another boating tragedy

It was more than just cold friday/saturday! Subfreakin zero! On the news this morning they've located the vessel in about 40'. No sign of the crew. Tragedy indeed. Icing a possible suspect.
 
Oh man! Friday was brutal! Prayers go out to those guys and their families.
 
No verification, but on the local news radio station this morning, they were reporting that the authorities suspect that alcohol was involved.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Mark S

No verification, but on the local news radio station this morning, they were reporting that the authorities suspect that alcohol was involved.

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Boy I don't like seeing this posted without verification. The FV that was communicating with them via email said they were "de-icing" the vessel on the way in. Can't say as I'd blame them for pouring a shot or two in that weather. Or maybe they were dumping out the alcohol to help de-ice, thus some floating bottles? Too early to speculate, but it certaintly wasn't a cocktail cruise it that cold.......
 
I realize that this is a commercial fishing vessel, but if the weather is that inappropriate, good seamanship would dictate that the vessel stay at the dock.

Or if ice buildup is an issue, the in addition to fishing, they should practice "ice management", similar to naval vessels on patrol.

Sad loss nevertheless.
 
Actually, no.

It is an honest question. I have no idea what caused the vessel to sink. I will be interested to find out what, in fact, was the cause.

But the loss of commercial fishing vessels seems fairly common. My question is related to safety, in general. All of us know adverse weather can cause a risky trip.

Under what conditions would you stay at the dock?
 
These boats are limited to how many days at sea they can fish. The all carry monitors to randomly broadcast where they are, and that is how they found the boat. The guys who fish will stay out even in bad weather because having to head back in and then out again when the weather clears eats into the days at sea they are allowed.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Radioactive

I realize that this is a commercial fishing vessel, but if the weather is that inappropriate, good seamanship would dictate that the vessel stay at the dock.

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They do not change the days or seasons of the fisheries based on the weather. Also, more trips to and from port = more expenses = less profit.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Radioactive

Dead = profit does not matter.

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You asked what they were doing out there - plain and simple. It also goes further than that. If the boat will not go, the crew will find one that will - further complicating the Captian's problems.

Oh, and for the record - the ship was returning to port early because of the weather.

Then again, it is always easier to sit at the computer and simply say that they should not have gone out.
 
You are assuming that I am referring to this particular incident. I am not. The question is general. I do not know any of the details of this tragedy. I look forward to finding out.

This question is because apparently this type of situation appears to occur often, while being avoidable.

It is not profitable to lose boat and crew. At some point, self-preservation should win out.

It is easy for anyone to see that they should not have gone out. The result proved to be a poor one.
 
There's a very good show on PBS thats been airing fairly regularly about the plight of the northeast fishing industry. It's quite tragic and if you knew all the history and regulations, it might make more sense why commercial fishing has such a high mortality rate. No one goes out expecting to die but the job has risks even in stable weather. Each man assess his options and makes the best decision he can within the regulations and his predicament. As In The Know stated, the regulations don't allow for make up days so for alot of guys, there are economic and regulatory consequences that some say force these guys into less than ideal situations.
 
Then it is time to review the regulations if it is the regulations that promote dangerous behavior.
 
We are actually on the same side here, though it may not be obvious.

"Going to sea" has always been hazardous. This is a boater education site, and safety is an important part of that education. The point is to reduce the loss of life at sea.

You are right, in that when the fish are "running" that is when you need to fish. But if the regulations artificially restrict the fishing period, then the fishermen are forced into a time/weather window that might be a very poor choice. If that is the case, then the rules need to be modified.

Sad as it may seem, there will always be loss of life at sea. Especially in the fishing industry ( for many of the reasons stated above, by others ). But that does not mean that we should -not- control those things that we can. If the entire fleet needs to be "grounded", by regulation, for bad weather, then that is perhaps what they should do. Or some other solution.

Any reg that affects the entire fleet would reduce the issue of profit, as all are affected similarly ( it would tend to increase the price of the catch. )
 
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