Friend made a very expensive mistake.

[rrkyle]

I have a friend that had never been on a boat before but after going out on mine once and me telling him how i tinker and turned one for a profit decided to buy his own boat.

He spent 1400 on an one of the old narrow 16 ft tri hulls with a 50s Johnson 40 horse.

After finally getting the boat running he decided to take it out. Without any sort of marine background or boat safety course.

At Lake Belton there are a few spots over 75ft deep where when the wind picks up can have 3 and 4 ft swells.

He and two others without lifejackets were out on the lake and he plowed the little boat directly into a wave. The wave swamped the boat and it sank almost instantly. The three had to swim about half mile to the dock.

His boat now sits at the bottom of Lake Belton along with toolboxes wallets keys and cell phones.

Its amazing and lucky that only the boat was hurt but i do sort of feel bad for the guy.

 

[rrkyle]

Re: Friend made a very expensive mistake.

I thought fiberglass boats were supposed to be unsinkable even when fully swamped?

 

[riptide09]

Re: Friend made a very expensive mistake.

He is lucky if he evades paying a heavy fine. The environmental police don't like boats on the bottom at all. Usually so much per day fine until they have been retrieved and additional fines on top of that for various things and the cost of paying a salvage place to bring it up.

My buddy sunk a boat up in Maine a few years ago and it was close to $5k by the time he was done and they pulled it out in a couple of days.

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: Friend made a very expensive mistake.

He is lucky if he evades paying a heavy fine. The environmental police don't like boats on the bottom at all. Usually so much per day fine until they have been retrieved and additional fines on top of that for various things and the cost of paying a salvage place to bring it up.

My buddy sunk a boat up in Maine a few years ago and it was close to $5k by the time he was done and they pulled it out in a couple of days.

You are correct in this. I have heard way worse, I am thinking $5k isnt so bad. Your fluids all have to be recovered, fuel, all the oils. Not to mention the boat itself. Most people dont realize this, and it is a good idea to make sure your boat insurance carries a rider to cover this expense. Its pretty cheap insurance.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Friend made a very expensive mistake.

Wow, Glad they are OK !!!!
Surprised it went down that fast with that kind of a wave !!!

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Friend made a very expensive mistake.

The Lord looks out for fools and drunkards.

 

[j_martin]

Re: Friend made a very expensive mistake.

That old flotation foam is ugly, and even moldy. Take it out. Sand it smooth, coat of paint. There, ain't that purty.

 

[notaz3]

Re: Friend made a very expensive mistake.

I didn't know you could get a rider on your insurance to cover environmental impact upon sinking... guess I'll be calling my agent in the morning.

Thanks for the info.

 

[PiratePast40]

Re: Friend made a very expensive mistake.

That old flotation foam is ugly, and even moldy. Take it out. Sand it smooth, coat of paint. There, ain't that purty.

Thank you - my thoughts exactly!
Isn't it funny how all of those manufacturers are stupid and the Coast Guard is stupid too for requiring that ugly stuff!

 

[DaNinja]

Re: Friend made a very expensive mistake.

Sounds like your friend got off cheap. A couple of guys died on Belton in a very similiar accident a little more than year ago.

 

[j_martin]

Re: Friend made a very expensive mistake.

Thank you - my thoughts exactly!
Isn't it funny how all of those manufacturers are stupid and the Coast Guard is stupid too for requiring that ugly stuff!

Funny you should say that. I think that you should use the entire hull, right down to the shell for storage, but the storage compartments should be gasketed and latched for watertight integrity. Another option would be to use lightly inflated bladders where foam is now used.

Either system takes discipline and maintenance to be safe. Therein lies the rub. Most people run their boats until the motor flies off the rotten transom. Maintenance, what's that? Closed cell foam will at least give them something to hang on to until rescue.

Classic example is the sailboat that the 16 year old gal was on when it broke in high seas. I'd be willing to bet there wasn't any flotation foam in that boat, and I'd also be willing to bet that it will take military firepower to sink it. The secret was water tight integrity. She was not in danger, or even very uncomfortable.

I'm hoping they can figure out a way to salvage it. It's a beautiful boat.

 

[rrkyle]

Re: Friend made a very expensive mistake.

He didnt have boaters insurance on it. I told him that he needs to notify TX Parks and Wildlife but who knows i think hes just gonna try and leave it down there.

And rephrasing from my first post i dont know the guy very well he is a cousin of a buddy of mine. I really hope he takes care of it and doesnt leave it down there to pollute the lake though.

 

[DaNinja]

Re: Friend made a very expensive mistake.

He didnt have boaters insurance on it. I told him that he needs to notify TX Parks and Wildlife but who knows i think hes just gonna try and leave it down there.

And rephrasing from my first post i dont know the guy very well he is a cousin of a buddy of mine. I really hope he takes care of it and doesnt leave it down there to pollute the lake though.

He should notify one of the organizations out there. They at very least need to know it's location so it doesn't waste law enforcement's valuable time during the next Rescue or Recovery situation.

If it is found in the course of the next missing boater search, rescuers may miss the opportunity to find the one they can still help.

 

[Shife]

Re: Friend made a very expensive mistake.

Classic example is the sailboat that the 16 year old gal was on when it broke in high seas. I'd be willing to bet there wasn't any flotation foam in that boat, and I'd also be willing to bet that it will take military firepower to sink it. The secret was water tight integrity. She was not in danger, or even very uncomfortable.

I'm hoping they can figure out a way to salvage it. It's a beautiful boat.

The boat she was on is junk. They have a very short life span. They are built to survive one trip around the marble. After that they are on borrowed time. Wild Eyes was a cheap solution to one Dad's get rich quick scheme. That thing was in sorry shape and not fit for another go around. The costs to recover that pile of crap are far greater than what it is worth. They are built with watertight bulkheads and flotation compartments as part of that particular design. She was very much in danger. To say otherwise shows complete ignorance of the area she was in and the type of boat she was on. 40*S during the winter is a suicide mission. She did not have the experience or training to be anywhere near that stretch of water even in the summer. Her parents are using their kids as cash machines and should be arrested.

Edit: Per the original skipper of Abby's boat in the '02-'03 Around Alone Race there are 5 watertight compartments and 3 chambers filled with foam. The boat was built to an old Open 50 rule and suffered in upwind conditions. This thing is an antique in the offshore sailing world.

 

[Shife]

Re: Friend made a very expensive mistake.

rrkyle:

Your friend is lucky to be alive, but will probably wish otherwise when he gets the bill for the clean up and salvage costs.

 

[DaNinja]

Re: Friend made a very expensive mistake.

rrkyle:

Your friend is lucky to be alive, but will probably wish otherwise when he gets the bill for the clean up and salvage costs.

Which may be why it sounds like it wasn't reported.

 

[DaNinja]

Re: Friend made a very expensive mistake.

So it was a half mile swim to a dock? That narrows the location to three I think.
Deep, rough water and a half mile swm? That narrows to one.

Hmmm...

 

[rrkyle]

Re: Friend made a very expensive mistake.

...

 

[DaNinja]

Re: Friend made a very expensive mistake.

The launch was sparta vally they were out there by blora.

When did it happen? The lake should have been packed last weekend.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Friend made a very expensive mistake.

I wouldn't have posted it on here... I'm guessing it wasn't reported, and there is enough information to figure it out. Not like DNR and other officials don't browse through this site.


Sinking it and the resulting fees/fines/recovery costs are bad enough. Not reporting it in addition to that probably equals possible jail time.