4 missing off of Gulf Coast (Florida)

[Unclehandy]

I'm not sure why you would feel the need to throw out an anchor in rough seas, keep the bow pointed into the waves or run with the seas if you have to...

Anchoring leaves you at the mercy of the wind and current they don't always run in the same direction and swells can easily broadside you in situations like that. How sad!

I agree completely! Unless you have engine failure, do not anchor in rough weather. This is the same reason one of our members lost his boat in west bay. Although he did have engine failure. But we realized after the fact that had the boat not been anchored it would have drifted into the shallows and could have been easier to recover. The engine was left in a shallow grave of water near pirates! Everything else was salvaged.

[WestEndAngler]

at least he bought me out of the boat 2 weeks before hand I feel bad for him just glad yall were in the area for the rescue.

[Unclehandy]

at least he bought me out of the boat 2 weeks before hand I feel bad for him just glad yall were in the area for the rescue.

Yeah, I checked my messages on my phone heard " static sound.........We just..........here by the geotubes..........me and dad..............capsized........swimming" When I heard "capsized" we jumped in the truck and launched the boat, tore through the no wake zone and the rescue was underway! We were out in our boat earlier that day and I remember commenting on how rough the bay was! But thankfully that day two bodies went in and two came out alive.

[WestEndAngler]

I remember you said you almost deleted it because it sounded like there was no message at first...

[Unclehandy]

I thought it was just drunken ranting until I listened to it again!

[boom]

I'm not sure why you would feel the need to throw out an anchor in rough seas, !

Loss of power.

[WestEndAngler]

Loss of power.

I would not even go that direction, I would make or create a drift sock or some sort to at least ride the current and keep me somewhat pointed in a safe direction...

[WestEndAngler]

"Details about what happened came out this morn and the lone survivor said that after about 4 hrs clinging to the Hull, 1 of the NFL players said he had had enough and took off his vest and drifted away,,Later the second NFL player did the same thing,,then after several hours the 3rd missing boater told the survivor he had seen a light and was going to swim for it." - Honkeyfin (2cool)

[FP10]

"Details about what happened came out this morn and the lone survivor said that after about 4 hrs clinging to the Hull, 1 of the NFL players said he had had enough and took off his vest and drifted away,,Later the second NFL player did the same thing,,then after several hours the 3rd missing boater told the survivor he had seen a light and was going to swim for it." - Honkeyfin (2cool)

That sounds like foul play.....

[WestEndAngler]

Sounds like they ingested Saltwater and lost their minds... Clinging to a hull of a boat is not the way you want to go about it... rope yourself to a line and tie it off on your waist or something or to the top of your life jacket...

[boom]

I would not even go that direction, I would make or create a drift sock or some sort to at least ride the current and keep me somewhat pointed in a safe direction...

A drift sock is a sea anchor. lol

[WestEndAngler]

Yah but it works in a much different way than a traditional "anchor"

[boom]

Ok, for the slow ones..... do not anchor to the bottom of the ocean, or tie off to a rig when in rough seas especially when power is lost. jeeze dude.

[Robalo]

In an emergency, you can let your anchor out some (maybe 20' or whatever depth so it just dangles and don't catch or flip out of water) and tie off to forward cleat-it will help keep you pointed into the wind/waves some. Best to have a drift anchor-I have used a bucket at times (when one of my brothers borrowed my drift anchor for their boat and didn't tell me). A good idea is to take the Power Squadron's course on boating. Lot's of stuff can happen and happen quick. Last summer I was stuck in middle of West Bay when that big water spout came through-I was too close to it and was about to swim for it (about 500 yds from nearest waist deep water). It was the dang wire for the kill switch-had rotted and broke underneath while underway to get back about 30 minutes before storm hit-yes I saw the clouds rolling in. Was no fun sitting out there for 3 hours in pouring cold hard rain and lots of close lightning in shorts and a T shirt and sandals-needless to say, my brother in Jamaica Beach said no way he was coming with that spout and lightning and other brother in Sea Isle started to come until a lightning bolt hit right in front of him. That was about the worst I've been caught in and I've been in some heavy storms offshore and in the bay but didn't have boat breakdown out there in bad storms (has in good weather though several times). Just goes to show, you gotta be ready for almost anything-I now pack a raincoat always and always expect a possible breakdown whenever and where ever I go. You just never know when stuff will happen. I have tied off to a rig several times to get out of bad storms, but we got on the platform due to all the lightning-the boat is replaceable and you should call USCG first and let them know what platform and tell them that in 2-3 hours will call back when storm passes and if they don't hear from ya, that means line snapped and boat drifted off. There aint no platforms in Clearwater (dang enviros), so those guys had nothing but the hull. Coe is right-they should have stayed with the boat no matter what.

[JT]

Time Out....................... and wait a minute dude.

You were about to swim for it....500 yards ??????


BAWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I bet you didnt think about THAT very long! And figured that lightening striking your a** was a much better option! hahahahaha