They did just about everything wrong...

[MAB32]

I am sure now, at this time and date, that everyone knows about the incident off the coast of Florida involving men who just weren't prepared. They only thing that one of them did right was to stay with the boat. When out on the ocean or the Great Lakes there are five rules of thumb that must be met before the engine is ever started. They are: Rule#1, Never, ever, give up on the ship until she has elected to give up on you (i.,e. If the boat is still floating, even overturned and still floating. Don't give up on her till she sinks!). Rule#2, nobody leaves the group! Rule#3, Flares are like blessings, you can never have too many! Rule#4, Buy better life vests with pockets that can store smokes/flares, water, knife, small first aid kit, EPIRB (personal) and sea dye marker. Rule#55, Have an excellent life raft.

Now I ask you, how inexpensive are the EPIRBS of today? $400-600, is about common. Even EPIRBS with a digital record of the owner is still not prohibited for the average working man and these are very accurate and can be USED AHYWHERE in this world with few exceptions.

What I am trying to state here is that everyone on board except for the guy stradiling the inboard, made the wrong decision and died.

Here's probably the discussion that went on the boat as they rode into danger: We are sinking, where's the EPIRB? I'm sorry, I didn't get around to purchasing one. What, why? Insert any excuse here_______________. Just my $.02 worth.


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,505172,00.html

For an excellent book on survivng at sea, and actually the best IMHO is "Survivor" By Michael Greenwald. It is long out of print. But you can still find it once in awhile at Bookfinders.com, Amazon, etc., etc. Also, here is its ISBN 0-931297-02-8, paperback is: 0-931297-03-6.

I'll end this opinion with this quote: "I have known the sea too long to believe in its respect for decency." Joseph Conrad

[adal]

Here is the US retail store for the recently FCC approved PLB the Mcmurdo FastFind.
http://www.reveresupply.com/revere_2008/5_new_fastfind.html#

Mcmurdo Fast find PLB is retailing for about $300 and smaller than the SPOT Messenger. It was not available prior to this incident, but other EPLB's were even though they cost around $600. Would have made short work of rescue efforts.
I am debating between this and the SPOT now. One nice thing about the SPOT is that you can send "OK" messeges. The nice thing about the "Fast Find is that there is no subscription fee.
Here is the link to "Equipped to Survive" article on the "Fastfind".

http://www.equipped.org/blog/?p=105

[MAB32]

adal,

Check this article out from "Equipped to survive".

http://www.equipped.org/blog/index.php?s=spot

Scroll down to about the last third of the page and you will find some interesting facts in regards to "Spot" and ACR Beacons. It is my belief that there is something better than both ACR and SPOT out there that will even float.