“There’s no boat and no preparation that will absolutely keep you safe in all conditions. But following the basics of good seamanship and common sense can go a long way in the right direction.” Frank Sargeant
Boating is such fun. Fishing and boating are more fun but going offshore means being overly cautious and that tact could be life-saving. Read what Richard Burgess (rburgess@theadvocate.com) had to say about how it did not happen for two teens in Louisiana . . .o
Derek Romero, 19, of New Iberia, LA died at a Cameron Parish hospital Wednesday after the boat he and another fisherman, Shane Marin, also 19 and from St. Martin parish, took on water in the Gulf of Mexico while they were out fishing. Marin was reported in stable condition at a hospital in Lake Charles and was expected to make a full recovery.The two had been in the water for hours before they were found by the U.S. Coast Guard. U. S. Coast Guard Photo.
Some boating advice from wise counsel titled “Staying Safe Offshore”
By Frank Sargeant, Editor of The Fishing Wire
The death of a young angler off the Louisiana coast this week reminds all of us yet again of what each of should remember every time we step into a boat: you are responsible for your own safety once that vessel leaves the dock. No matter whether you’re within cell phone range of 911 or many miles offshore in SSB range only, the brave folks charged with coming to get you often cannot get there in time to save you from your own mistakes.
Not to say that most of us don’t make those mistakes early on–and fortunately, most of us survive none the worse for them. I well remember heading offshore on Florida’s west coast to capture kingfish in a 15-foot jonboat with a single 10-horse outboard that only started when it felt like it, and without a sign of a radio aboard–and this was well before the age of the cell phone. I had 25 feet of anchor line on board, one gas-station sandwich and a gallon jug of water. It seemed enough to get out there two or three miles, catch fish and come home, and I did.
That sort of youthful impulsiveness can get you killed, of course, but somehow it did not. That was not the case in Louisiana, and a 19-year-old who loved fishing as much as most of us who read these words do is gone. We can never remind ourselves or our loved ones often enough that the sea is unforgiving. Here are just a few of the most basic reminders that help to keep us safe:
