I'm guessing no pontoon boats sank in that Texas lake

[HotTommy]

News reports said five boats sank on a Texas lake a few days ago during a boat parade on a very rough lake. I'm guessing that none were pontoon boats. I assume the worst that can happen to a structurally sound pontoon boat during bad seas is to flip it over. The worst I've seen (and I pay close attention to the weather) is a lot of rocking, some waves cresting over the bow and a lot of spray. ... What's the worst you guys have seen?

 

[ahicks]

A little bumpy for an hour as we beat it for the river/boat landing and calmer water as soon as we saw the weather do an unpredicted shift. A little testy, but that the reason I don't wander too far out into big water with a pontoon.

 

[racerone]

Likely those bowriders.--------Fancy / modern looking rigs with " deck " sloping down.----Full of people during the parade.---No bilge pumps big enuff for that situation.----Funny videos of the ' haulover inlet " that show what happens to folks with bowriders.-----I will never own one !

 

[HotTommy]

Likely those bowriders.--------Fancy / modern looking rigs with " deck " sloping down.----Full of people during the parade.---No bilge pumps big enuff for that situation.----Funny videos of the ' haulover inlet " that show what happens to folks with bowriders.-----I will never own one !

I saw that too. I realize that no one starts out as an experienced boater. But to put all the people (weight) in the front of a boat shaped like a bathtub and then plow into huge waves just seems beyond novice to me. ... Likewise, taking a boat loaded with people out on a day when the winds are forecast to be high just because someone scheduled a parade seems well beyond foolish to me.

 

[GA_Boater]

Wind was the cause of 5 boats swamping and 3 of them sank? I think those are the numbers the sheriff is reporting and wind was not mentioned as a cause..

 

[racerone]

Well----I saw a video.----Dozens of boats going every which way.----Not just in single file either.-----Wake from one boat piling up on the wake of other boats.----And the next thing you know your bilge pump can't keep up.

 

[HotTommy]

Wind was the cause of 5 boats swamping and 3 of them sank? I think those are the numbers the sheriff is reporting and wind was not mentioned as a cause..

I saw a still photo with large waves and jumped to the conclusion it was due to wind. I'm not sure that it's any better if it was wake from several larger boats near smaller ones. Given that participation in the parade was optional, that seems to reflect even worse judgement on the part of some boaters.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I loved the picture of the bayliner on the bottom

 

[PITBoat]

I assume the worst that can happen to a structurally sound pontoon boat during bad seas is to flip it over.

Reading about the 6 March '04 Lady D capsizing accident in Maryland was a small Aha moment for me - i.e., once you start tipping one of those over you start losing the buoyancy value of the side that's coming outta the water. Several fatalities. That boat was overloaded though.

I thought the issues in TX mighta had something to do with people breaking boats out for the occasion that hadn't been out in a while, and finding too late, neglected maintenance issues related to taking on water. Just a guess at the time. When I read the story, the thing you really wanted to know wasn't there yet of course - why did they sink?

 

[skuhleman]

We had a Trump parade on Whitney I think the same weekend. Uncle had our pontoon out in it. Took a wave over the bow and bent the skin off the frame. He said the water was rougher than he had ever seen. My thought after hearing the damage was "why the heck were you even there if it was that bad"
Just bad decisions I guess

 

[HotTommy]

Yeah, it seemed like a lot of people out that day had a hard time recognizing the dire consequences of their poor decisions.