Gearge was a great guy and a very skilled boater from what I'm told and the speculations will be put to rest. The papers and all the nay sayers that don't understand need to keep their mouths shut and fingers off the keyboard. No one will ever know exactly what happened. I am going to tell you that it was just a horrific accident that will be blamed on conditions at the time, area , markers and time of day. What happened to make this happen ? Could the markers been an issue ?Could George have realized that he was already on the bottom and turned/jerked the wheel ? Like all of us have in a car or boat. It's a natural reaction to steer out of something. Don't forget it was an Arneson boat not a Bravo boat. Those surface drives behave differently than Bravos, kinda like a non stepped versus a stepped hull.
After this was he ejected from the boat ???? No speed issue ! No alcohol issue ! Why would a responsible man act in an irresponsible manner with family and friends ? Because he didn't !!! A very sad thing. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and their friends. May they rest in peace and may the others get well fast .

Amen. Very well put.

Dam bro thats a little rough!! Think about this 42,000 to 43,000 people die in car accidents every year thats one person died every 12 to 15 minutes 24 hrs a day..Does that give auto drivers a bad name. Bottom line shi*t happens.
My thoughts and prayers go to all friends and family!!

Why would a responsible man act in an irresponsible manner with family and friends ? Because he didn't !!! A very sad thing. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and their friends. May they rest in peace and may the others get well fast
+1

CB:

I'm new to the board, but not to the water and investigations.

I agree that speculation leading to "blame" needs to stop and let's let the investigators do thier job.

I would like to add to a few of the points you made if you don't mind.

It's almost certain that the investigators, assuming they are specifically trained marine crash investigators, will determine what happened at some point. Unless I missed something, there were survivors, correct? If so, they will be able to shed a little light on the events leading up to the crash as well.

While I'm certain that most or all those factors will come into play, as we all know, it's the skippers final responsibility to maintain the safety of the boat and crew. Unless something was out of place, or there was a mechanical issue he couldn't have known, prevented or done anything about, the responsibility generally come back to rest on our shoulders.

Very good points. And all of them I'm sure will be taken into consideration. The latter question regarding his actions may only be determined by the survivors accounts:(

I didn't go back and re-read, but I thought they found him still in the boat?

Brother I hear ya.

There's absolutely no reason, especially basing anything on a reporters account (hell! Most of them can't get thier names right without a tele-promter or Q-card!) to start blaming the skipper. People need to wait for some real facts before pointing fingers and remember, we've probably all done something "risky" at least once in our lives;)

I didn't know the man, but from all accounts of those that did, he was very responsible. "Assuming" for now that alcohol was not an issue (I haven't heard any facts on that either), there has to be something that occurred to place a boat that size, 100-150 yards (feet?) up on a marsh.

My earlier thought that he may have suffered an MI (heart attack) is still in the back of my mind. It "could" account for both accelleration as well as a sudden turn out of the channel.

Law enforcement and the Medical Examiners will be able to clear up a lot once all the facts are in.

There's no doubt, that at some point there will be attorney's and reconstructionist involved. Even then, some evidence may come forward that the investigators may have missed. It' happens a lot in my business.

There have been several comments about the markers and bouy system along that waterway. HAs the USCG been advised of the problem(s)?
If so and nothing has been done, you can bet, somewhere down the road, heads will roll (financially).

My final point.

In the end, we hope to learn from these tragedies:(

In law enforcement, we're sometimes slow to catch on:( We wait until someone get's hurt or sued, before we take corrective actions. We also have a tendency to blame others (the bad guys) rather than take the situations and learn from them. It's easier to say the "bad guy" did so and so that lead to the officers death, rather than trying to determine what mistakes the officer made that may have lead to his own demise. I've lost many friends on the job and it's few if any, that didn't do something "wrong" that ultimately lead to thier deaths:(

I'm not saying that this is the case. I'm saying that "if" it is, PLEASE, lets learn from it, make the needed corrections, and try not to allow it to happen again...for everyones sake.

but you're right. For now, I agree all the finger pointing needs to stop! Lets see how the experts play it out. The facts will surface soon enough.

Meanwhile, remember the families and friends of the skipper and those left behind. They too may be reading these responses. What if it were your family/friends? How would some of these comments make you feel?

Amen my friend....amen.

SAR
You are correct that there are survivors but I wrote this because Geroge is not and no one will know what was in his head. He was not in the boat he was ejected. He was not a "drinker" and was an experienced boater. Going back to the area and speaking to people, with a bravo they would have dug in, but since the were arnesons it most likely hooked and ejected him. Yes there will be a ruling by investigators but the comments and wrong info needs to stop. If you read the newsday "comments", I believe, I've looked at so many, you would understand. Comments like " 7 less guidos " around. I couldn't believe it. The stupidity and ignorance of some people. The info I have gotten is from very close and reliable people. 150 MPH come on , it was a triple diesel arneson boat.
With the waters being so tricky and the buoys being were they are it does make alot of sense. We will only see what the outcome is .

The operator of the powerboat that crashed off Seaford on Sunday night, killing three people and injuring four, was heading home to Copiague from a Freeport restaurant and fish market when he made a navigation error that he was trying to correct before the impact, two close friends said Tuesday.

PHOTOS: Powerboat crashes off Wantagh

Those and other new details of the events leading up to the accident were provided by Jim Feynman, a longtime friend of George Canni - the boat's operator - and Joe Logiudice, another friend who heads Hustler Powerboats in Calverton, which made the boat.

Feynman, who has talked to the survivors, said the group had gone to Braccos Clam & Oyster Bar on the Woodcleft Canal in Freeport before stopping next door at the fish market to buy lobsters to cook at home. He said he did not know whether the group ate or drank anything at Braccos.

Employees at the restaurant and Captain's Ben's Fish Dock said Tuesday they did not remember the group.

Nassau University Medical Center upgraded the conditions of three survivors Tuesday from critical to stable, a spokeswoman said. A fourth patient, identified by a friend as Deborah Sugamele, will be released from ICU as soon as a bed on a regular floor is available.

The survivors are Sugamele, 50, of Massapequa, who suffered neck injuries; Tom Sulori, 48, of Massapequa, who had fractured vertebrae in his neck; his wife, Laura, 54, who suffered head injuries; and a man from Farmingdale who is 54 and fractured both legs.

The crash killed Canni, 65; his wife, Theresa Maniaci-Canni, 46; and Sugamele's husband, Joseph, 50.

As Nassau police investigate the accident, Logiudice said he got his information from friends and relatives of the survivors being treated at NUMC.

Logiudice said Canni had "done that [route up Great Island Channel] a hundred times. They lived right there. They weren't going fast. I don't think they were going much over 40 miles an hour."

The 40-foot Hustler Classic, named Uncanni, came to a stop about 100 yards from the edge of the channel atop Goose Island at about 7:15 p.m., its stern about 10 yards from the water. The boat cost about $400,000, is equipped with twin 420-horsepower diesel engines and has a top speed of about 65 mph, Logiudice said.

"I really believe that the full moon kind of threw him off base," Logiudice said. "It looks like he just got a little bit to the right of where he was supposed to be. From what I've heard from the people on the boat, he realized he was to the right and tried to turn to the left." But before he could get back on course, the boat hit the island.

"It seems they were thrown out of the boat sideward and they landed on marsh, which is hard," he said.

Nassau police Det. Lt. Kevin Smith said, "We have been talking to the survivors, but we're not going to substantiate any stories that might be out there right now. There are no autopsy results yet and our investigators are still going through the boat."

Police said the boat traveled under the Goose Creek Bridge on the Wantagh Parkway "at a high rate of speed" before heading northeast and crashing more than a mile from the span. The channel under the bridge normally has a 5 mph speed limit but it is now closed because of a construction project. There is no speed limit in the channel by Goose Island.

A wake for the Cannis, who are survived by two sons, Todd, a Washington, D.C., lawyer and George, a resident of Florida, is scheduled for Thursday and Friday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at Massapequa Funeral Home, 4980 Merrick Rd., Massapequa Park. The funeral Mass is scheduled for Saturday at St. Barnabas Church in Bellmore with burial at Pinelawn Memorial Park.

Arrangements for Joseph Sugamele are pending.

With Sophia Chang, Chau Lam and John Valenti

WRONG. The boat does not have Arnesons and never did. Please that correct towards to ZF.

IT had Surface Drives

I stand corrected it had the Buzzi drives. Still were surface drives. my apologies