Always stay w/ your boat!

[Finfeatherfur]

Here are some lucky people from last night. Always stay w/ your boat and do whatever you can to get out of the water!!! Not sure on any other details!

Boaters Missing In Lake Pontchartrain Now Safe

Trio Waited Atop Capsized Vessel Until Help Arrived



POSTED: 8:16 am CDT March 14, 2011


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MANDEVILLE, La. -- Three boaters who went missing Sunday on Lake Pontchartrain were found sitting atop their capsized vessel, officials said.
The trio are safe and back on land.
Search crews began looking for the men when they failed to return to the Mandeville Marina as expected, about 8:30 p.m. St. Tammany officials launched the search shortly thereafter.
The cause of the accident is under investigation.

[Ray]

The guy who stayed with his boat off of Venice last month survived also.
The rest drowned. Best to stay with the boat, it is easier to find from the air than a person by his self.

[longcast]

I'm glad there safe.

[Finfeatherfur]

Originally Posted by Ray

The guy who stayed with his boat off of Venice last month survived also.
The rest drowned. Best to stay with the boat, it is easier to find from the air than a person by his self.

Speaking of that!
Some of you guys may remember when I was rigging my new boat, that I removed a stock "T" from the bilge. This "T" was made of plastic and was used to connect 1.5" tubing for the livewells. Looks like one of these broke under the floor of the Mako when it hit the Gulf, causing the subfloor to fill w/ water. They think the water caused one of the batteries to short, shutting down one engine. As soon as the boat stopped, it rolled due to the choppy conditions and the weight of the water in the hull. With the sea water temps in the low 50's - upper 40's, these people had little chance of surviving w/o survival suits on. The 4 fatalities all had time to put life jackets on, but the only one that survived did not have one on and scurried out of the water and onto the overturned boat.

Guys - Check those hoses ( reach in there and grab them - tug & pull!) If any signs of cracks or worn areas, replace them! Look for those plastic "T" connections which should be outlawed for boat use!

[all star rod]

Originally Posted by Ray

The guy who stayed with his boat off of Venice last month survived also.
The rest drowned. Best to stay with the boat, it is easier to find from the air than a person by his self.

Same with those guys a few years ago in FL. I think one of them played college ball. He was the only that stayed with the boat and lived to tell about it.

[PUREBAY2200]

Rogue wave????
Glad they are safe!!

[Ray]

There is a synthetic fitting called Marelon. It is the only thing besides Bronze that should be used below the waterline. Bronze is the best underwater fitting I know of.
Never use plastic or any metals like stainless, aluminum, brass, copper or steel.

The cold and heat can degrade plastic over time and cause it to crack.

Most quality boat builders follow ABYC and ABYC standards which say zero plastics below the water line.

[PUREBAY2200]

Originally Posted by PUREBAY2200

Rogue wave????
Glad they are safe!!

MANDEVILLE, La. ― A Mandeville restaurant owner and two friends are OK after spending the night in Lake Pontchartrain after their boat capsized.

Clay Prieto, owner of Rips on the Lake, and two men went fishing Sunday afternoon when what Prieto called a rogue wave came upon the boat and turned it over.

“It wasn't very rough at all then all of a sudden this wave came out of the southeast that was just like a tiny tsunami wave and it just threw the whole boat over,” Prieto said.

Prieto said the waves hit at just the right angle to flip his boat. According to the St. Tammany Sheriff's Department the search for the missing boaters began around 11 p.m. Sunday.

“The helicopters kept missing us by little bitty bit because they didn't come close enough inshore,” Prieto said. “We floated all the way from the four mile hump to the Tangipahoa River.”

Prieto and his two friends spent the night drifting with the capsized boat in the lake, which is 62 degrees right now.

Because they were unsure how long they’d survive in the frigid temperatures, Prieto said the night was a cold and scary one.

“It was cold and thank God this morning they spotted us,” Prieto said.

“It's cold water,” said St. Tammny Parish Sheriff’s spokesman Capt. George Bonnett. “That's a long time that they were out there. It's a frightening situation and fortunately, we were able to find them and get them back safely.”

Bonnett said the advantage the three men had was that they told friends and family members where they were going and what time they expected to be home.

When asked if he felt lucky to be alive, Prieto said, “I feel very lucky. I didn't know if we were going to make it.”
*
The three men were checked out by EMS upon returning to land and are OK.

[Capt.B]

Originally Posted by PUREBAY2200

MANDEVILLE, La. ― A Mandeville restaurant owner and two friends are OK after spending the night in Lake Pontchartrain after their boat capsized.

Clay Prieto, owner of Rips on the Lake, and two men went fishing Sunday afternoon when what Prieto called a rogue wave came upon the boat and turned it over.

“It wasn't very rough at all then all of a sudden this wave came out of the southeast that was just like a tiny tsunami wave and it just threw the whole boat over,” Prieto said.

Prieto said the waves hit at just the right angle to flip his boat. According to the St. Tammany Sheriff's Department the search for the missing boaters began around 11 p.m. Sunday.

“The helicopters kept missing us by little bitty bit because they didn't come close enough inshore,” Prieto said. “We floated all the way from the four mile hump to the Tangipahoa River.”

Prieto and his two friends spent the night drifting with the capsized boat in the lake, which is 62 degrees right now.

Because they were unsure how long they’d survive in the frigid temperatures, Prieto said the night was a cold and scary one.

“It was cold and thank God this morning they spotted us,” Prieto said.

“It's cold water,” said St. Tammny Parish Sheriff’s spokesman Capt. George Bonnett. “That's a long time that they were out there. It's a frightening situation and fortunately, we were able to find them and get them back safely.”

Bonnett said the advantage the three men had was that they told friends and family members where they were going and what time they expected to be home.

When asked if he felt lucky to be alive, Prieto said, “I feel very lucky. I didn't know if we were going to make it.”
*
The three men were checked out by EMS upon returning to land and are OK.

LUCK had nothing to do with it!!! Those fellas are Blessed!!

[Bluechip]

Originally Posted by Capt.B

LUCK had nothing to do with it!!! Those fellas are Blessed!!

X 2.....

[Zachary Boy]

Originally Posted by Finfeatherfur

Speaking of that!
Some of you guys may remember when I was rigging my new boat, that I removed a stock "T" from the bilge. This "T" was made of plastic and was used to connect 1.5" tubing for the livewells. Looks like one of these broke under the floor of the Mako when it hit the Gulf, causing the subfloor to fill w/ water. They think the water caused one of the batteries to short, shutting down one engine. As soon as the boat stopped, it rolled due to the choppy conditions and the weight of the water in the hull. With the sea water temps in the low 50's - upper 40's, these people had little chance of surviving w/o survival suits on. The 4 fatalities all had time to put life jackets on, but the only one that survived did not have one on and scurried out of the water and onto the overturned boat.

Guys - Check those hoses ( reach in there and grab them - tug & pull!) If any signs of cracks or worn areas, replace them! Look for those plastic "T" connections which should be outlawed for boat use!

Another good item to have on your boat is the bag of wooden plugs they sell at West Marine. They come in various sizes and are made to simply 'drive' into the hole in your transom should you start taking on water. They used to be about $5 bucks. Very cheap for a safety item that could save your life...

[Ray]

They make one size fits all rubber plugs too.

[meaux fishing]

I had a livewell pump that was leaking one time when I was with Med-Heavy... We had launched at dockside in slidell and were all the way near the train bridge by the Rigolets. Most of the bottom of the boat was filled with water and it took a couple of minutes with two people on the bow to get on plane. Oh and of course the bilge wasnt working and my backup was cutting in and out. when we pulled it up on the trailer it drained for 10 minutes probably