By Joe Cermele

When I was about 11 years old my family had a big boat at the beach. On the next dock over there was a smaller boat, about 25 feet long, and one day they went out on a trip to the canyon and never returned. The weather had turned on them, and all the Coast Guard ever found were the fuel bladders they had strapped to the bow, floating 80 miles out.

Stories of anglers lost at sea are hard to swallow no matter what the circumstances, but I have to be up front and say that like those anglers years ago, and like the NFL players in Florida now, common sense and a little planning could have prevented tragedy.

The fact is, packing four big guys on a 21-foot, single-engine boat and making a 50-mile run is just not smart. I don’t care if it’s a blue bird day. My limit on my 26-foot, single-engine boat is about 30 miles, and it has to be the most picture-perfect forecast for me to go that far. I’ve only done it twice.

There really is no excuse for tragedies like the one in Florida. The Internet is chock-full of sea forecasting sites, such as NOAA.com, and there are hundreds of pay service satellite feeds that anglers can trust when making long runs. But even if you don’t watch your weather carefully, mistakes happen. You do dumb things sometimes. I once ventured out into a fog I was sure would lift. It didn’t, and I heard lots of big boats roaring around me while I laid on the horn in fear of getting smashed. Never did that again -- even after I equipped my boat with radar.

Be it in the ocean or on the Great Lakes, you have to know the limits of your vessel. I personally would get nervous running a 21-foot boat more than 15 miles out, especially with four people on board. But regardless of boat size, anyone making long-distance runs needs to have the following on board in a water-tight ditch bag. If you end up in the water, grab the bag and your shot at surviving just rose dramatically:

EPIRB: Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacons (shown above) come in many shapes and sizes. Most automatically transmit your position to a satellite and then to the authorities when they get wet. If the Florida crew had one, they probably would have been picked up within hours.

Waterproof, Hand-Held VHF Radio: If your boat flips over, kiss your mounted VHF goodbye. A waterproof hand-held gives you a shot to hail a nearby vessel or the Coast Guard.

Rope: The first rescued angler in Florida, Nick Schuyler, told the Coast Guard the other anglers were separated when they were unable to cling to the boat. A length of rope in your ditch bag goes a long way.

There are many more items of use to put in a ditch bag, but in my mind, these are the most important. For the full list, check out this ditch bag story on the website of Salt Water Sportsman. Hopefully the other anglers will be found alive, but this should be a lesson to all of us that there is no fish anywhere worth risking your life to catch.

JC

Comments (6)

from Douglas wrote 3 years 11 weeks ago

A few years ago I and several other novices, including my wife, went out about 25 miles off shore from Zihuantenego Mexico for sailfish with a local Mexican charter. We were in a small panga with one 80 hp motor. The spare gas was in a plastic jug riding on the toilet seat.
I can only thank God that it was a calm day and turned out safe (and successful).
Ignorance was bliss in our case but afterwards, I could not believe how idiotic we were to tempt fate out in the blue water.
My prayers are for the lost ones and their families.
Thanks for the educational post!

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from beekeeper410 wrote 3 years 11 weeks ago

Years ago, we went bluefish fishing in our 21 ft boat on the Chesapeake Bay in July. It was fair and calm when we started out but, by afternoon, a squall blew up. We had to limp to two miles to shore through 25 ft waves. It was unforgettable. Having to go 30-40 miles that way is a really scary thought.

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from buckhunter wrote 3 years 11 weeks ago

Lost at sea would be one hell of a bad way to go.

I would like to add that if you charter a boat I would suggest checking with the Capt. for the same equipment.

Our prays go out to the families.

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from alabamahunter wrote 3 years 11 weeks ago

I've honestly never been far enough out in a boat that I couldn't see land. I don't care how much confidence I had in the guy with the boat, I would never go out anywhere near 50 miles in a 21 ft. boat. It is a tragic story though, assuming they don't find those whom remain missing alive.

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from Sportsman Matt wrote 3 years 11 weeks ago

I'm going to sound heartless on this subject, but it's the truth. I've seen people get into trouble out on the water, and I've helped quite a few out. Problem is that they don't use common sense. 1 ounce of common sense is worth more than all the equipment and gizmos in the world. But for some reason people fail to use the grey matter between their ears, and that's what makes the difference between coming home alive or in a body bag. I feel for the families of those lost at sea, and hope for those lost for a safe return.

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from Sportsman Matt wrote 3 years 11 weeks ago

Also as an added point, the ditch bag only works if you have it with you as you go overboard. Best thing is to make sure things are accessable, PFDs, Radio, Rope, Tether to Liferaft or Boat.

Biggest thing to worry about is not getting capsized or falling overboard. Also don't run alone, and keep in touch with other boats in the area.

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from Douglas wrote 3 years 11 weeks ago

A few years ago I and several other novices, including my wife, went out about 25 miles off shore from Zihuantenego Mexico for sailfish with a local Mexican charter. We were in a small panga with one 80 hp motor. The spare gas was in a plastic jug riding on the toilet seat.
I can only thank God that it was a calm day and turned out safe (and successful).
Ignorance was bliss in our case but afterwards, I could not believe how idiotic we were to tempt fate out in the blue water.
My prayers are for the lost ones and their families.
Thanks for the educational post!

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from beekeeper410 wrote 3 years 11 weeks ago

Years ago, we went bluefish fishing in our 21 ft boat on the Chesapeake Bay in July. It was fair and calm when we started out but, by afternoon, a squall blew up. We had to limp to two miles to shore through 25 ft waves. It was unforgettable. Having to go 30-40 miles that way is a really scary thought.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from buckhunter wrote 3 years 11 weeks ago

Lost at sea would be one hell of a bad way to go.

I would like to add that if you charter a boat I would suggest checking with the Capt. for the same equipment.

Our prays go out to the families.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from alabamahunter wrote 3 years 11 weeks ago

I've honestly never been far enough out in a boat that I couldn't see land. I don't care how much confidence I had in the guy with the boat, I would never go out anywhere near 50 miles in a 21 ft. boat. It is a tragic story though, assuming they don't find those whom remain missing alive.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Sportsman Matt wrote 3 years 11 weeks ago

I'm going to sound heartless on this subject, but it's the truth. I've seen people get into trouble out on the water, and I've helped quite a few out. Problem is that they don't use common sense. 1 ounce of common sense is worth more than all the equipment and gizmos in the world. But for some reason people fail to use the grey matter between their ears, and that's what makes the difference between coming home alive or in a body bag. I feel for the families of those lost at sea, and hope for those lost for a safe return.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Sportsman Matt wrote 3 years 11 weeks ago

Also as an added point, the ditch bag only works if you have it with you as you go overboard. Best thing is to make sure things are accessable, PFDs, Radio, Rope, Tether to Liferaft or Boat.

Biggest thing to worry about is not getting capsized or falling overboard. Also don't run alone, and keep in touch with other boats in the area.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.