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Started By
Message
Things I learned broke down in the Gulf of Mexico
Posted on 12/12/15 at 8:24 am
Posted on 12/12/15 at 8:24 am
1- Don't go cheap on flares & don't carry the minimum. 5 handheld & 5 artillery style moving forward for my boat.
2- Don't go much more than a couple miles offshore without a marine radio.
3- Carry a couple extra tarps for blankets & shelter.
4- If you go into 120ft of water, your 150ft line & anchor are unless.
5- It is a hell of a lot harder to get Maritine & Oil Field traffic to notice your distress signals than you would believe.
6- Very few people know what SOS means. 3 quick guns shots. Flashing lights in sets of 3.
7- Get a epirb
8- No matter how well maintained your equipment is & how confident your are with it. You have to be prepared for it to fail you at the worst time possible.
This isn't a master list. This is a list where I was weak. Sad thing is, I already knew most everything I listed & had plans completeing most of the list. Over confidence & the I'll be fine making a couple of well planed trips mentality put my wife & I in a less than optimal situation. As a man it unacceptable to do this. This is very embarrassing for me, but I hope it helps someone not make the same misteakes I did.
Thank you, MV Ms Flo/crew & US Coast Gaurd
2- Don't go much more than a couple miles offshore without a marine radio.
3- Carry a couple extra tarps for blankets & shelter.
4- If you go into 120ft of water, your 150ft line & anchor are unless.
5- It is a hell of a lot harder to get Maritine & Oil Field traffic to notice your distress signals than you would believe.
6- Very few people know what SOS means. 3 quick guns shots. Flashing lights in sets of 3.
7- Get a epirb
8- No matter how well maintained your equipment is & how confident your are with it. You have to be prepared for it to fail you at the worst time possible.
This isn't a master list. This is a list where I was weak. Sad thing is, I already knew most everything I listed & had plans completeing most of the list. Over confidence & the I'll be fine making a couple of well planed trips mentality put my wife & I in a less than optimal situation. As a man it unacceptable to do this. This is very embarrassing for me, but I hope it helps someone not make the same misteakes I did.
Thank you, MV Ms Flo/crew & US Coast Gaurd
21
Posted on 12/12/15 at 8:27 am to Voorhies7
What kind of boat were you in?
Should be standard equipment on anything over 18', IMO.
quote:
2- Don't go much more than a couple miles offshore without a marine radio.
Should be standard equipment on anything over 18', IMO.
Posted on 12/12/15 at 8:31 am to Voorhies7
Two 150's is better than one 300 motor. Even a small kicker motor can be a lifesaver.
Posted on 12/12/15 at 8:33 am to Voorhies7
WOW, glad to know noone was injured. What happened? How far were you out?
Posted on 12/12/15 at 8:36 am to jordan21210
quote:
Should be standard equipment on anything over 18', IMO
Yup. I spent 3k in tackle & planed to upgrade navigation & put in a strong marine radio in Feb. I didn't think I would have the opportunity to fish the gulf this winter. So basically I did it arse backwards.
Warn & 1ft or less sucked me in.
Posted on 12/12/15 at 8:36 am to Voorhies7
quote:
4- If you go into 120ft of water, your 150ft line & anchor are unless.
You need way more than that. 300 feet might not even be enough.
Posted on 12/12/15 at 8:37 am to Voorhies7
scary shite man, glad yall made it out ok
Posted on 12/12/15 at 8:54 am to Voorhies7
Getting in a tight spot will learn you, if it don't kill you.
Lesson learned. (BTDT)
Lesson learned. (BTDT)
Posted on 12/12/15 at 8:56 am to Voorhies7
That's very scary.
Respect the gulf. It will kill you if you don't.
Husband of a family friend died ~15yrs years ago because he and the group he was in made a mistake.
I was thinking you need rope that is at least 3 times the depth you plan to anchor.
Respect the gulf. It will kill you if you don't.
Husband of a family friend died ~15yrs years ago because he and the group he was in made a mistake.
I was thinking you need rope that is at least 3 times the depth you plan to anchor.
Posted on 12/12/15 at 9:03 am to Barf
quote:
quote:
4- If you go into 120ft of water, your 150ft line & anchor are unless.
You need way more than that. 300 feet might not even be enough.
5-7 to 1 is the recommended
Posted on 12/12/15 at 9:11 am to Voorhies7
So what happened and what kind of boat do you have?
Posted on 12/12/15 at 9:18 am to Voorhies7
quote:
misteakes
Posted on 12/12/15 at 9:23 am to sonoma8
Launched & my navigation tooka shite. Should have stayed inland at that point probably. Ran out to 120ft of water. Wife caught some small snapper. She/we threw a 14in mahogany snapper back. World Record is 1lb 13oz. Thought it was a small red snapper. Only diff is a black dot its tail. I hung 2 big groupers (more than likely) & faught each over a hour. Didn't know if grouper was open, so we fire up to run back into 50-60ft of water.
Boat missed twice. Wife said boy I don't like that. I said, me either. Let's run in. A minute later. Dead in the water. Drop the trolling motor. Make it about 6 miles. Battery dead 100 yards from a work boat I was trying to make it to. Drop anchor. Guys on the platform & boat working. Next few hours we pop off flares & drag anchor. At one point we had a tug 1/2 mile headed dead at us. I could see his red & green very well. Did not see us poping flares & sos of flood, cabin, running lights. Crazy. Slowly drifted & dragging anchor for 3-4 more hours. Waves & current not in our favor. 24 miles from port we finally got the MV Ms Flo attention. They didn't notice our SOS signals. The deck hand noticed my bright blue cabin lights. He said he had never seen the gulf glow/flash blue before.
I told my father where we were launching, our coordinates headed in & back, & what time to call the Coast Gaurd if he doesn't here back from us. The Coast Gaurd had already started their search.
MV Ms Flo brought us to anchor & the Coast Gaurd towed us in. Upon reaching port the Coast Gaurd boarded & inspected. The went though paperwork & the boat. When they got finished & handed me my paper work back, he said, "I'm going to have to give you a ticket for not having any flares left. I said, at this pointed I don't give a shite. I'm just happy to be in port. He laughed & said he was joking. Everybody shook hands & said goodbye.
Boat missed twice. Wife said boy I don't like that. I said, me either. Let's run in. A minute later. Dead in the water. Drop the trolling motor. Make it about 6 miles. Battery dead 100 yards from a work boat I was trying to make it to. Drop anchor. Guys on the platform & boat working. Next few hours we pop off flares & drag anchor. At one point we had a tug 1/2 mile headed dead at us. I could see his red & green very well. Did not see us poping flares & sos of flood, cabin, running lights. Crazy. Slowly drifted & dragging anchor for 3-4 more hours. Waves & current not in our favor. 24 miles from port we finally got the MV Ms Flo attention. They didn't notice our SOS signals. The deck hand noticed my bright blue cabin lights. He said he had never seen the gulf glow/flash blue before.
I told my father where we were launching, our coordinates headed in & back, & what time to call the Coast Gaurd if he doesn't here back from us. The Coast Gaurd had already started their search.
MV Ms Flo brought us to anchor & the Coast Gaurd towed us in. Upon reaching port the Coast Gaurd boarded & inspected. The went though paperwork & the boat. When they got finished & handed me my paper work back, he said, "I'm going to have to give you a ticket for not having any flares left. I said, at this pointed I don't give a shite. I'm just happy to be in port. He laughed & said he was joking. Everybody shook hands & said goodbye.
This post was edited on 12/12/15 at 9:25 am
Posted on 12/12/15 at 9:33 am to sloopy
23ft Bay Pro with T-top
Posted on 12/12/15 at 9:38 am to Voorhies7
quote:
at this pointed I don't give a shite
Glad you made it back safely, Im always paranoid of running out and something like that happening
Posted on 12/12/15 at 9:45 am to Voorhies7
sea anchor would be 100% of more use offshore than an anchor and rode.
yes you should have a vhf even if it's just a handheld
epirb without question
also download the uscg app on your phone
glad it worked out
yes you should have a vhf even if it's just a handheld
epirb without question
also download the uscg app on your phone
glad it worked out
Posted on 12/12/15 at 9:47 am to Barf
quote:
more than that. 300 feet might not even be enough.
When the MV Ms Flo retrieved us I had to cut anchor. I will be going back with a larger anchor & probably 4-500 ft of line. & more chain.
Posted on 12/12/15 at 9:54 am to cgrand
I just read up on sea anchors. That's a very good addition.
I've used them drifting lake claiborne white perch fishing. Didn't think about that application.
I've used them drifting lake claiborne white perch fishing. Didn't think about that application.
Posted on 12/12/15 at 10:00 am to Voorhies7
Break down in Gulf adrift with wife. I may have swam for it after the 10000th "why didn't you"
Glad yall are safe.
Glad yall are safe.
Posted on 12/12/15 at 10:04 am to Voorhies7
The chain is the key.
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