Boat capsizes in Jupiter inlet

[Scottintexas]

http://cbs12.com/news/local/drone-video-captured-teen-rescuing-man-from-capsized-boat-in-Jupiter

and the waves weren't even that big, he just got caught in the middle,

Be careful out there!

 

[Bruce]

Those waves were higher than the boats freeboard. I believe the wave following the boat was moving faster than the boat allowing it to lift the stern pushing the bow under. Certainly terrible water conditions.

 

[007]

This is not a couch quarterback question, this is a help me learn question:

From the angle of the drone footage it didn't seem like he was plowing into that wave in front of him. Do you think he could have saved it with a burst of speed? It seems like timing has to be pretty dead on in a situation like that. I don't know know if he could have gotten the bow up, but it sure looks like a precarious place to be!

edit: reviewing this, man those waves were packed tight. The news channel info bar blocks the view of the wave set in front of the boat!

 

[DieselCamel]

I think that boat was already full of water. No way an empty boat would sink that quick

 

[Beachbummer]

The free board seems very low...I agree it appears he had a better chance at some spee, and seems very sluggish/loaded (water? as suggested) Bow Up right at before plane wold have helped! As stated....no idea on circumstances, not my place either to indicate better action in hindsight, but as consideration for learning for the future, makes you think.

 

[druppert]

This is not a couch quarterback question, this is a help me learn question:

From the angle of the drone footage it didn't seem like he was plowing into that wave in front of him. Do you think he could have saved it with a burst of speed? It seems like timing has to be pretty dead on in a situation like that. I don't know know if he could have gotten the bow up, but it sure looks like a precarious place to be!

edit: reviewing this, man those waves were packed tight. The news channel info bar blocks the view of the wave set in front of the boat!

You wrote everything I was thinking! On first take I thought ‘he should have stayed on the back side of the wave’ but on 2nd take I thought, ‘damn those waves were tight!’ It looked like he was on the back & the front at the same time. He’s very lucky someone was there to help. I hope I never find myself in that situation. From what I’ve heard that’s a treacherous inlet!

 

[swatski]

He was slower than the wave and let the boat take it from behind... Sorry! It is the same as being anchored with the stern against the waves...
The only excuse could be if he was already partially swamped and under-powered.

That's why you are always supposed to have a sea anchor ready at the bow and get it out first in the event of engine failure - to get that bow into the seas before anything else.

And that is also why we don't dilly-dolly or stop when going to Bimini in rough water, hehehe.
(even if we get hit in the head by a falling tower, lol)
You have got to keep that bow up, by any means.

--

 

[Murf'n'surf]

Boats that size can sink that fast.... water weighs a lot and fast! Navigating inlets carefully is paramount in a captains skillset. He got caught in the trough and paid dearly. Stay on the back of the wave and ride it and if need be, turn perpendicular while using throttle to stay out of the trough. In all honesty, if I were coming into a pass with those waves stacked high and tight, I would have waited for a large vessel to plow in ahead of me. Please use this as proof that small vessels can be hazardous to operate in certain conditions and they are not corks that will float on top of the water.

 

[seadude]

Taking a low freeboard flats boat through an inlet with steep waves like that without riding on the back of one... this can happen!
(by the way these low bow jet boats are potentially not much better in that situation)

 

[NewBoater]

Are our boats lower than normal freeboard?

 

[Ronnie]

I did not see that coming and highly doubt I would have done any better in that situation. If I’m ever in it though I hope I remember to do what @Murf'n'surf stated above. I also thought it was great of the teenage surfer to paddle out and loan the boater his board but stop short of saying the teen saved the boaters life sine the boater didn’t seem to be struggling to stay afloat and the jetty/rocks where close by.

 

[adrianp89]

Had a boat overturn here over the weekend too:

http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2017/10/29/trooper_good_samarit.html

Not at all of info there but it was very choppy Sunday.... def something I would have not taken the boat out in.

 

[swatski]

Are our boats lower than normal freeboard?

Yes and no. Depends what you are comparing them to.
The 2015+ 24' are NOT low free-board/bow, by any stretch. When under power and properly ballasted these boats can survive in some seriously rough water.
(well, the deck fixtures may start falling apart, pretty quickly actually, but the hulls and power-trains are very well designed and can pull through relatively big seas no problem)
The decks are self-bailing, too, so it is all about keeping the bow-up attitude, which is not difficult if you plan for it.

--

 

[FloJet]

Yes and no. Depends what you are comparing them to.
The 2015+ 24' are NOT low free-board/bow, by any stretch. When under power and properly ballasted these boats can survive in some seriously rough water.
(well, the deck fixtures may start falling apart, pretty quickly actually, but the hulls and power-trains are very well designed and can pull through relatively big seas no problem)
The decks are self-bailing, too, so it is all about keeping the bow-up attitude, which is not difficult if you plan for it.

--

Hint: He is trying to be a sales man for Lectro Trim Tabs. I'm curious how the tabs would help compensate for all this during such rough conditions. But I think the tabs would help out a lot especially since you can set the altitude on them.

 

[Beachbummer]

I love my tabs. They would not have help this boat. Tabs are for pushing the bow down. Not what this person needed at all!

 

[Julian]

Also, if you pause the video, there are stacks of white boxes or coolers in the bow of that boat which likely contributed to the boat being big time bow heavy....which is why it plowed into the wave vs floating up.

 

[swatski]

Hint: He is trying to be a sales man for Lectro Trim Tabs. I'm curious how the tabs would help compensate for all this during such rough conditions. But I think the tabs would help out a lot especially since you can set the altitude on them.

I would have my tabs fully retracted (as in - not deployed) - up all the way.
These tabs work so well stuffing the bow is a serious concern and there is a point at which the tabs no longer serve good purpose.
BTW - crossing to Bimini we went through some water where I did just that - pulled the tabs up. We had a couple of those rolling monster waves come up - once or twice -that you basically need to climb. You want to do it with the bow up.

—

 

[chris oftedal]

Apparently the boat was already taking on water and the captain was trying to get through inlet to beach it. You can tell the bow is basically in the water even before the wave overtakes the vessel.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

Apparently the boat was already taking on water and the captain was trying to get through inlet to beach it. You can tell the bow is basically in the water even before the wave overtakes the vessel.

That’s likely the story he tells to work around an insurance claim or to save face with fellow boaters!

 

[M@__]

Based on how fast it went under I would say it was full of water.