What did he do wrong?

[psneeld]

I think the incorrect trim of the motor is everything about why this was a disaster. I'm positive from the wave size that right from when we see him in the video he had adequate depth to get that motor down, the danger of the prop gouging a bit of very soft sand, (at that depth), being way less than the adverse effect of the up-tilted trim, (which I suspect he just forgot to lower, he was concentrating so much on the waves), ), that prevented him from powering up properly and getting the hell out of there...once he took a s**tload of water over the depressed stern, resulting from downwards thrust and going too slow over the waves, he was doomed.

You obviously have never had an outboard or outdrive, maybe even an inboard driven into the sand and choked off when in the surf.

Wave height is a lousy indicator of water depth between offshore bars.

Yep, nothing better than getting on plane between those waves...

And leaving your bow down to take every vwave.

 

[GFC]

First mistake I saw was that he didn't have a PFD on. Then there were a number of other errors that added to his woes.

 

[markpierce]

Yeah, wear a PFD and learn to body surf if launching from beach is your thing.

 

[BandB]

Someone cited that nothing to doing it if you have the right experience. Perhaps, but he didn't have it, apparently.

Then people tossing examples that don't compare. 5' at 11 seconds is nothing like what was shown in the first video. The approach to such long periods is much different than shorter periods.

You really have three primary tools to use. First is angle at which you hit the wave. Second is speed through and over. Third is trim of your boat. Speed is the part that he appears to have just gotten wrong. This is an area experience is very valuable. The inclination when hit by the first wave that really tosses you is to panic and pull back on the throttle which often lead to major problems as observed in this case. I compare the need to accelerate as being anti-intuitive much like adding power in a curve in rear wheel drive cars. You're sliding and you just feel like you should slow down.

The captains training us put us through hours and hours of rough conditions and learning to time the waves. I still wouldn't profess to have the practical experience psneeld has in so doing in rescue work. However, he also had boats set up for it and boats he knew extremely well. Part of it is really knowing your boat. Use that to determine whether to proceed and then to determine how to handle it.

We have a narrow view and don't know all the factors he faced. We only know from the results that what he did didn't work.

 

[Peter B]

You obviously have never had an outboard or outdrive, maybe even an inboard driven into the sand and choked off when in the surf.

Wrong...I have..but still the lesser risk compared to the need in this situation to get trimmed and get moving as soon as possible..!

 

[101TUG]

really on first video look like the boat have very strange behavior, for me bilge are full of water before engine stop.

Hugues

 

[Peter B]

really on first video look like the boat have very strange behavior, for me bilge are full of water before engine stop.

Hugues

Correct. He had already taken water over the stern quarter adversely affecting the boat trim to bow up. This was compounded by the motor trim, so he couldn't power up to correct boat trim, then when he tried, having still not trimmed the motor down, taking the waves too slow and bow up just added to this issue, so the rest, as they say is history.

 

[78puget-trawler]

really on first video look like the boat have very strange behavior, for me bilge are full of water before engine stop.

Hugues

Agree also, was thinking along the same lines. Bow was light, stern was heavy. When he went over the wave he was nearly perpendicular and came down and buried the stern, its all over then.

 

[dhays]

It looks like the outboard engine stopped ? Then the cut off have led to the situation.

Yup. No power means no helm. Then it was just a matter of time.

Wrong boat for the conditions.

 

[BruceK]

Wrong boat for the conditions.

Now if it had been a trawler.......

 

[SoWhat]

19' cuddy cabin is a lake boat. Is is not a suitable hull shape for that surf condition. I don't believe there is any way he could have trimmed it to get through. The hull is like a cork. When he went by the second surfer, he ended up at 45^ angle. Should have turned around right there. Next one he was at 90^. Game over.

 

[Ski in NC]

Second others that suggested the boat was half full of water from the git-go. Responded like it was heavy in the a$$ and motor way down too.

Either drowned the engine when it went under, or stuffed the prop into the sand. Probably drowned it as it should have restarted if he grounded it.

Maybe too lazy to bail first then charge the surf line??