Accident near Annapolis

[dsiekman]

Hey guys, just heard a few more details about an accident that happened here about a month ago. I did a quick search but didn't see anyone else posting anything. The details are a little sketchy, but from what I heard today, 10 were on the boat, all 18 or under when the 34' center console they were driving at 50+ at 2 a.m. hit an unlit channel marker head on. One of the guys in my marina had a pic on his phone. Incredible. From what I understand, no one was killed but the injuries were pretty bad.

Mythbusters tested a similar situation a few years back and couldn't get it to work. Evidently it is very much a possibility.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Accident near Annapolis

what is there to test?

 

[marcoalza]

Re: Accident near Annapolis

Mythbusters tested a similar situation a few years back and couldn't get it to work. Evidently it is very much a possibility.

Couldn't get what to work?

 

[dsiekman]

Re: Accident near Annapolis

A boat being "split" by hitting a piling. If I remember right, their's kept bouncing off. Unfortunately, this one did not. The pic I saw of the boat looked like the piling had cut a path several feet into the bow.

 

[marcoalza]

Re: Accident near Annapolis

Mythbusters should've Googled it first......

 

[dsiekman]

Re: Accident near Annapolis

wow...that had to hurt.

 

[kobe]

Re: Accident near Annapolis

look at the boat name - I wonder what happened to number one and will there be a number 3???

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Accident near Annapolis

In that case, let's myth-bust the first post. That wreck happened years ago although I recall it may have been in Maryland. I used that photo when objecting to a neighbor wanting to install more channel markers in our part of the river. That picture is worth 1000 signatures.

 

[dsiekman]

Re: Accident near Annapolis

Hmm...the second incident in Maryland...I don't mean to make light of the situation, but perhaps Maryland should add, "don't hit channel markers" to the boating safety class. Seriously, do other states have this issue or is it just us? Also, to hijack my own thread, why aren't boating accidents better covered in the news?

 

[V153]

Re: Accident near Annapolis

I tried but couldn't get the piling through the rubrail. Did manage to total the boat & fracture my collarbone though ...Most of our markers are unlit so this sort of thing does happen with some frequency. 'Specially on dark moonless nights. There have been serious injuries and yes even a few fatalities. Friend of a friend was critically injured and his wife wound up losing an eye in a wreck a couple years ago. Yikes!

Be careful out there folks. Even if you been through a body of water hundreds of times it can still happen. Trust me.

 

[dsiekman]

Re: Accident near Annapolis

I tried but couldn't get the piling through the rubrail. QUOTE]

You'll just have to try harder next time!

All joking aside, glad you're okay and walked away with minimal damage (to yourself - the boat looks like it has seen better days). I know my river pretty well, but like you said, it can still happen. I think I'll be running slower than usual at night from now on.

 

[mommicked]

Re: Accident near Annapolis

The numbers seem to tell the tale........... 18.............2:00am...............50mph............it's incredable nobody was killed. I would assume alcohol WAS involved and that junior and friends were on a latenight joyride w/o dads permission? Surely the owner would not allow a teenager to take out this large, powerfull boat in the middle of the night.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Accident near Annapolis

some owners of boats like that become teenagers when they get behind the wheel--and behind a beer can, too.

All unlit markers have highly reflective signs on them. A pass with a flashlight spots them when they are far away (if you are at a safe speed) if you are in the channel; crossing the channel you might not get that (so go add some decorations to poles in your neighborhood).

GPS can mislead you; Army Corps moves markers but your GPS isn't updated. Verify markers you pass frequently and add them yourself.

Remember, only markers at a turn are lit; those on straight-a-ways are not (typically).

Our harbor has lots of unlit or barely lit markers and bouys. Even the big bouys' lights can be dim or broken. I cross a big bay at night to fish and there are 2 unlit markers, not facing my way, in my typical path and I find them every time visually no matter what GPS says.

Drivnig a boat at night is like driving a car in fog--you lower your speed so your stopping distance is your vision distance. And boats don't stop none too quick, but at least you usually cabn turn away.

 

[R Socey]

Re: Accident near Annapolis

I didn't hear about it - I'm in MD. Illumination is what comes to mind. If your going to be running at night, you need lights shinning out in front of you; what a novel idea :facepalm: When I go out with my buddy, we each keep a hand held spot and look where the hell were going :facepalm:

 

[V153]

Re: Accident near Annapolis

All unlit markers have highly reflective signs on them

Is that so. Well mebbe 'round your neck of the woods but not in these parts. If in fact our markers ever had any reflective or luminescent quality to begin with it's been obscured by Osprey nests'n other assorted bird poop.

Fwiw marker 9 is run into on a regular basis. It's the last marker before you enter the intracoastal heading south from Dona Bay. There's a lil "dogleg" in the channel just north of it that has no business being there. Bay's plenty deep on either side?

 

[dingbat]

Re: Accident near Annapolis

I didn't hear about it - I'm in MD. Illumination is what comes to mind. If your going to be running at night, you need lights shinning out in front of you; what a novel idea :facepalm: When I go out with my buddy, we each keep a hand held spot and look where the hell were going :facepalm:

Leave the spot light at home. Their use is inconsiderate of other boaters.

Unless you have a physical impairment, there are very few nights where you can't see well enough to navigate safely at night w/o radar. Your eyes will adjust to the darkness just fine as long as you keep your eyes exposure to white light at a minimum. Turn your displays to “night” mode and exchange the white dash lights for red ones and you’ll have no problems seeing on the water.

 

[Georgesalmon]

Re: Accident near Annapolis

I agree with dingbat for another reason. I hate it when other boaters use big lights, be it spot lights or lights off the stern because it blots out their required navigation lights. If I can't see the red/green and stern or mast nav lights I can't tell what the heck direction their going. Its unsafe, period!

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Accident near Annapolis

Is that so. Well mebbe 'round your neck of the woods but not in these parts. If in fact our markers ever had any reflective or luminescent quality to begin with it's been obscured by Osprey nests'n other assorted bird poop.

Fwiw marker 9 is run into on a regular basis. It's the last marker before you enter the intracoastal heading south from Dona Bay. There's a lil "dogleg" in the channel just north of it that has no business being there. Bay's plenty deep on either side?

You may be right that the reflective quality has deteriorated, but at a safe speed for night, a decent flashlight will pick up the shine. Of course, you have to be at a safe speed and have all lights off (except running, etc.) for your night vision. Hopefully you will kow generally where to look for them from the chart, gps, experience, etc.

I've also seen major channel marker (bouys) with lights either not working or obscured.

As for one that's hit frequently, some are in bad places; some are in good places hit by bad boaters. And as yousay, if there's deep water all around, best to avoid the area altogether.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Accident near Annapolis

I didn't hear about it - I'm in MD. Illumination is what comes to mind. If your going to be running at night, you need lights shinning out in front of you; what a novel idea :facepalm: When I go out with my buddy, we each keep a hand held spot and look where the hell were going :facepalm:

Running with headlights is wrong in almost all circumstances. Your idea of a "novel idea" is a dangerous idea often used by non-boaters. If you have headlights they are for docking, and maybe swamp fishing. If you have spotlights, they stay OFF and are only occasionally flashed to locate a marker. Once the marker is located, they go off. That's why some have a spring trigger and don't stay on.

Same goes even for flashlights, and never shine them at another boat. If you need to get another's attention, you shine it back and forth, not direct.

Just last night, I was sitting on the screen porch looking across the water and saw what looked like a car coming down the river. At first I thought it was a car on a street all the way across on the other shore. But sure enough it was some moron who rigged his boat with 2 car headlights (they must have been about 8' apart) down at water level, heading up a well-marked channel in good night conditions.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Accident near Annapolis

Leave the spot light at home. Their use is inconsiderate of other boaters.

Unless you have a physical impairment, there are very few nights where you can't see well enough to navigate safely at night w/o radar. Your eyes will adjust to the darkness just fine as long as you keep your eyes exposure to white light at a minimum. Turn your displays to “night” mode and exchange the white dash lights for red ones and you’ll have no problems seeing on the water.

Amen. But you should carry a flashlight to signal other boaters or if you get stranded.

where I boat is either in the harbor and open water, or in a totally dark isolated marsh system. For each, I find the best way to locate poles, etc. is to look for them at the water level. Usually the black poles stands out against the ambient light on the water. I use the same method to find the banks of the narrow winding guts (creeks) out on the marsh, and their openings off other water.

Also lit markers often malfunction. Don't count on them to work.