Bob's Garage]

Re: Boating accidents...

Most of your comments indicate "accidents" happening at night. However, it is interesting to note that, according to the Coast Guard, more accidents occur during daylight hours, on clear visibility days, particularly those involving fatalities, and are a result of BOI. Most fatalities are drownings, and are involving persons not wearing PFD's.

 

[wca_tim]

Re: Boating accidents...

This past winter, two friends were running fast, side by side or close to it, neither drunk, both experienced boaters in their 40s, I think both had raced competitively, they had definately both grown up on the water all their lives - dyed in the wool "river rats" that I saw on the water pretty much any sat or sun afternoon I was on the water. the one in the smaller boat (15-16 ft allison) was pulling ahead, something happened and the smaller boat took a sudden hard turn in front of the other boat, prow of the bigger heavier boat hit the driver point in the head and he died instantly - or so that's what others that were there described in a nutshell. perhaps a steering failure in the smaller boat, fluke wave, dodging a piece of wood in the water, or just lost control.

 

[Philster]

Re: Boating accidents...

Most people boat in the daytime on nice days.

Many people are completely unprepared to be boaters, even after the courses.

I stepped onto someone's boat for a near-shore fishing trip, and he'd been boating for 40 years. 26' Fountain Center Console.

Less than 10 mins into the trip, he powered through muck instead of raising the engine and puttering, and he got an overheat alarm.

On the way out a natural channel, he was headed straight for shallow breakers, a CLEAR sign of a shoal/sandbar, when I could plainly see the water and the course we should be on. He got down to 2' reading on depth finder, and I made him turn hard right. He could not see nor feel where he should be in the (unmarked) channel. And he never 'felt' that he should slow down when something didn't feel right or he was confused.

Bad day.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Boating accidents...

In looking at accidents in Maryland over the past 4 years only 4% of the reported 218 accidents involved an intoxicated boater. The largest contributing factor by far was the operator?s negligence or inexperience. A soboring reminder that what you don't know might just kill you.

Type of boat:
Open motor boat = 93 - # of injuries = 59 - Fatalies - 14
Cabin motor boat = 60 - # of injuries = 23 - Fatalies - 0
PWC = 21 - # of injuries = 15 - Fatalies - 1

Type of accident
Collison with other boat = 58
Collison with fixed object = 36
Capsizing = 22
Falling from boat = 19

Cause of accident:
Wake = 30
No proper lookout = 22
Weather = 17
Operator inexperiance = 16
Alcohol use = 9

 

[shwoop_soobie]

Re: Boating accidents...

i think one of the big problems, like has been said, is inexperience... people think driving a boat is just like being in a car... i see so many people being just plain reckless... boats crisscrossing while towing tubes, trying to jump big wakes etc....

there are so many young people now that are privileged enough to have a boat or use "daddy's" boat... and many go to the lake not knowing anything about boating safety or procedure, and get hammered and fly around like maniacs...

im the amateur boater who stays as far way from these morons as possible... i can control what im doing.. not what some drunk on his speedboat is doing...

 

[lncoop]

Re: Boating accidents...

I guess beer and boats just dont mix!

Correction: Too much beer and boats don't mix.

 

[ufm82]

Re: Boating accidents...

I read an article a while back that came from the Ohio Watercraft division that the majority of drownings related to boating that involved men had one common theme. No life jacket AND their fly was down. So, standing on the edge of the boat to pee and falling in and drowing. Interesting stat- it was over 50%.

Nightime accidents are very easy to explain. Vision and depth perception are very different at night versus daytime and I have been in several "close calls" while out. Even when anchored with lights on I have been scared by an approaching boat who was headed right for me. I had a boat go by me so close one evening that I heard the guy yell "Oh S**T" when he went by 10 feet away. This despite my waving my spotlight at him well before he got close. Not paying attention or not "seeing" what is there is a problem.

Every year there are reports of accidents involving boats and I constantly shake my head in disbelief when the details come out. Some people simply can't handle a vehicle that allows unfettered lateral movement. Put them in a car where they have to stay in a lane with marked lines and they are fine. But put them on water where they can go anywhere they want and bad things happen.

UFM82

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Boating accidents...

Another cause of accidents on some lakes is anglers who are motoring along, looking at their fish locator instead of the water. I've watched guys drive along for minutes without looking up once.

I have a loud mouth-blown boat horn on my boat for those guys. If they're heading my way, I give 'em a blast, just to get their attention.

Amazing! Beautiful lake, and they're driving head down. Morons abound.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Boating accidents...

Morons abound.

They do indeed.

 

[Newbie@boats]

Re: Boating accidents...

Im only 17, I own my own Bayliner, and a Dodge ram 2500 diesel.

I work hard for what I have and ill be damned if I go out and be reckless in something I worked hard for, wether I am with friends, or its day or night.

 

[hubbard53]

Re: Boating accidents...

boating is pretty safe... but still prone to error when a flawed human is at the helm

2002 Data...

Boating Fatalities per 100,000 registered watercraft = 5.9
Road fatalities per 100,000 registered vehicles = 19.06