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Lost at Sea : All Baja 25 Owners Please Read

Old 07-26-2005, 07:13 AM
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Default Re: Lost at Sea : All Baja 25 Owners Please Read

westwelljs, again we are very sorry for your loss, and we all share your pain. It is always regrettable when someone ends up hurt, or worse, killed when partaking in something that we all get great enjoyment from in boating. My sympathies are with you.

The 25 Outlaw, like I said before, is perhaps one of the most stable, if not THE most stable boat in its size as far as performance boats go; It's a simple straight vee, 24deg, deep freeboard boat. At 4750 pounds dry, it is by no means a light boat for its size, either.

As far as crab traps go, I hate them too, as well as the ignorant people who choose to place them in the middle of navigable waterways, often times with a marker far too small or not visible enough.

I must agree with high-tide in respect, agressively turning any boat at any appreciable speed is approaching the limits of the safety envelope.

May I ask what size wake you hit, what kind of boat generated it?

Kind regards,
Nick
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Old 07-26-2005, 07:55 AM
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Default Re: Lost at Sea : All Baja 25 Owners Please Read

Well said Tank.

High-Tide is right on. Driver error. It is up to each operator to know his own limitations and those of his boat, and to be familiar with the water way he is navigating and use extreme caution when boating in new areas.

Nick, I was thinking the same thing. Having run the 272 for a good while and having riden in many 25's it had to be a BIG wake and there had to be another boat very close by. You must know what is ahead of you, on both sides and coming up from behind at all times.

This can be a good lesson for us all. Sometimes it is better to hit something in the water than try an avoid it. If you remember there was a guy killed here in North Carolina early this year in a Cig Top Gun on the ICW that was running pretty fast and tried to miss a log in the water and he hooked was ejected and killed. I'm sure if he hit the log he would have done some major damage to the boat, but he may have survived. As it was he damaged the boat and lost his life.
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Old 07-26-2005, 10:43 AM
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Default Re: Lost at Sea : All Baja 25 Owners Please Read

While I can appreciate and respect everyone of your comments, I must remind you that I was coherent before the the accident until I fell and hit my head. Our closest boater was at least 90-100 feet off our port side. I was waving to them, and we were approaching at somewhat of an angle to join up with them. Clark & I are both certified boaters, and sailors. Clark was unable to see the crab trap he was dodging, because it had such a filthy float, it was the same color as the bay water it was floating in, and if you know our waters, then you will understand how discolored it was. It really just happened on him too quick, therefore I truly belive that he reacted with what I, myself probably would have done, which was turn away from the object. Regarding the size of the other boat's wake. According to the witnesses that saw our accident, the other boat's wake was barely noticeable,meaning that the boat was likely already way ahead of it's wake when we hit it. The whole mystery for me is why did hitting wake that is barely noticeable cause our go completely vertical, and tilting so extreme to the starboard side, thereby ejecting Clark. We had had some repairs done on the trim tabs before we took it that weekend, and so I would like to know if that might have caused the boat to mishandle?
I weigh about 117 pounds to his 230 pounds, and while I was thrown out of my bolster seat, and backwards against his, breaking 2 right side ribs. Then, I was lifted completely off my feet , and thrown towards the back of the boat where I was hanging on to the back seat. I also can remember a very sudden jerk, and that is when I lost hold of the back seat & hit the floor and my head as well.

While according to witnesses, the boat was making unusual surging motions, while continuing in a circular motion, and eventually hitting the same crab trap that Clark was trying to obviously dodge. We made as many as 4 circles until the boat finally slowed to a complete stop.
It took 2 days to find Clark's body, and that was one of the worst things about our accident, was that he was lost at sea for those 2 days.
I still have bad dreams about that day, but with each new day there is new hope and peace.
Still, it is a mystery for me, and always will be.
I appreciate your opinions and comments, but until you actually experience something like this, you really can't know what to think. I do hope that everyone's boating is safe each and every sinlge time you go out.
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Old 07-26-2005, 11:03 AM
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Default Re: Lost at Sea : All Baja 25 Owners Please Read

Originally Posted by westwelljs
I appreciate your opinions and comments, but until you actually experience something like this, you really can't know what to think. I do hope that everyone's boating is safe each and every sinlge time you go out.
You are so correct in that statement.

I feel you pain and wish we had the answers for you, but it is impossible to know for sure. Please take peace in knowing that God is in control and has a plan for all of us.

I can tell you from experience that it is really hard to get a 25 Outlaw out of the water. I have done it many times and you really have to plan your speed and approach to a big wave or wake. To get the bow up you have to hit pretty much straight on, have the trim up and probably even throttle up to really get the bow high. I have launched a lot of boats over wakes and have found that they usually fly pretty straight and level with just a little bow up.

Just guessing, but I would say he probably without even thinking about it throttled up as you rode the wake up and were at a slight angle to the wake also.
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Old 07-26-2005, 11:08 AM
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Default Re: Lost at Sea : All Baja 25 Owners Please Read

i am truely sorry to hear about your loss, i for one am heading to the store to get a different kill switch, the one i have now is a pain to keep attached and as a result i dont wear it like i should.
thank you for sharing your story and opening at least one set of eyes.
god bless and dont give up boating.
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Old 07-26-2005, 11:18 AM
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Default Re: Lost at Sea : All Baja 25 Owners Please Read

Originally Posted by yzbert
i am truely sorry to hear about your loss, i for one am heading to the store to get a different kill switch, the one i have now is a pain to keep attached and as a result i dont wear it like i should.
thank you for sharing your story and opening at least one set of eyes.
god bless and dont give up boating.
Hey zybert,

Hope all is well with you. I recently saw a guy that had a kill switch lanyard that velcroed around his wrist on the left hand and had about three feet of cord which allowed him to move around and steer without any problems.

I thought it was a great idea.

If anyone knows where you can get these I would appreciate it.

Think of it like putting your seat belt on in the car and make it an automatic practice.

If you are riding with someone in their boat, don't be afraid or feel that you are out of line to ask them to hook up. It could be you that goes in and could be saved because of it.

Hopefully we are all getting to be much safer boaters from learning about these accidents.
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Old 07-26-2005, 12:34 PM
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Default Re: Lost at Sea : All Baja 25 Owners Please Read

very sorry for your loss and your story has too changed the kill switch issue for me.....i will say that the 25 baja is one of the best handling rough water boats i have been in for a 25 footer very forgiving...{4-6' seas} i have another boats that is {42') built for rough water so when i bought a smaller second boat i chose baja because it was heavier and had no steps....i lost three of my close friends in a boating accident and they didnt have life jackets on......very painful when they could be here today if they had them on again sorry for your loss
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Old 07-26-2005, 12:49 PM
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Default Re: Lost at Sea : All Baja 25 Owners Please Read

In the latest copy of PB mag, there's a company offering a wireless kill switch. Get too far away from the helm, and it kills the ignition...
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Old 07-26-2005, 04:23 PM
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Default Re: Lost at Sea : All Baja 25 Owners Please Read

My sincere condolences on your loss. I lost my father in an ultralight accident that should have never happened if it wasn't due to poor judgment on his part. Boats are no different than any vehicle and cannot possibly be designed to handle every and all situations we put them into. There are few cars or boats that can handle hard reactionary turns that put the vehicle into a situation it was not designed for at that speed. Someone turing very hard off a highway to avoid a deer may face more dangerous terrain that the vehicle could not be designed to handle. Thank you for coming on here and sharing your experience with us so we all can learn from it. Beyone the need for tethers (I will not start my motors without it attached) it should be realized that sometimes its better to continue your course even when damage could occur. After all boats are repairable.
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Old 07-26-2005, 08:22 PM
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Default Re: Lost at Sea : All Baja 25 Owners Please Read

Thanks for your input, Highmark. Great post, excellent analogy.
My condolences for your father's loss as well.
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