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It bothers me that I see so many reports of accidents so quickly on this site.. We are dealing with a regional speed limit issue, as well as similar issues nationaly.
Its like the rubbernecks on the highway that create a backup as they strain to get a glimpse of death or dismemberment.
If you love high performance boats and boating, please consider the consequences of your actions. Its just more ammo for the tree hugging fun killers.

probably not, there is at least one legal web site that actively searches for and lists boat accidents. (cant think of the name right now).

I think that reading about these accidents serves a useful purpose, especially for the newer boat owners here.

I dont

There is going to be two sides to this and neither side will be right or wrong. It is important to know what is happening out there and why, however we don't want to blow it out of proportion or beat it to death either. I think we all need to keep ourselves in check and be respectful of these situations and how they are presented. Also, we must not jump to conclusions and keep our opinions to ourselves.

Like the poker runs we must self regulate ourselves.

Only post facts.
Only post public release news stories and photos
Keep coments to condolences or pointing out facts

Just my opinion.

Those are good points. However I could do without it.
Follow the rules like not drinking and driving etc.. I realy dont see the need to post pics and details of the carnage.
Strange fascination if you ask me

With this being my first summer in the performance boating world, I have found it rather upsetting that there seems to be a report of a boating incident almost every Mon on the site. I do have to ask all of you, is this normal, or is this just a horrible year for the accidents? From what I read in the reports of the facts from most of the accidents, at least 90% is definetly driver error of some sort, but if we were to look at traffic accidents, I'm sure that percentage would most likely be much higher for driver fault.
As for the question of them being posted here, well like I said, it is very upsetting to read about them, but it also is sort of an awarness, or "wake-up call". Every weekend I board my boat to go for a ride, I take the responsibility of any & all that is on my boat. I am very much a newbie to this sort of boat, & I keep my driving within my limits.....With that said....
Last weekend I was at the air show, & when leaving, I was running in a group of much faster boats, & when they stretched it out, I felt the need to do as they did...as a result, we hit a wake from a cruiser, of course we got air borne & landed quite hard. I quickly backed off, & realized that I was way above where I needed to be, & instantly thought....I don't want to be the topic of an "accident report thread" on Mon.
So, in that sense....I suppose it helps.....but it still is very tragic to read of any accident, especially when a fatality is involved....Just my .02 worth from a newbie.....

I have to agree with you! We'll probably get a lot of chit for saying this though...

The news/media and "peope" are so focused on the "negative" that we never see positive things. Or if we do see something positive it's overlooked or swept under the carpet...

You mentioned strange fascination... Unfortunately there are a lot of people who thrive on others misfortunes.

If my family and I had an accident I wouldn't want it posted all over the internet.

What you're not seeing are the 100's or even 1000's of other non-performance related boating accidents that happen every day... This being a perf. website we mostly hear about our own types...

Is it the norm? no.... But yes, accidents can/will happen...

We can argue this until we're blue in the face, and we'll get no where.

Bottom line, we can't just ignore this sht and bury our heads in the sand pretending these things don't happen. They do happen and they draw a lot of negative attention and bad press, not to mention the pain and suffering they cause.

It's not about sensationalism. It's about education, and it's about waking the phuck up, learning our limits and acting responsibly. I'm sick and tired of losing good people, losing credibility, gaining bad press, and suffering exorbitant insurance costs because of the yearly rash of unfortunate accidents, careless oversights and sometimes downright bone-headed moves.

My $0.02.

Great post, I agree 100%

The insurance companies, law enforcement agencies and those agencies that regulate the waterways are all very well aware of each and every incident of death, injury and property damage that occurs relative to pleasure boating. We're not telling them anything they don't already know.
On the other hand, I know of specific instances where some awareness, coupled with some peer pressure has gotten a handful of semi-irresponsible types to slow down, put on a lanyard and leave the booze on the dock.

I've said it before...

When I learned to fly my instructor made me read the NTSB reports on light aircraft, because they also thought it couldn't happen to them.

Same here, can do w/o the conjecture and comments but accidents and reporting them helps to remind me that it can also happen to me.

Performance boating gets enough bad press all by itself .. So as enthusiasts why would we want to keep reiterating the sports inherent level of danger.. It creates a sterotype whether its true or not. Let the families have their time to grieve and give the authorities time to sort out the facts.
I dont buy the awareness argument.. the bad news will eventualy be the end of it all as liberal doo-gooders use our own bad news against us.
If you need a picture of a wrecked boat full of booze bottles to make you aware then please refrain from boating period !

I believe the sport has reletivley small level of danger. The danger is in the operators and more importantly ,most operators do not know they are dangerous !! If the constant posting of accidents gets the attention of just one operator and he now operates his boat in a safer manner that he used to, I for one will continue to post and respond.
I also think that some may take the postings the wrong way, If you remember there was a tragic accident in Lake Texacoma a few years back involving 2 well known boats and it was determined very quickly that it was indeed a catastrophic mechanical failure on 1 of the boats. You did not see ONE post slamming the driver or criticizing them.
Accidents do happen and we need accept that fact... but STUPID AZZ's behind the wheel and thinking they know what they are doing... we do not have to tolerate. Our families and friends are on the same waters when those bots with no operators in them slam into other boats, docks etc... Having a guy operate a boat wit hno experiance and little regard for the potential dangers is as bad as giving the keys to a drunk who just left the bar and "just lives a few miles away"

my .02

You nailed it....If you want to be completely unaware of dangers that are all around you.... more power to you....."Victory to the bold" right? kinda shows your mentality.... for those of us with alittle less radical enjoyment of the sport... that glove does not fit.....

I'v taken a piece of awarness from every incident I have heard of in the last 6 years, it has helped me make the right decision in more than one occasion, from putting on a lanyard to a PDF, something as simple as double and triple checking equipment every time in.... it has visibly proved to me that awarness is key.....

Its Texoma

It has not been one year yet since the accident

No one has ever found out what really happened.

Although they are not my favorite post - I do get quite a bit out of the accident threads. I only had a go-fast for 2 years. I ended up selling it to get something a little more safer and bigger than my squirly little 24ft python. I didn't know much about how safe or unsafe these boats were and have learned quite a bit. No boat salesman is going to tell you that a step bottom boat is more dangerous in turns than a non-step. Its good to know what can cause an accident and some of the physics that come into play. For newbies coming into the sport - these threads teach them to think twice or even three times. Some of the threads also serve as a place to talk about it. I knew the people involved in the Texoma accident and this website did a great deal for me in getting through it all. Most news articles will tell you about 1/10 of what happend and these threads give you the whole pie. I'm sure that the guy on Lake Travis didn't appreciate the publicity, but it sure seemed like it helped him get through it all with all the facts and pictures. This site gives him and his friends a chance to explain himself and the surrounding facts, which we would of never heard from some dipchit reporter.

I don't think there are more accidents this year. I do think that OSO's popularity/membership is growing every year - so you hear about more accidents.

at that theory, we shouldnt be able to talk about anything involved in this sport besides cleaning the boat.. every thread here is about adding more horsepower, higher top speeds, etc. None of that will look good to any outsider who doesnt know whats goin on... Keeping our heads in the sand and not seeing the truth will hurt the sport more, in my opinion. I bet if you were to take a poll and get HONEST answers, the thread about the killswitch wrecks spurred a LOT of boaters into wearing theirs.. I, for one, dont even idle away from the dock now without mine on, cant say that from two months ago..

I agree with CigDaze & Chris as well as a few other here. Certainly we do not wish for any of these accidents however there is always something to learn from them and I for one have learned a lot about my mind set of being in control of a 38’ water missile. I have owned sport boats for almost 25 years now and will be the first one to tell you I look at my responsibilities different today than I did in the beginning when I was single, carefree & sometimes stupid. I have learned to wear a lanyard through these accidents and it has been imbedded even greater from the most recent accidents that have been posted.

I have become better educated boater to become a more responsible boater so I know what I am doing to protect my family & friends when we are out to enjoy the day.

When these accidents occur I do not think it is right for people to comment on who was right or wrong at the time and or judge what may or may not have been done to cause the accident. It will come out from the authorities and their investigations and certainly from the press. People should keep their negative comments to themselves as it suites no purpose to post them so quickly after these unfortunate accidents involving injury or loss of life.

My .02

I thought the same thing at one time.
In other words - I don't think that anymore.
I got beat up on here pretty bad for having that opinion, but that is not what changed my mind. By reading, and learning what happened I think I've become a smarter boater.
The awareness of these accidents - many of which could be avoided with simple safety gear, and intelligent un-impaired operation has brought my attention to lot's of different things.
I'm picking up a new-to-me boat in 2 weeks. If it's not already equipped, the first accessory being added is a lanyard.
I agree that we need to stick to the facts, and leave the speculation out of the threads.

:)

Im not saying dont talk about these accidents .. Just that it looks a little rediculous when there are two more on the front page every week..sad but true.
Yes much can be learned from some of them but most of it is just bad news.

We agree on that. :cool:

Not to stir the pot, but that seemed like a "personal attack".
I don't want to get caught up in this fray - but I think your retort was uncalled for.
Just my .02 - I'll stay out of it from here.

Thanks for that Bouy, I guess Pantyera1 thought the better of that and edited/erased before I could read....

I can see this gentlemen (and I use this term VERY loosely) did not really want to hear public opinion but just wanted to rant to hear himself rant.... that's fine...but kid!!!! pay your membership first or do it on your own time.

3,423 post since 2002 and you dont had the etiquette to pay $20 to the cause...further-more you have the sack to whine like a 16 year old girl about what content goes on here.... I'd like to hear public opinion on this matter.....& what has come to be know in the forum world as a "Leach" regarded in the same sentence as a "troll".... good for you.

your second post to your own thread should have gave me some clues as to the level of juvenile mentality you bring to the party , a flat " I dont" to Wobbles very straight forward answer to his question..... using terms like " tree hugging fun killers" & " liberal doo-gooders" I mean seriously... kid.... what a dumbchit :hitfan:

P.S no need to respond.... your response will probably not be worth the flexing of the sphincter that spit you out.... good luck with that "leachy1"

Ive been a paying member until a few months ago when I decided to take a break from the accident reports.
I removed my post not realizing it had been quoted as it seemed to offend some. But im glad you got to read it.
Lets see a 38 Donzi and a gold membership .. you are a big spender

I think it is important to understand what happened in these accidents so the same mistake is not repeated. I learn the good and the bad from this website and that makes me an educated boater that knows the risks. The only thing I could say is that sometimes those threads do need to stick with the facts.

Originally Posted by Wobble
probably not, there is at least one legal web site that actively searches for and lists boat accidents. (cant think of the name right now).

I think that reading about these accidents serves a useful purpose, especially for the newer boat owners here.








So...you honestly mean to say that you have never once read a thread on this site about a boat accident and asked yourself "what would I have/should I have done in that circumstance"?


...If not we should all strive to be as perfect as you.:D

Usualy when I read about a boat accident im thinking what a tradgedy it is for the families and all involved. Who by the way deserve some respect during these times by not having it plastered all over the place.
It realy bothers me when I hear conjecture about an accident before the bodies are cold.
Two new accidents to discuss every week hmmm.
Cant we just have a list
Wear a lifejacket
Wear a lanyard
Leave the Jack alone
Etc. Etc

If the list you so desire worked, there wouldnt be any accidents to report.. Too bad it doesnt...

However, for some of us, reading about these accidents helps us to become better, more educated boaters.. In turn, we spread the word to those we run with, and help them become better educated, safer boaters.

BTW, there's a thing called personal decision.. If you decide to click on a thread that CLEARLY states it is about an accident, we cant help you break your moth to the flame mentality..

Some of the best input to come out of Florida since those extra 600 votes in Palm Beach county in 2000! :D:D

EXACTLY!

You can preach about a safety list until your blue in the face..do this, dont do that, wear this, dont touch that so on and so forth. Like somones signature states "If you build it idiot proof, someone will build a better idiot".

Who said I read them.. cant not see them in the list of posts though.. I havnt read any accident threads since Texoma.
All im saying is that our track record as a group is being used against us by our critics. So why supply them with more ammo.
You mean to tell me that we need another wrecked boat and dead body story to remind people not to drink and drive?

Judging from what I see on the water, we need billboards on barges.

There are way too many boaters out there that believe it's their God given right to do what they damn well please on the water. They'll go WOT through no-wake zones while pitching their empties over the transom.

Here's what I have learned since joining OSO:

The sport is inherently safe if you know the rules and learn to read the water you're on.

Save the drinking for the dock at the end of the day.

Always wear the lanyard.

Wear lifejackets when the conditions warrant it.

Don't run too close to others at high speeds.

Make sure your mechanicals are 100% before leaving the ramp.

Never assume that an approaching boater is going to do what you would do in their situation.

And what type of threads have vividly instilled these lessons? ;)

All things in moderation.

Just because an accident report is not posted here, don't assume that it won't show up on another web site, probably one that's far less friendly to performance boats at that. When we discuss these things honestly and openly with tempers and emotions in check, we all learn something, and in the process give ourselves more credibility as a group. It doesn't un-do the tragedy, but it might prevent another one.

Personally I have no problem of people posting about recent accidents and I agree with the people that say that it is beneficial to boaters everywhere if the information is factual and describes the reasons for the mishaps.

I don’t follow the notion or logic that we should remain in the dark and not want to know about things that could affect the safety of us and our passengers.

If someone is worried about excessive the coverage on boating sites I think that is somewhat misguided, more often than not this information comes from a local news organizations and/or governmental law enforcement website. It takes two seconds to do a Google search to find any number of accidents around the country on a given day.

Sometimes these reports are very sobering due to the fact that through the “Grace of God” they have not happened to us at some time in the past and they tend to bring things back into the proper perspective.

Recently there have been several accidents involving Operators being thrown overboard due to any number of factors and has brought to light the importance of wearing your “Lanyards”.

I personally look at these reports as a personal “Wake-up Call” and they can help to make us better and safer boaters overall. “Safety” in the Workplace is a very high priority in my line of work and it shouldn’t and doesn’t stop the moment I hop into my boat.

It’s what you don’t know that can and will eventually get you into trouble not gaining knowledge of someone else’s misfortune.

The world isn't all roses, lollipops, and puppy dogs. I want to see and hear about it all, warts included, so I can learn and grow. Don't come out to OSO if you do not want to see boating accident threads. Simple as that. If I had an accident I would have no problem with the facts of said accident being posted. This site is as much about the sharing of information as it is entertainment. Don't confuse accident threads as entertainment.

Chris Sunkin and others make excellent points. We're not "breaking news" to insurance companies and would-be legislators here. Also, there is something to be learned from every accident, which, as any pilot can tell you, is most often caused by a series of mistakes or incidents rather than one giant mistake or incident.

Tom A. suggests we only state "the facts" and I wholeheartedly agree. But generally speaking, here's what we know about "the facts" of any given accident:

1) It happened.
2) There was/was not damage to property/persons.

Anything beyond that tends to be speculation, especially when it comes to "the cause." Example: You witness one boat run broadside into another. You saw it clearly with your own two eyes. But when it comes to the cause, you have no idea if the driver of the boat that broadsided the other wasn't paying attention, got something in his eye or lost his steering system.

Point being? When it comes to cause, almost everything you read on this board about an accident is speculation, not fact. What one person saw, however accurate in the recounting, almost never explains "what happened." That's why we have accident investigations.

Something to consider.