I am in a bit of a rush to post this latest entry because tomorrow is Saturday and we will of course be doing the show live and as has been the case recently Greg the First Mate has “asked” me to post some of the stories that we have been talking about on the World Of Boating like “Dolphin Sex” and “Exploding Boobs”.  I really don’t have anyone to blame but myself because after all I am the one who brings these stories to him and after almost two years you would think I would know better. One of the stories that I am bringing to the show tomorrow is about “Whale Poo” and I am sure, in fact I am dead certain, that as Greg channels Doc Brown he will exclaim, “THAT’S WHAT YOU SHOULD BE POSTING ON YOUR BLOG! WHALE POO!” and I of course will nod my head in agreement while muttering something not very nice about him under my breath.

   In KK #8 I wrote about responsibility when boating and responsible boat ownership and soon after posting that there was another incident that unfortunately resulted in a death and it would seem that the people involved want to cast blame on the United States Coast Guard for failing to come to their aid. The story unfolded like this:

   A family of four, two of whom may have had some type of disability, go out in a 14′ boat on Nueces Bay in Texas and sometime during the outing the winds start blowing at 20mph and the boat engine suffers some kind of mechanical breakdown. A family member aboard the boat called the USCG and reported their situation. The USCG, after asking the caller several questions, made the determination that there was not an immediate danger to the people on the vessel or the vessel itself. The USCG gave the caller the number of a marine tow service as they would not be able to respond as the Coast Guard is not intended to be a towing, refueling or mechanic service for boaters, but a first-responder in emergencies where lives are at risk. The family member called the tow service and when informed of the cost, reportedly $200.00, hung up. The family member then called a local bait shop who in turn called a former employee who was on his boat in the area. This person was in communication with the people on the boat via cell phone and it seems in the absence of having flares on board, asked them to shine a light so he could locate them. As he was making his way towards the boat it capsized, perhaps due to the frantic waving of a flashlight, and everyone went into the water. The person who set out to help these people wound up rescuing three of them. He called the Coast Guard and reported that the boat had overturned and they then sent out a helicopter which located the fourth person who unfortunately died. The family is of course blaming the Coast Guard for the loss of their loved one but perhaps they should be asking themselves some hard questions such as;

Why were four people out on a 14′ boat in 20mph winds at night?

Did they have life jackets on board as required and if so where were they or why weren’t they wearing them?

Did they have flares on board as required and if so why didn’t they use them?

Did they have a paddle on board as required?

Did they file a float plan?

Did they take a basic boat safety course?

   I can’t possibly tell you how many times in over 30 years of boating I have seen people, myself included in my youth, make decisions about boating regardless of the weather, boat condition, trailer condition, lack of safety equipment, etc. It seems at times when it comes to getting out on the water we make our decisions based on emotion and lose our common sense.

   In the end this was a senseless, avoidable tragedy but it is not the fault of the Coast Guard,  boat manufacturer, or engine manufacturer. It is the fault of the people who chose to go out on that boat and by doing so put their lives and the lives of their rescuers at risk. Period.

   A note to all that read this post. If you have a boat please get tow insurance. The yearly cost is very affordable and using the service just once will pay for itself and it may just save your life or the life of a loved one.

Capt. Patrick

If you’ve read this far you have discovered Capt. Patrick’s “Hidden In Plain Sight” bonus feature! Read on.

In honor of Earth Day I present to you this audio clip of  Swabby Bob’s solution for Global Warming. Enjoy!

 Click here —> Nuclear Winter

Coming next: “Whale Poo”………count on it.