Boating tragedy off Mission Beach

[Sheik]

Boats without flotation can go under very, very quickly. If you don't have flotation foam or a sealed underfloor area, taking a single wave over the stern can be all it takes.

There once was a vid on Youtube (since removed, unfortunately) of a small boat in the 16-18' range trying to haul up a stuck crab pot, as viewed from a camera up on the dash or bimini. They hauled on the line, dipping the starboard aft corner, and took a single wave over the stern. They realised they'd taken on water and released the line but it was too late - a couple of hundred litres of water inside meant the next wave breached over the stern as well, and it was off to Davey Jones's locker from there. As far as I recall it took around 10-15s between the first wave and the camera going under.

IMO the key safety messages are:
1. Wear an inflatable PDF. They're so unobtrusive that there's really no reason not to.
2. Mount the EPIRB at the stern where it's accessible if the boat sinks out from under you.

What ive begun doing or have decided to do, is use the inflatable vests I have on board even thought theyre not strictly legal in the sense that they're out of date. To satisfy the requirements I have enough 150 rated foam filled block life vests but i also carry a couple of inflatables. If I'm going out where there might be a problem, I plan to put on the inflatable and if I need it, I have it on. The worst that can happen is if I need it and it doesnt work (bearing it mind it's only 18 months old and bloody well should) then I'll just remove it and hopefully get one of the block 150 ones if there's time.
What annoys me is having to replace the damn things every twelve months, with all the drama that goes on with updating etc, so while I will be legal in having the block 150 vests, I will also put an inflatable on.

[Dignity]

What ive begun doing or have decided to do, is use the inflatable vests I have on board even thought theyre not strictly legal in the sense that they're out of date. To satisfy the requirements I have enough 150 rated foam filled block life vests but i also carry a couple of inflatables. If I'm going out where there might be a problem, I plan to put on the inflatable and if I need it, I have it on. The worst that can happen is if I need it and it doesnt work (bearing it mind it's only 18 months old and bloody well should) then I'll just remove it and hopefully get one of the block 150 ones if there's time.
What annoys me is having to replace the damn things every twelve months, with all the drama that goes on with updating etc, so while I will be legal in having the block 150 vests, I will also put an inflatable on.

They have a life but no need to replace yearly. I do my own self inspections, doesn't take long and generally the only thing needing replacement is the little sacrificial clip. The cylinders I spray with lanolin when first purchased and allowed to dry and have yet have one to show any rust, which automatically makes them invalid.
I also keep the foam filled ones in a very handy place and would be grabbing one regardless as I have puntured old expired inflatable ones and they went down quicker than a cold beer on a very hot day, I was also surprised how little effort it took to puncture one. Crossing a bar I wear an inflatable but it is not going to be my lifesaver regardless.

[gazza2006au]

We just had a tragedy here on the northen beach's two boats collided at night one young lady killed one man rescued alive wtf is going on tho to many boat accidents

[disorderly]

Be interesting when the actual details emerge

Or have knowledge the boat you own is foam filled or not? surely anyone going offshore in rough conditions knows if their boat can float if capsized?

Actual details are really only known by the survivor ...according to the family of the skipper he only a vague timeline of events and was not sure of the location of the incident, only that it happened between eddy reef and the Clump point ramp...

and October 2009 was when level flotation was first legislated...so any boats built before that had no requirement to add enough foam so that at least a boat would float if capsized.....this suggests that there are probably many, many boats out there which would sink like a stone if they swamp or turn turtle...bit scary isnt it..?...in 17 years of reef fishing up to 80 km's out I have never owned a boat that would float in that situation either....my now 3 yr old chinese supervee comes with all the engineering diagrams of the sealed underfloor, closed cell, foam flotation compartments and the sizes that give a total to ensure neutral buoyancy....good for us but I also know of guys with the same hull who have retrofitted some of these underfloor compartments with extra fuel and water tanks..

Boats without flotation can go under very, very quickly. If you don't have flotation foam or a sealed underfloor area, taking a single wave over the stern can be all it takes.


IMO the key safety messages are:
1. Wear an inflatable PFD. They're so unobtrusive that there's really no reason not to.
2. Mount the EPIRB at the stern where it's accessible if the boat sinks out from under you.

Good advice and that Epirb location is a good idea..I might look into that myself...

The swiss cheese effect - A number of small holes line up like they never have before and all of a sudden you have a big hole that nobody saw coming. Tragedy at sea is never usually a single major event, but a number of small events that turn quickly to disaster. Engine stops, boat turns, 3 big blokes looking at the outboard, pooped by the stern - gone. It can be that easy and that quick. I am by no means surmising what happened to these poor blokes and may they RIP.

Sometimes shit just happens no matter how prepared you think you are ..I think most of us here would have had an experience or 2 at sea where we may have got lucky and things could have been much worse but for a slice of luck...I have had a few and even experienced one with a Commercial skipper at the helm....and yeah thats pretty much the way it all went down in this case according to the survivor...the skippers family is struggling to accept it though, wondering how a bloke with extensive sea time, good mechanical knowledge in a boat with 2 bilge pumps and being a great swimmer could arrive at this fate....

I also keep the foam filled ones in a very handy place and would be grabbing one regardless as I have puntured old expired inflatable ones and they went down quicker than a cold beer on a very hot day, I was also surprised how little effort it took to puncture one. Crossing a bar I wear an inflatable but it is not going to be my lifesaver regardless.

Sam thats a good idea...I might put a couple of the blocky foam jackets back in the boat..horrible to wear but as you mention at least they are something to cling onto if the inflatable punctures..

[disorderly]

Police end search for missing Far North boaties amid flood of donations for family’s appeal (tropicnow.com.au)

[Mopheus]

Sam thats a good idea...I might put a couple of the blocky foam jackets back in the boat..horrible to wear but as you mention at least they are something to cling onto if the inflatable punctures..

I'm planning on remaking my bunk cushions out of closed cell flotation foam with a fluoro orange underside and sewn-on straps. Idea being that they double up as flotation devices with a high vis surface. Each of the three cushions is about 20L volume (0.4sqm x 50mm thick) so would provide ~15kgf of buoyancy per cushion, which is the same as a 150N lifejacket.

Not a replacement for lifejackets but I figure the cushions are already there - they may as well serve dual purpose.

[Alchemy]

Life rafts aren’t that dear in the grand scheme of things these days. I was starting to think about one when I lived up that way. The thought of bobbing around in the water 80 odd km offshore horrifies me.

[NAGG]

We just had a tragedy here on the northen beach's two boats collided at night one young lady killed one man rescued alive wtf is going on tho to many boat accidents

Too many idiots own boats

& yes many of these drownings are avoidable

Chris

[disorderly]

Life rafts aren’t that dear in the grand scheme of things these days. I was starting to think about one when I lived up that way. The thought of bobbing around in the water 80 odd km offshore horrifies me.

I had a bit of look but it looks pretty complicated...US coastguard approved from 6K..some cheapies starting around 1K..annual servicing in the tropics...

Are those cheapies worth having..?...inshore or offshore..?....will they last..?...some just look like a kids floaty toy raft....?

Yep it would be an experience bobbing around 80 km's offshore..daytime would be Ok...nightime would be a bit hairy...if the garmin Inreach worked as designed though it sure would be comforting to get a "Hold tight..we are on our way.." message.....

fisheries.jpg

After this latest accident it was no surprise to see Fisheries were at Mission beach ramp on the weekend ..barely glanced at the fish but were focusing on compliance checks of safety gear...

Just in the 15 minute period I hung about and watched them checking about 50% of boats had issues from Non- compliant Life Jackets to out of date Fire extinguishers and Flares ...3 blokes coming back from a reef trip had all of the above as well as an unregistered Epirb......a couple of jet skiers had to wait for the cops to come down and breathe test them......

The 2 fishery guys had obviously been instructed to play nice and not book anyone for their indescretions if they were willing to become compliant, they just took down the details and asked the culprits to send in a photo of the receipts of the replacement gear within a week to avoid fines...

I usually go out of my way to avoid them but these 2 fella's were pretty decent and spent a good deal of time informing some of the pretty clueless boaties there.....It was a bit dissapointing to see how some skippers obviously didnt care less about the saftey gear while others were simply complacent...

[Alchemy]

I had a bit of look but it looks pretty complicated...US coastguard approved from 6K..some cheapies starting around 1K..annual servicing in the tropics...

Are those cheapies worth having..?...inshore or offshore..?....will they last..?...some just look like a kids floaty toy raft....?

Yep it would be an experience bobbing around 80 km's offshore..daytime would be Ok...nightime would be a bit hairy...if the garmin Inreach worked as designed though it sure would be comforting to get a "Hold tight..we are on our way.." message........

Hi Scott,

The Great Circle brand is manufactured to an ISO standard, and a four man starts around $2k. This brand is based in Brisbane. Many stipulate a 3yr service interval, so if these guys also have a 3yr interval, just bundle it up and freight down every 3 yrs.

https://www.whitworths.com.au/safety...ent/life-rafts

https://greatcircleliferafts.com.au/coastmaster-series/

Most of my boating now includes my kids, so if I ever get offshore regularly, or get into coastal cruising, a life raft will be added to my boat. FWIW, it came with an out of date 16 man RFD. That was way too big for me to handle, so I donated it to the local VMR for training purposes. Two of us struggled to drag it off my boat, and four struggled to carry it to the CG pick up boat. The instructions on the side of it said; “throw overboard and pull rope”. I googled the model when I got home, and it weighed 144kg. No way I was ever throwing that thing anywhere!

[Heliduck]

Hi Scott,

The Great Circle brand is manufactured to an ISO standard, and a four man starts around $2k. This brand is based in Brisbane.

From the Great Circle website they are “suppliers” of marine products as opposed to manufacturers. It doesn’t say so on the website but I’m going to jump to the conclusion that they are made in China (isn’t everything?!).
I found a site for Roaring Forties rafts which are made in Moorabbin, the downside is that they are about $4500 compared to Great Circles $2500….. China wins again. I’d like to buy Australian made but the economics will drive most people to a chinese raft, & a cheaper Chinese raft is better than no raft. After all, it only needs to last long enough for the helicopter to get there doesn’t it? If you have EPIRB’s & flares the days of floating around the ocean for a few weeks should be behind us.