# 16' boat and 8' waves



## rattler (Jul 3, 2004)

i just heard on tv that 2 guys tried to get out of rudee inlet in a 16' boat...ages39 and 49...the 49 yr old did not make it even tho a guy on the beach pulled him in and started cpr...a charter boat capt said it was to rough for his 45'er...what were these guys thinking


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## Dixie719 (May 12, 2003)

Sad, very sad!


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## reelrebel18 (Oct 13, 2004)

it is a bad situation for sure but i am not sad because that is STUPID on their part
i do however fell bad for their families


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## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

Every one of us has done something stupid at one point or another. Yeah, they shouldn't have been out there, but making fun of the dead...not cool.


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## Newsjeff (Jul 22, 2004)

*It's just sad*

The Virginia Beach City Council Tuesday adopted a plan to extend the inlet by 100 feet. It's too bad this wasn't done earlier. It MIGHT have prevented the fatal accident today.

http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=81153&ran=84890


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## reelrebel18 (Oct 13, 2004)

sand flea said:


> Every one of us has done something stupid at one point or another. Yeah, they shouldn't have been out there, but making fun of the dead...not cool.


i wasn't making fun of then i was just commenting that it was their own fault and that they oblivolsy didn't have any respect for the sea cause if they did they would of done some thing else


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## johnnyleo11 (Dec 17, 2003)

Having been out to sea during rescues, I don't call anyone that has been caught out in the sea stupid. Yes, you can take steps to avoid such mishaps and catastrophes, but when it's your day...

Did I really enjoy having to go out in blinding winds and a sea that looked like a snowscape looking for a little boat? No. Pulling someone out of that soup 200 miles off of the coast when their sails have been blow off from a NorEaster has always been a nerve-wracking experience. I may have been on a pretty sturdy cutter with plenty of flotation strapped on to me and knowledge of survival skills in my mind and in the minds of my fellow cuttermen, but it's scary as SH#T when you have to get off your cutter and step into the sea. Maybe these fellows in Rudee had a different experience from what I'm used to, but you can drown in 4 inches of water if you do it right. I feel for these guys. Being stuck out at sea definitely isn't a tea party. And if you call anyone STUPID for drowning at sea, especially in a fishing or an ocean going town, get ready to eat your own words. If you're going to do anything, empathesize with their families. If you wouldn't be able to say your exact line to their family, it's probably the wrong thing to be thinking.


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

johnnyleo11 said:


> Having been out to sea during rescues, I don't call anyone that has been caught out in the sea stupid. Yes, you can take steps to avoid such mishaps and catastrophes, but when it's your day...
> 
> Did I really enjoy having to go out in blinding winds and a sea that looked like a snowscape looking for a little boat? No. Pulling someone out of that soup 200 miles off of the coast when their sails have been blow off from a NorEaster has always been a nerve-wracking experience. I may have been on a pretty sturdy cutter with plenty of flotation strapped on to me and knowledge of survival skills in my mind and in the minds of my fellow cuttermen, but it's scary as SH#T when you have to get off your cutter and step into the sea. Maybe these fellows in Rudee had a different experience from what I'm used to, but you can drown in 4 inches of water if you do it right. I feel for these guys. Being stuck out at sea definitely isn't a tea party. And if you call anyone STUPID for drowning at sea, especially in a fishing or an ocean going town, get ready to eat your own words. If you're going to do anything, empathesize with their families. If you wouldn't be able to say your exact line to their family, it's probably the wrong thing to be thinking.



Well said....


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## Digger (Jan 4, 2000)

This is a tough one. In life there are mixtures of luck and smarts. I feel in my life I have been very lucky so far. I hope I continue to do so. I have done things like fish the Gulfstream(FLA Keys) in a 13 foot aluminium Vee Hull, fished in rivers I could barely stand in, stood on fishing pier with waves blasting up through the deck(I tied my self to the pier while catching 15lb bluefish). A bunch of dangerous stuff. But doing most of the things I have done I did not feel scared or nervious.
I feel for the people involved in the accident today. But when I ask myself would I have tryed to go through the shoals that boat went through it would depend on wether I felt comfortable bouncing on those waves or not, so I could not truely answer that question since it is not a boat I know. But If I were to own any boat believe me I would push it at some point, just hopefully under conditions that i would beat.
Johnnyleo thank you for your work I'm sure it scares the XXXX out of you.
By the way the reason I did not make down to the casting event is a neighbor's house burned this morning and for 2 hours this morning, we did not know if my son's freind Cody was dead or alive. Everybody is fine they were at a relatives house(with the car in the drive way). 

When it's your time it's your time. Again Johnnyleo thank you for you work.


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## reelrebel18 (Oct 13, 2004)

i want to apologize if i upset anybody ( which i'm geussin i did) i do feel for their family but in think the hole thing could of have been prevented


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## Digger (Jan 4, 2000)

rr18 I understand where you are coming from. It probably could have been prevented(from many levels, not just those directly involved). But I believe that in most cases the people involved believed there was lilttle or no problem. A case of misjudgement. And remember hindsite is 20/20. 
It is truely sad that someone lost their life trying to leave a man made inlet.


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## Capt. Kim CG Ret (Sep 27, 2004)

*So far no one has died this year at OI*

Inexperienced people in small boats have almost the same outcome when they fish the rips at OI. You watch the charter guys fish that area and it is a tremendous amount of skill combined with knowledge of the ocean and what she is doing second to none that keeps them and their charters from becoming statistics. I have heard that seven boats were lost there this fall and winter, but fortunately no lives.

Mother Nature and the ocean should never be taken for granted. As one who had to order my boat crews to get underway to conduct a Search and Rescue mission, it is not easy knowing that there is no guarantee that they are going to find what they are looking for and there is abolutely no assurance they are going to make it back. The Coast Guard had a saying in the boat stations, "You have to go out; you don't have to come back." It forced the crewmen to plan everything they were doing and even with the best boats taxpayer dollars can afford, combined with the best training these young men and women can receive, sometimes Mother Nature wins.

I don't know how many people have any idea what a shock it is to your system to find yourself struggling for your life in mid-thirties water, but I would suggest at a minimum the wearing of a float coat or a Type I PFD if going out this time of the year.


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## Rockstar (Jun 23, 2004)

i feel for these guys, and there families...they were out there doing something they love to do. i respect the drive and passion, that got them out there on that day...true FHB's. reelrebel had a great point though, 8ft. breakers, 30deg water temps, and a 16ft. john boat is just asking for trouble. getting around that jetty can be tricky even on nice days with a boat that small. you guys be safe out there. my regards to family and friends.


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## ribs54 (Mar 27, 2004)

my wishes go out the the family and friends i ope everone one learns a lesson frm this. 8 ft seas most of the commerical fisherman aren't even out there


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## oldsalt (May 6, 2003)

My wishes go out the the family,but sorry guys 
any body go out in conditions like that in a 16' boat has to be a couple of bricks short of a full load.


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## can't fish today (Oct 8, 2003)

I'm really sorry for the families. Our families count on us so this could be a good time to reflect on some of the dumb choices we've (I've) made in the past. 

CFT


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## jay (Feb 19, 2004)

*.... sad, just plain sad...*

I can relate, i fell of once I was 13 years old, when I was helping my dad on the boat crabbing, I swear, the only way I would of live was if i didn't swim to one of the crabpot boyes. It's one thing if you can swim, but swimming of the sea, or in any open water is 2 different things, including when it's that cold! My family has had it's close calls with the very long history of commercial fishin', ribs54 said it best, of were not out thier, then most people shouldn't! My dearest to the families...  . I think we should take this in and learn from it, don't go out thier when it's roughf, NO MATTER IF THIERS A HUGE BITE OR NOT, THE FISH BITE WILL ALLWAYS RETURN SOME OTHER TIME, BUT YOU MAY NOT!!!


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## bumsrim (Oct 30, 2003)

*good point*

Jay,

super right


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## GotchaMack (Jun 16, 2004)

I take some comfort in the knowledge that these gentlemen were obviously truly hard-charging fishermen and that if there is one way he would've like to leave this Earth it was probably in a similar situation, battling the mighty sea and in that final moment finding out what you have only said your entire life, the sea is truly unforgiving and mightier than any man. God rest his soul.


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

Heard about the misfortune this morning sorry to hear that there was loss of life. We shuold all feel for the family. God Bless his soul.


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## ribs54 (Mar 27, 2004)

i do commerical fishing and scalloping pt the ocean is no joke.. u can't fight mother nature and if u do u will never ever ever ever win. we run on a 45 ft boat and anything over 7 ft we call it off. we rater have out life than risk fighting mother nature. the fish will be there and if not than there is always next season. but risking your life in bad seas is a no no. i love being out on the ocean but u have to learn what mother nature can do. hopefull this will be a lesson to everyone. please be careful out on the ocean. check out the weather reports before giong out. weatherundrground.com is a great site give u great updates.


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## rockhead (Nov 6, 2002)

the worst part is the only bite was @ 25 miles south of rudee, I would guess they were wasting there time, if they would have made the run south, I would bet neither would have come back alive. its a shame, a bad decision on their part, but the condition of rudee inlet is to blame as well. if the inlet is so dangerous with shoals and sandbars why not close it down till its safer


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## ribs54 (Mar 27, 2004)

in a 18 ft boat i wouldn't go out in anyting over 2-3 ft


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## jay (Feb 19, 2004)

yeah, the only 18 ft. boat I would be in out thier is one of those red/orange boats that launch from the side of those carinval cruise ships, ya know the "un-sinkable" boat, allways plan head no matter if your in a boat, or surf fishin'....


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## shaggy (Jun 18, 2003)

Me, done some pretty dumb stuff, in a boat, behind a boat, in a car, behind a car, and fortunately (well think something else was there) survived. Me, I figure, when your number is up, and the "Big Guy" calls, well it's not something you can say much about.

Stupidity, lack of common sense, fate, who knows, but thoughts and prayers with the family is pretty much all I can say.

Might be a good time to watch the "Perfect Storm", when He picks your number, well at least hope He let's you go doing something you love.

Have Jeep will travel  

(Oh, and still AIn't figured out this spell check yet, so apologies in advance)


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## HighCap56 (Oct 21, 2003)

*Wonder if*

the man that died in that accident was the Technical Ed (Shop Teacher) at Great Neck Middle School...

If so, I met him only last week at a school function.

What a shame.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Corney, but oh so true.


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## Flyersfan (Dec 5, 2003)

My father who grew up at the ocean's edge, always told me how important it was to respect the ocean. To listen to the weather radio and to respect the warnings. I used to go into the old bait shop in his town and the old timers always had the weather and marine band radio on,
I guess that's how they got to be old timers.
In this day and age we have technology that helps predict such occurances. Yes I feel very bad for these guys and their family, but the bottom line is that unless it's a sudden unpredicted storm, most of these types of boating accidents can be prevented. I remember wanting so bad to go in the boat and our 17'er wouldn't have done to well with even 5' white caps. There is always another day to fish. 
My prayers for the family.


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## Richmond Medic (May 28, 2002)

yes that is a bad situation...... for their families that is. unfortunately they are the ones who have to suffer. the guys who went out did not deserve to die for their actions by no means but... come on guys. why be so hardheaded to think you can handle seas like that. when i lived in florida we had an 18' center console i can remember many a time of going out of government cut into the ocean and turning right back around cause we didnt want to "push it" too much. does the coast guard and va beach f.d. charge for the rescues? i know here in richmond we do charge the idiots who get caught out on rocks in the james cause they think they can handle it. even though people drown in the river every year for being stupid others keep on bein stupid. unfortunately you are never gonna stop this problem. people will still do things that make you sit back and go "huh"..


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## fish-on (May 12, 2002)

*yes it is sad.....*

and i do feel for their families', but it was dumb, stupid, idiotic, and selfish....etc....16' boat, 8' waves is that correct.....if that was my best friend, i would be saying what the $%# was he doing out there...amongst other choice words. My aunt and uncle, don't even go out on two foot waves, and even those can be unsettling or uncomfortable. You can be politically correct and say "that wasn't stupid," but when in fact it pretty much was. It may have been fate, but they were sure tempting it. I'll call you stupid for alot less than that. Just my two cents.


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## HuskyMD (May 19, 2000)

well said FishOn--exactly what I was thinking. 

I do feel for anyone left behind to mourn their loss. But a 16' boat in 8' waves...would you walk in front of a train if crossing the tracks got you to a guaranteed catch of a lifetime? As much as I love to fish, I'm going to pass on that one.


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## Flyersfan (Dec 5, 2003)

Did they have kids?
That's really what should keep 'em home. Shame.
Kinda like the people out west caught in the avalanche. How much fun can you really have in a 16' boat with 8' waves anyway. I'd have the dryheaves the whole time. I like the blue skys and calm water.


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