So, you think your boat is so big you don't need a PFD?

Unfortunately, 27 footers are not required to have an engine cut-off switch / lanyard - not to say this one did/didn't.
 
A PFD isn’t going to help much in this case… what I don’t understand is how the hell do you fall off a 27’ centerconsole in calm water.
 
A simple snap of the throttle, the wheel, or hopping a wake can send people over the side.
 
PascalG said:
A PFD isn’t going to help much in this case… what I don’t understand is how the hell do you fall off a 27’ centerconsole in calm water.
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I was thinking about the recovery, not the 'being thrown overboard' part of the incident.
 
yes cut off switches are important BUT…

A few days ago here in the Bahamas a woman went missing after she fell off a small dinghy. When she fell, the cut off switch did its job but the wind pushed the dinghy with her husband on board and he didn’t have the “key”, he drifted away. Finally made shore 9 hours later but it was too late. A 15-20 kts breeze will blow a small dinghy away much faster than anyone can swim.

After reading this story I put a spare cut off key in our tender glove box.
 
PascalG said:
yes cut off switches are important BUT…

A few days ago here in the Bahamas a woman went missing after she fell off a small dinghy. When she fell, the cut off switch did its job but the wind pushed the dinghy with her husband on board and he didn’t have the “key”, he drifted away. Finally made shore 9 hours later but it was too late. A 15-20 kts breeze will blow a small dinghy away much faster than anyone can swim.

After reading this story I put a spare cut off key in our tender glove box.
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This story is quite suspicious if you ask me.
 
boatbum said:
This story is quite suspicious if you ask me.
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I don’t think so. It was blowing hard that day and a small inflatable will just be blown away quickly. Over the years there has been a number of accidents where crew on bigger boats have jumped to swim after a tender and drowned.
 
I don't get into my dink (9.5 ft inflatable) without a PFD on - but that's just me, and anyone with me, or anyone using my dink.
 
After her daughter came out there is some information that is tough to ignore. The Abaco Inn is in White Sound. We were in that place MANY times over the 7 Winters we lived on Freedom at either the Hope town Inn and Marina or Sea Spray. Their website may say Hope Town but that is not the case. It is odd that they say they left the Abaco Inn for Elbow Cay because the Abaco Inn is on Elbow Cay. Perhaps they had a mooring in Hope Town Harbour which is a popular mooring field. Alternatively boats anchor off Firefly which is on Elbow Cay and in the lee. Normally one has to leave White Sound by going out the channel to the White Sound marker then turning towards Hope Town Harbour. That would be a long ride in that dink. I am surprised he did not wind up on Lubbers or the Parrot Cays.
Coming out of White Sound there is not that much current. If one is at the entrance to Hope Town Harbour yes it is possible. It would be interesting to know if they were anchored in the lee of Elbow or on a mooring ball in Hope Town Harbour. If they were anchored in Marsh Harbour they had to be nuts to go to the Abaco Inn and leave for Marsh after sunset in that dink. We have made the trip to Marsh from Sea Spray a number of times but only during daylight. I would never have done that in such a small dink especially late in the day.
Wind ? Sure. Sharks? You bet! We encountered a massive hammerhead in that area while in our dink which was a 13' AB with a 40HP E-Tec. It passed right under us. Bull sharks are also in that area as well as black tip reef sharks. People have been hit by sharks in that area a number of times.
That dink is just too small and underpowered to move away from her quickly. She either passed out, fell in and sank or he did something.

www.foxnews.com

American couple chasing retirement dream in Bahamas boating mystery were 'inexperienced': Friend

Lynette Hooker, 55, vanished in the Bahamas after her husband claims she fell off a boat. Her daughter alleges a history of domestic violence.
www.foxnews.com www.foxnews.com
 
Local media reports the husband has been arrested by Bahamian police. Not clear if he was arrested to be charged or taken into custody for questioning.
 
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