Lost at Sea : All Baja 25 Owners Please Read
07-25-2005, 03:04 PM
#1
Registered
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Lost at Sea : All Baja 25 Owners Please Read
My husband and I were boating last year.
Well, first let me say that I just found this site today, and think it is a great resource for power boating and for owners.
That being said. I want to share with each of you that reads this, that I truly hope you will always exercise good judgement when you are out in your boats. Please wear a "kill switch" , and keep it on until you dock the boat. He had taken his off too soon that day.
My husband is gone now, and I think he would like this site too, if he were still here.
We were in our boat last September, less than a 1/4 mile from the Kemah Boardwalk/ Chanel,when he swerved to miss a crab trap, that was barely noticeable because of the poorly discolored float, and also it was in a navigable chanel, and was not supposed to be. We immediately hit another boat's wake that was off to our port side about a 100 feet, and he was ejected from the boat, where it ran over him & he went into the prop and died.
I sustained broken ribs, and an arm, and was knocked out.
I stayed inside the confines of our boat.
I would like to know if any of you has ever heard of such an incident,etc?
I had always felt like our boat was too fast & too light for the type of chop we have in Trinity/Galveston Bay, and that the accident was avoidable, if only some slight changes to the boat were made during manufacturing. and lastly that there were stricter laws for crab trapping in the Gulf waters.
I have been writing to our representatives and trying to get some new laws passed regulating the placement of crab traps.
Our speed at the time of the accident was not very fast, maybe 45-5- mph, again the chop keeps the speed down somewhat.
Not sure why I wrote this today, but I have been planning his one year memorial this past week, and so it is so fresh on my mind, I guess.
Clark was 45, and died one day shy of his 46th birthday.
We had just gotten married a few months before in May in Grand Cayman.
He loved all kinds of boating, especially being in our Baja, as well as sailing, and he was formerly in the Navy when he was younger.
He died September 4th, 2004. His Memorial is going to be held on September 3rd, 2005, at Outrigger's in Kemah, TX, at 2pm. If you think about it that day, maybe you can say a prayer for him. I know he would appreciate it.
Sincerely,
Jacque West
Seabrook, TX
Well, first let me say that I just found this site today, and think it is a great resource for power boating and for owners.
That being said. I want to share with each of you that reads this, that I truly hope you will always exercise good judgement when you are out in your boats. Please wear a "kill switch" , and keep it on until you dock the boat. He had taken his off too soon that day.
My husband is gone now, and I think he would like this site too, if he were still here.
We were in our boat last September, less than a 1/4 mile from the Kemah Boardwalk/ Chanel,when he swerved to miss a crab trap, that was barely noticeable because of the poorly discolored float, and also it was in a navigable chanel, and was not supposed to be. We immediately hit another boat's wake that was off to our port side about a 100 feet, and he was ejected from the boat, where it ran over him & he went into the prop and died.
I sustained broken ribs, and an arm, and was knocked out.
I stayed inside the confines of our boat.
I would like to know if any of you has ever heard of such an incident,etc?
I had always felt like our boat was too fast & too light for the type of chop we have in Trinity/Galveston Bay, and that the accident was avoidable, if only some slight changes to the boat were made during manufacturing. and lastly that there were stricter laws for crab trapping in the Gulf waters.
I have been writing to our representatives and trying to get some new laws passed regulating the placement of crab traps.
Our speed at the time of the accident was not very fast, maybe 45-5- mph, again the chop keeps the speed down somewhat.
Not sure why I wrote this today, but I have been planning his one year memorial this past week, and so it is so fresh on my mind, I guess.
Clark was 45, and died one day shy of his 46th birthday.
We had just gotten married a few months before in May in Grand Cayman.
He loved all kinds of boating, especially being in our Baja, as well as sailing, and he was formerly in the Navy when he was younger.
He died September 4th, 2004. His Memorial is going to be held on September 3rd, 2005, at Outrigger's in Kemah, TX, at 2pm. If you think about it that day, maybe you can say a prayer for him. I know he would appreciate it.
Sincerely,
Jacque West
Seabrook, TX
07-25-2005, 03:26 PM
#2
Registered
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Channel Islands, So. Cal.
Posts: 13,715
Received 3,020 Likes
on
987 Posts
Re: Lost at Sea : All Baja 25 Owners Please Read
That is extremely tragic and I am very sorry for your loss. This story is a good reminder to wear kill switches, even though it may have not helped since it sounds like the boats momentum would have passed over him regardless.
I think this thread needs to be on the main forum.
I think this thread needs to be on the main forum.
07-25-2005, 04:18 PM
#3
Platinum Member
Platinum Member
Re: Lost at Sea : All Baja 25 Owners Please Read
That's simply very tragic, I'm very sorry for your loss.
Please accept my condolences.
To answer your question though, yes there have been other incidences where someone was ejected from a boat and it kept running and came back to harm the occupants, it's not common though. There was a guy who got thrown our of a boat about a month ago and ut continued along the shoreline smashing some boats and docks. Lanyards are a must.
In all fairness though, I too owned a 25 Outlaw for almost 4 years and it is one of most stable, forgiving boats on the performance market.
Please accept my condolences.
To answer your question though, yes there have been other incidences where someone was ejected from a boat and it kept running and came back to harm the occupants, it's not common though. There was a guy who got thrown our of a boat about a month ago and ut continued along the shoreline smashing some boats and docks. Lanyards are a must.
In all fairness though, I too owned a 25 Outlaw for almost 4 years and it is one of most stable, forgiving boats on the performance market.
07-25-2005, 04:24 PM
#4
Registered
Re: Lost at Sea : All Baja 25 Owners Please Read
Jacque, it was your husband's death that changed my boating forever.
We were rafted in Nassau Bay after the Poker Run when we heard the news. Another boater, who had been on the scene, told us of the accident. It was sobering news, since we boat the same waters on a boat the same size as yours.
Since that time, my wife and I will not even start our boat without attaching kill switches (we have two). Our "gang" has adopted the practice, also, because of your husband's accident. We police each other diligently, and won't let them forget.
We're so sorry for your loss, and can only imagine your pain.
Jim & Janet Guidry
Dickinson, Texas
We were rafted in Nassau Bay after the Poker Run when we heard the news. Another boater, who had been on the scene, told us of the accident. It was sobering news, since we boat the same waters on a boat the same size as yours.
Since that time, my wife and I will not even start our boat without attaching kill switches (we have two). Our "gang" has adopted the practice, also, because of your husband's accident. We police each other diligently, and won't let them forget.
We're so sorry for your loss, and can only imagine your pain.
Jim & Janet Guidry
Dickinson, Texas
07-25-2005, 04:39 PM
#5
Charter Member #34
Charter Member
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Beautiful North Carolina
Posts: 7,151
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Re: Lost at Sea : All Baja 25 Owners Please Read
Very sorry for your loss.
God Bless
I found this link which shows your husband must have been a hell of a guy!
http://www.bakerdrywall.com/news.htm
________________________________________
As for the 25 Outlaw like mentioned above I have found them to be a very capable boat. But we all must take every safety measure available to us and never forget that we and our boats have limitations. I do not know what Baja could have done differently, a 25 foot boat is a 25 foot boat, and the Baja is much heavier and rough water ready than many other brands.
Look at it like this, if it had been a lighter boat, or a stepped hull boat you both may have been ejected and we would not be talking with you today.
God Bless
P.S. Welcome to the site.
God Bless
I found this link which shows your husband must have been a hell of a guy!
http://www.bakerdrywall.com/news.htm
________________________________________
As for the 25 Outlaw like mentioned above I have found them to be a very capable boat. But we all must take every safety measure available to us and never forget that we and our boats have limitations. I do not know what Baja could have done differently, a 25 foot boat is a 25 foot boat, and the Baja is much heavier and rough water ready than many other brands.
Look at it like this, if it had been a lighter boat, or a stepped hull boat you both may have been ejected and we would not be talking with you today.
God Bless
P.S. Welcome to the site.
Last edited by Dock Holiday; 07-25-2005 at 04:42 PM.
07-25-2005, 07:10 PM
#6
Registered
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Lost at Sea : All Baja 25 Owners Please Read
To everyone who replied back, Thanks for your kind words.
I can try to explain for you, my quandry about our boat's performance that day and other days as well, but perhaps it is more speculation than anything else factual.
As I said earlier, I felt like there was never enough "true weight" to our boat to keep us as stable as I would have preferred. Meaning that on numerous occassions I noted that we seem to wobble somewhat in choppy waters at speeds of not really more than 30-35 ish or so. When we decided to purchase a power boat it was the hull design that attracted us to the Baja, the deep "V" hull design so to speak.
I can't help but wonder back to that awful afternoon when we made that abrupt left turn, and how the boat seem to take on a life of it's own. After that I don't remember much, it's pretty hazy, but the witnesses that saw us said that our boat did some crazy moves even seem to stop and resurge again in the seconds before we hit the wake that sent us vertical, and ejected Clark. My thoughts are this: Is the boat too light with only 2 people in it, and no real interior weight, except for our personal items? Should we have had added some additional weight for balance? These are the questions that plague my mind, my heart, and lastly because I'd like to prevent anyone from going through what I did. Not being an engineer, I am not educated in this area enough to be sure of any of this. So, perhaps some of you are, and can help to ease my mind about our boat, which I still own, but am selling. I do want to someday return to boating, as I grew up around boating, and love it so much, but part of me is unsure if I will ever be able to go out in a similar type boat ever again. Thanks for listening.
I can try to explain for you, my quandry about our boat's performance that day and other days as well, but perhaps it is more speculation than anything else factual.
As I said earlier, I felt like there was never enough "true weight" to our boat to keep us as stable as I would have preferred. Meaning that on numerous occassions I noted that we seem to wobble somewhat in choppy waters at speeds of not really more than 30-35 ish or so. When we decided to purchase a power boat it was the hull design that attracted us to the Baja, the deep "V" hull design so to speak.
I can't help but wonder back to that awful afternoon when we made that abrupt left turn, and how the boat seem to take on a life of it's own. After that I don't remember much, it's pretty hazy, but the witnesses that saw us said that our boat did some crazy moves even seem to stop and resurge again in the seconds before we hit the wake that sent us vertical, and ejected Clark. My thoughts are this: Is the boat too light with only 2 people in it, and no real interior weight, except for our personal items? Should we have had added some additional weight for balance? These are the questions that plague my mind, my heart, and lastly because I'd like to prevent anyone from going through what I did. Not being an engineer, I am not educated in this area enough to be sure of any of this. So, perhaps some of you are, and can help to ease my mind about our boat, which I still own, but am selling. I do want to someday return to boating, as I grew up around boating, and love it so much, but part of me is unsure if I will ever be able to go out in a similar type boat ever again. Thanks for listening.
07-25-2005, 07:40 PM
#7
Registered
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Channel Islands, So. Cal.
Posts: 13,715
Received 3,020 Likes
on
987 Posts
Re: Lost at Sea : All Baja 25 Owners Please Read
I am no engineer however these are my thoughts on the questions you ask.
(Is the boat too light with only 2 people in it, and no real interior weight, except for our personal items?)
All performance boat companies strive to reduce the weight of their performance boats to gain faster top end speeds. The 25' Outlaw is actually heavier than some other brands of similar size. Smaller boats do tend to "chine walk" (what you are talking about when you say it rocks back and forth). It can be hightened when you have a 24% hull. However the 24% hull cuts through chop and swells better. It's a give/take situation.
(Should we have had added some additional weight for balance?)
No. And I assure you if you did this accident would have still occured unless you doubled the weight of the boat and slowed the speed down. But no one can see the future and adding weight to a boat would bring into play a whole new set of dangerous circumstances. That's why there are load restrictions on the hulls.
Alot of the time when tragedy strikes people look for blame. I can assure you that this was an accident that would've happend to any boat of a similar size and unfortunately has and will continue to happen. It sounds as if you hooked the boat when you came down from the wake. I've done it in my 24 Outlaw I used to own and was nearly tossed out the boat too.
Hooking, stuffing, loosing control, or any other bad event can happen in ANY size performance boat and does happen. It's not your husbands fault and it's not the boats fault. With any extreme sport (I would consider "speed boats" an extreme sport) there is an amount of risk that occurrs. It's simply fate, if you believe in that. I'm sure your husband would not want you to stop boating and I hope if you can bring yourself to continue that you do indeed keep boating.
(Is the boat too light with only 2 people in it, and no real interior weight, except for our personal items?)
All performance boat companies strive to reduce the weight of their performance boats to gain faster top end speeds. The 25' Outlaw is actually heavier than some other brands of similar size. Smaller boats do tend to "chine walk" (what you are talking about when you say it rocks back and forth). It can be hightened when you have a 24% hull. However the 24% hull cuts through chop and swells better. It's a give/take situation.
(Should we have had added some additional weight for balance?)
No. And I assure you if you did this accident would have still occured unless you doubled the weight of the boat and slowed the speed down. But no one can see the future and adding weight to a boat would bring into play a whole new set of dangerous circumstances. That's why there are load restrictions on the hulls.
Alot of the time when tragedy strikes people look for blame. I can assure you that this was an accident that would've happend to any boat of a similar size and unfortunately has and will continue to happen. It sounds as if you hooked the boat when you came down from the wake. I've done it in my 24 Outlaw I used to own and was nearly tossed out the boat too.
Hooking, stuffing, loosing control, or any other bad event can happen in ANY size performance boat and does happen. It's not your husbands fault and it's not the boats fault. With any extreme sport (I would consider "speed boats" an extreme sport) there is an amount of risk that occurrs. It's simply fate, if you believe in that. I'm sure your husband would not want you to stop boating and I hope if you can bring yourself to continue that you do indeed keep boating.
07-25-2005, 10:35 PM
#9
Registered
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Channel Islands, So. Cal.
Posts: 13,715
Received 3,020 Likes
on
987 Posts
Re: Lost at Sea : All Baja 25 Owners Please Read
Originally Posted by high-tide
It was regrettably, at that speed....driver error. No ands, if's or buts.
High-Tide
High-Tide
07-26-2005, 12:20 AM
#10
Registered
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 80
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Lost at Sea : All Baja 25 Owners Please Read
Kemah IS notorious for having those damn crab traps right at the mouth of the board walk. You can't even see them with the little white buoys they mark them with. I'll see if I can't take some pictures this weekend that way everyone will understand better. I'm very sorry to hear about your lose....
