Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2018 9:21 am Post subject: Important Safety Reminder for Boating
I received this email from James Gorzell. James lost his daughter in that boating accident 6 years ago and wanted me to share it.
Hello Tyler,
You may want to post the following. It will save lives.
Greetings Fisherman,
BEWARE!!! South Texas fishing is in full swing. If you have a bay boat designed for shallow water fishing you MUST watch and share the Coast Guard video below. The video shows Coast Guard testing performed on two popular boats frequently used by bay fishermen. These two boats and many others have a hull design flaw that gives them tendencies to swap ends or bow steer in a fraction of a second. When this happens passengers and even the boat drivers are typically thrown overboard and at times struck by the propeller.
My 16 year old daughter was thrown overboard by one of the boats in the video and killed by the propeller. Since my daughter's life was taken by that boat, another lady from Blanco Texas lost her life when the boat she was in swapped ends. There were three other incidents all on the same make where three others were close to losing their lives. Two kids and a game warden. As you can imagine they incurred life altering injuries from being struck by propellers.
These boats typically have a tunnel, a deep V bow and a flat keel. This is a deadly combination. If you happen to be cursed with one of these boats, the following tips may save you and your passengers from severe injuries or death.
1. Never allow passengers in front of the console when the boat is on plane. Most of these boats have nothing to hold on to.
2. Minimize the weight in front of the console.
3. Reduce speed when making turns.
4. Trim your engine down when turning.
5. Always use your kill switch!!!!!
6. You and your passengers should always wear life vests when on plane.
6. There is never a warning. It happens in a fraction of a second, even to the most experienced boat drivers.
Please exercise caution on the water. These defective boats can ruin your life! I know!
I have one of those hulls, a 23' tunnel hull Explorer, and it is very predictable when it will swap ends, and that is when a hard turn is made without proper preparation. Or, maybe I should just say when a hard turn is made, because I have actually taken my boat out and made it happen more than once, so I would know what I was dealing with. My hull swapped ends on the maiden voyage with my wife aboard, and when I wanted to see how it would turn, and yes, she was torn off. Fortunately, she was not injured, but very shaken up, and it scared us both, because we didn't quite understand what had happened. My previous hull was a 17' Wellcraft with no tunnel and it would turn on a dime. I understand fully today what happens when my hull, or a similar one swaps ends. I can better explain what happens in the presents of the boat than I can otherwise, but basically when one begins to turn hard the boat leans over enough to release the water from the tunnel, then slides on the area remaining on the water, at the same time the bow is gripped by the water, thus causing the rear end to pivot around with the engine elevated out of the water.
On one other occasion I was in the "9 mile hole with two friends, and due to being very shallow I decided to do a "donut" to get on plain. The boat preformed the donut very successfully, then I realized we were headed in the wrong direction. When I turned hard in the correct direction the boat swapped ends sending both friends off their perch on the ice-box in front of the console and into the water. And yes, there was nothing for them to hold onto. No injuries again, but three very shocked people! One of the guys was so shuck up we had to terminate our fishing and return to the cabin we were staying in. Obviously, I had forgotten what the hull would do under a hard turn, since it had been many years since it first happened. Needless to say, I never make a hard turn any more, but if I get anywhere close to it I trim the engine down, proceed with caution. I hope this helps someone.
Joined: 22 Dec 2008 Posts: 6526 Location: The Bluff
Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2018 1:43 pm Post subject:
On a different but similar note if you are using a drift sock and You Pull It in do not just lay it on the floor of your boat when you take off. Store it or step on it. A few years ago a friend of mine's father-in-law put it on the floor of his boat and when he took off it flew in the water and caught in water and turn the boat like in the video and threw him out. Being a very heavy set gentleman he panicked also and couldn't get back to his boat and drown. Be safe on the water
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