78puget-trawler
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No doubt some areas are better than others. In this area, Puget Sound and environs, its a bad idea.
Tragedy in Canada
- Thread starter Mark P
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Comodave
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I enjoy nighttime boating. We go slow and keep a good lookout. The problem is some boats do not have adequate lights or any lights at all. So we assume that the other boat will not follow the nav rules and will do the worst thing possible. Generally there aren’t too many boats out at night so it isn’t that big of a problem.
dhays
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I agree there are risks. However, I have spent a lot of time boating in Puget Sound in the dark. Of course, most of that time it was because we were in a sailboat, the wind died, the current was foul, and the outboard died. That happened a lot actually.
As an adult, I made sure my boats had a reliable engine but even so I don’t mind running in the dark in certain places and situations. However, I run slow and keep a good watch.
Having said that, I saw a log boom being towed north through the Tacoma Narrows last weekend. While they used to be common, they are rare now. If they become more common, then running in the dark is a bit more iffy.
78puget-trawler
Guru
Everyone is free to do what they like. I spent a lot of years on tugs as Mate, running at night one watch per day, that was my job. For pleasure boating, forget it, I would rather sleep and not worry about running over logs and kelp patches etc.
rsn48
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So I googled images for O'Leary's boat feeling sufficiently guilty as I had "assumed" he had some kind of high speed boat, my bad. Below is a link to his boat:
‘Shark Tank’ star Kevin O’Leary’s boat involved in fatal crash
‘Shark Tank’ star Kevin O’Leary’s boat involved in fatal crash
ben2go
Guru
A deck boat. Probably 130 to 150hp. Top speed in the low to mid-20s. Not a hot rod but not a slow boat.
I wonder if it's a money grab because a TV celebrity figure is involved?
RT Firefly
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Wakeboarding boat. See the board racks on the arch?
hollywood8118
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wakeboarding boat, 300/400 hp 40/45 mph top speed. undoubtedly going too fast for conditions.. duh.
I feel bad for both parties...
HOLLYWOOD
I feel bad for all involved too. You hit the key words, "Too fast for conditions" which includes visibility and equipment. Too fast could be 12 knots or 40 mph. I noted the word used in the charge, "careless", as opposed to "reckless" or stronger words. Still a stronger charge than the other boat operator received and that surprised me a bit. Will take far more detail and facts to know why.
I can't imagine the pain of being the operator of either boat and knowing that people died as a result of your actions on that fatal night. The criminal punishment will be minor. The civil trials (and I noted one family said they didn't intend to take action, but that will likely change) will prolong the agony and prevent real healing and recovery from getting underway.
We all need to remind ourselves every time we operate a boat or a car (or a plane) that this is what can happen and ultimately whether you're legally right or wrong won't relieve you of the suffering. This is why I don't drive even after one drink and I don't speed and I don't put in 16 hour days at the wheel or helm or take either without adequate rest, knowing how difficult it would be to live with something like this.
I know Kevin acted like a businessman with a quick spin statement but I'm sure he has come to realize by now that it's far more than a business hiccup to his wife. In just the blink of an eye, lives were ended and many others were changed forever, including his wife's and his life. All the money in the world can't undo that.
I don't think the boat pictured has any connection to the incident. One of the reports says O'Leary's was a "ski boat" and the other was a "wake boarding " boat. That report also suggests the wake boarding boat may have been similar to the one pictured.
No report says the size or hp of O'Leary's boat. One news photo shows O'Leary driving a fast boat in front of his place, and the only part of his boat visible in the picture is NOT the boat pictured in the article quoted here.
That said, Joseph Lake is typical of Muskoka lakes, with residences all around, lots of $$, Lots of parties.....
I wouldn't trust anyone out after dark.
I wouldn't go any faster than idle after dark.
I certainly wouldn't expect to hear another boat when my own engine is running, or to see another without at least a flashlight illuminating my path ahead.
Fault will be shared, that is what Maritime Law is all about.
Gdavid
Guru
The nuance between a ski boat and wake board boat is lost on most boaters much less the average reporter. It probably was the Malibu Wakesetter pictured in his instgram post. They have a lot of hp to support planning a heavily blasted boat at a relatively low speed. The will go fast without ballast but aren't generally run that fast. The latest report I heard was 17 mph which is probably just fast enough for a level plane.
In either case the speed was too great for the average recreational boater to be running at night especially considering this was not a fully instrumented (no radar, ais, flir, etc). Very few recreational boaters spend enough time out at night to comprehend navigational lights quickly enough to run at planing speeds. They do it a couple times a year including the 4th of July (except canadians of course).
I'm the end it is just a shame and as BandB says, nothing can bring the victim back.
In either case the speed was too great for the average recreational boater to be running at night especially considering this was not a fully instrumented (no radar, ais, flir, etc). Very few recreational boaters spend enough time out at night to comprehend navigational lights quickly enough to run at planing speeds. They do it a couple times a year including the 4th of July (except canadians of course).
I'm the end it is just a shame and as BandB says, nothing can bring the victim back.
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