Scup

Thanks to Jack C I am sure I know what happened? At least 20 years ago, I purchased a 19 foot hull from Midland. The bare hull weighs in around 1000 pounds and brand new went for some really cheap price that I just cannot remember. I visited the manufacturers' plant prior to purchasing the hull. The hull was made from a wooden Maine plug. In other words, the manufacturer got a hold of an actual wooden boat, finished the hull to perfection, then made a mold of it. This mold was then used to create the 19 foot Midland craft. The workmanship in laying out the glass was crude, but substantial, and the boat was praised for its sea keeping ability, and I have actually seen articles written that this very craft can be used for off-shore fishing. Those who praised this craft I feel did not know a thing about boats. The boat was recommended to me by a close friend as a good low cost alternative for a commercial fisherman. The boat was registered as a commercial vessel.

I made the costly error of purchasing a boat by judging its lines, and never trying it out first. The first time I took it out to the Race, it was a mild day, and we ended up with two big blues on while drifting into the rip. Being a rather mild rip that day, neither my fishing buddy or I thought much of drifting into the rip with fish on. We had done this many times in the past, on rougher days, and in smaller craft. When we hit the rip, the boat jerked violently, so violently that my buddy actually became airborne. It was so terrifying, I knew I had to get rid of this boat. It was the most unstable craft I have ever been in.

This is my analysis of the craft. The original Maine boat, I have never seen it, must have been a great boat. It's lines suggest an extremely seaworthy craft. However, all because a plug is made from a great boat, does not mean its duplicate in glass will be a great boat. The original must have had weighed at least twice that of the glass version. A major problem that many boat manufacturers face today is caused by idiotic coast guard regulations that force boat manufacturers to compromise the safety and stability of small craft. The manufacturer of this boat designed it such that it would have a self bailing cockpit. This means that when fully outfitted, the floorboards are higher than the waterline. I added a center console to my boat which meant the base of the console was above the water line. The portable gas tanks, had to be placed above the waterline, the battery was above the waterline, in fact, anything brought into the craft, including people, attributed to its instability and this was a very unstable craft to begin with. The wetted hull at the waterline could not support the weight of the oversize hull. Yes, the hull had beam to it, but not at the waterline which also explains why this hull was advertised as being able to plane using very low horsepower engines. It planed very well, however, it was tippy. If I recall correctly, this craft may have initially been built without flotation, however, it could have never sunk since the seal between the floor and hull made a waterproof void that could easily float the craft if flipped (see pictures). The current requirement by the coast guard to have a small craft float upright if swamped does come with major and dangerous setbacks.

Look at the mess they created with the Stonington skiff. Here was an extremely stable craft, and proved stable by commercial fisherman who used this craft for decades in their trade. The Coast Guard comes along and requires flotation to be added. The manufacturer has to comply if he is going to be able to sell his product. Where does one put large amounts of flotation in a small boat so it will not be in the way? Of course, under the floorboards, and while you are at it, why not make it a self-bailing cockpit as well. I recently stepped into a newly built Stonington skiff. Since the floorboards are now raised to accommodate the required flotation, one does not feel safe in the boat because you are so high up; you have the sensation that you can fall out of it. I could not use it with my bull rake because my knees have to rest on the coaming for support. My knees are now well above the coaming because of the raised self-bailing deck. Just think what would happen to such a craft if one started to load it down with several bushel baskets of clams, all placed on the deck which is now raised because of the floatation requirement and self-bailing feature. Once again, you had a stable craft, now made unstable, because of coast guard regulations. Somebody ought to tell the coast guard that it is far better to have a craft that does not flip over, than to have a craft that floats upright if flipped over.

AlloyToy

If this guy added a homemade pilot house to a hull with those characteristics then MAN!! He may have really created a top heavy wishy washy fishing boat.

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"First The Bite Then The Fight"

Bryan A.

If you look at these pictures you can see a line in the second one near the stern and the current in the first one shows the boat is anchored by the stern at that point.

I would almost bet that with the info Scup has provided and those pictures he probably fouled the anchor on the prop or lower unit when trying to free the anchor or use an anchor ball retrieval system.

Be careful out there guys.

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2003 Parker 2530 "El Mar".......click the pic
1973 Seacraft 20SF

AlloyToy

Just heard on the news that they are still looking for the man's body.

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"First The Bite Then The Fight"

Bob & Mag

The cg helicopters were combing the shoreline around cedar island and meigs point at lunchtime yesterday. According to the cg, they have a computer program that uses tide/wind etc to give a location, over the time duration, of where someone, something would end up. I'm thinking that they would need a "start" time of the drift to be fairly accurate. It does look like he could have fouled the anchor rode in his prop from the pictures. Not sure if lines were added once the boat was found.
Like Bryan says, "be careful out there".

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AlloyToy

The water temp is going to be getting colder & colder, most definitely be careful!!!! A fish isn't worth your life!!

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"First The Bite Then The Fight"

AlloyToy

Any recent new???? Did they find the guy? Sad, guys............sad!!

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"First The Bite Then The Fight"

Bob & Mag

The woman was found but not the guy. The search was called off also.
Shame was the woman, who was wearing a pfd, was found only a few miles south of the boat, though not in time to save her.
We looked over the boat today. Looks like they've been running the engine etc.
First thing we noticed was a very short transom. If the anchor line fouled in the prop, the first thing would have been to head for the transom to free it and I honestly don't know how, in the strong currents here, the stern would not have gone down and filled the boat. From the stern to bow view, the open cuddy and pilot house would have taken on so much water and with no where else to go, the boat would have capsized very easily.
The unfortunate part of this is with all the boats out that day fishing and riding that no one saw this happen. Two people could have been saved and the boat dealt with later.
Keep your eyes open, you never know when someone needs help.

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AlloyToy

Bob & mag, what's the water temp down your way?

I know what ya mean.......years back we assisted in pulling 4 people out of the water off Pt. Jude. The sad thing is 1/2 hr before I warned them it was rough and they weren't equipped to fish out front. The guy was an azzhole to me so I let it be. Funny how things go full circle...........


Thanks for the update.

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"First The Bite Then The Fight"

Bob & Mag

Temp a couple days ago was 63.8 on my ff.

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