Boating Accident/Death off Diamond Island

[fatlazyless]

Alcohol does a good job of removing ink marks from vinyl upholstery, plus it cleans paint brushes used with BIN primer-sealer. Two excellent reasons to carry alcohol on board!

For a skipper out navigat'n in a $150,000 Formula 370 SS, maintaining a good supply of Grey Goose would most certainly be an appropriate application!

[NoRegrets]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

Alcohol does a good job of removing ink marks from vinyl upholstery, plus it cleans paint brushes used with BIN primer-sealer. Two excellent reasons to carry alcohol on board! For a skipper out navigat'n in a $150,000 Formula 370 SS, maintaining a good supply of Grey Goose would most certainly be an appropriate application!

I was getting so serious but your post just changed my day! Thanks.

[VtSteve]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

Alcohol does a good job of removing ink marks from vinyl upholstery, plus it cleans paint brushes used with BIN primer-sealer. Two excellent reasons to carry alcohol on board!

For a skipper out navigat'n in a $150,000 Formula 370 SS, maintaining a good supply of Grey Goose would most certainly be an appropriate application!

Never knew that, how utterly good taste

I think the Formula is a lot closer to $400k than 200k. It's a fashionable express cruiser. I could use my boat as a tender for it

[Excalibur]

I have waited for the outcome and to learn all the facts in this case. It effected me as a frequent night boater on the lake and I believed it has made me more cautious even on a lake I know like the back of my hand.

I was saddened for the loss and hardship it has caused, and felt it could of happen anyone else on the lake that boats at night. Alcohol is always on your mind to jump to conclusion, "they must have been drunk to hit a island". But many things impair our judgment, and being late at night, fatigue is a major cause of accidents.

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/fatig...accidents.html

So I hope for all of us that enjoy the lake, to keep a respect for it.

[LIforrelaxin]

Originally Posted by Excalibur

. But many things impair our judgment, and being late at night, fatigue is a major cause of accidents.

As I watched the trial unfold and read what I could. And then knowing what I know about fatigue I have always, and will always wonder what role fatigue played in this case. Unfortunately as Alcohol is always a much more volatile subject in these case it got all the attention.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't believe that Erica was stone cold sober that night. But was the fatigue from a long day involved in this accident every bit as much as the alcohol... I personally believe it was.... I believe it very well could have been the driving force to get to the destination that night for a good nights sleep. Instead of anchoring somewhere and waiting the bad weather out.

A thought for everyone to think about here... The last time you had two or three drinks...(assuming you don't have 2 or 3 drinks every night)... how quickly do you feel fatigued and ready to head off to bed.

[VtSteve]

Typically, days spent lounging around in the sun will make me a bit fatigued, whether I've had drinks or not. Standing at the helm for extended period will fatigue my back, so this year I tried the new Sperry (ASV) anti-shock-vibration gimmick shoe. So far, after a week, my back feels much more relaxed after days on hard surfaces.

Many people know what it's like to be so tired, the lines on the road seem to be your only focus. It's very hard to concentrate on what's up ahead at that stage. Can't say I've ever felt that in a boat, the air usually makes me alert.

But I doubt fatigue played much of a part in this case, who knows? In rain and limited visibility, anything can happen. She couldn't see anything, but thought she was ok due to one reading. It wasn't a great choice. Personally, I've never, ever been sick or dizzy on a lake in a boat, driving or not. And I'm quite sure that I would never take a reading of 70' of water as an indication of being safe. Anyone that's ever boated on any lake knows that 70' can become deeper, or shallower, real quick. We have a spot out front here by a reef, it goes from almost 350' to 8' inside of a quarter mile.

All we can do now is take it all in, and realize that we're not as good as our minds think we are. We were told that as HS kids, again in college, and by adult age, everyone just hopes most of us listened. But in the end Ex, as an adult, I know that neither fatigue, nor alcohol was to blame here. Those two items are choices and actions made by the operator. Accidents can, and will, happen to even the most careful skipper. But each situation is different.

Everyone has their own common sense, or even sympathetic sense, of what this accident entailed. The details of the start to finish trip have all been laid out during the trial for all to see. All I can say after all of this is that the last picture I saw from court was a little disturbing, although many predicted it.

For the rest of us, we all know there are very serious responsibilities that come with piloting a boat of any kind. Nobody's perfect, but at least we try to take these things seriously.