Dumb & Dumber

[jay_merrill]

"http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/neworleans/index.ssf?/base/news-26/1200810102239510.xml&coll=1"

This is a news story about a couple of kids sailing a 15 foot boat in lake Ponchartrain yesterday. The photo below is what kind of boat they were sailing .. in 6 to 7 foot seas and a water temperature of 50 degrees. As much as I think the kids were idiots who need to take a course in common sense, not to mention basic seamanship, the dad is the one who astounds me. His comments are just dumber than dumb. I wonder if he has any sense at all just how close he came to losing his kid..

 

[jbjennings]

Re: Dumb & Dumber

Hmmmm,
I hope they learned their lesson......
Interesting article,
JBJ

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Dumb & Dumber

i don't know much about ponchartrain, but 6-7 foot seas seams exagerated with the wind gust. you also, have to be a sailer to understand. i'm to old for it now, but years ago i would have tried it.

 

[tommays]

Re: Dumb & Dumber

That is the SOP for surfers,windsurfers and other hardcore sailers with the correct wetsuit they would have never gotten in trouble


Frostbite sailing up here is VERY big WITH crash boats watching for saftey




Tommays

 

[thurps]

Re: Dumb & Dumber

I agree with tashasdaddy. When I was a pup, my buddy and I used to head out on Newport Bay in a Lido 14 whenever there was a small craft warning. I do have to admit the water was much warmer.

 

[drewmitch44]

Re: Dumb & Dumber

those things are so fun though when its rough out like that. The dad said that it goes fast when its windy and he is rite! I used to do that kinda stuff in out small sail. but the difference is we always has someone at the dock watching with a boat and if something were to go wrong they would come and get us then get the boat. It is a blast though in rough seas!

 

[DJ]

Re: Dumb & Dumber

Ponchartrain is very shallow. It's basically just a big sauce pan. It takes very little wind to kick it up and the waves are short and confused.

Send them the bill for the rescue.

 

[QC]

Re: Dumb & Dumber

Yeah, it doesn't say anything about wet suits. I doubt they could've sailed the thing without them though. Shoot I don't think they could even get out of the car and on the water without . . . 37/50 air/water . . . ???

 

[jtexas]

Re: Dumb & Dumber

It's a well-know fact that 18-19 year old men are completely indestructable - otherwise I never would have survived that age!

In 50? water for 20-30 minutes and didn't go to the hospital...must have had wetsuits on.

Experienced sailors, wearing PFDs -- not as risky for them as it would be for some others. One might conclude that they were capable and prepared for conditions, just from the fact that they survived.

good job posting a photo for reference, jay.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Dumb & Dumber

DJ is exactly right. Lake Ponchartrain is very shallow for a lake of its size. It gets very rough, very quickly, especially when a cold front blows through. With 22 miles of open water between the south shore and the nearest terrain, trees, etc. on the north shore, things get very dangerous for small boats. With winds gusting to 35 mph, wave heights in the reported range are entirely possible.

As some have said, with proper precautions, what they were doing might not have been so stupid. I think a heavy emphasis on might is appropriate though, because an experienced sailor would know that 35 mph winds pretty much guarantee capsizing a sailboat of this size. Wet suits would have helped but they would not have prevented injuries, which is something that did occur in this case. As for a safety boat, that would have been nice too, but it would have had to be 25 - 30 feet long, to be of much value in the conditions that existed.

I admit to writing these posts because I have an interest in boating safety. I am not one to hide in the harbor every time there is a puff of wind, but I do believe in exercising good judgement and, in my opinion, these two young men failed to do just that. I am further dismayed because it sounds like the dad not only has not taught them to respect the dangers that can be a part of boating, but enourages them to make bad decisions. This bugs me in the same way that I am bugged when I hear young parents cussing like a sailor (pun intended ) in front of children.

I kind of like to apply the liquor industry saying to these situations ... "know when to say no."

 

[teCh0010]

Re: Dumb & Dumber

Hockey or rock climbing helmets should be added to the list of required equipment to try this along with wetsuits and PFDs. Less chance of banging heads and knocking each other out. A mouth guard to bite down on might help as well to keep you from biting your tounge off.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Dumb & Dumber

They apparently had PFDs on and may or may not have had wet suits - the article doesn't say. I am leaning towards thinking that they didn't have wetsuits though, because one was apparently unable to climb the seawall by himself. That speaks of hypothermia to me because that seawall is built like a set of steps - it has a bunch a steps that are a few feet in depth and probably about a foot in elevation between each level. Even with good sized waves, I would think that a person in a normal condition would be able to scramble up it without help.