Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Boating Safety...Know Your Boats Limits

Wednesday, December 30, 2009 12/30 - A few articles of interest:

Personally, I have fished the Mayport Jetties in everything from a 14' Aluma-Craft to a 17' Carolina Skiff, to my now 26' welded Plate Alloy center console. And through the years I have learned. You certainly can't have it all, in one boat.

I see lots of "TOO" small of boats at the inlet, myself. And when I owned the 17' Skiff, I also had at that time 2 other larger boats to choose from for a day of fishing. The little skiff boat, was my inshore creek boat. Not my "do all" boat, that's for sure.

The Jettywolf, my 26' plate alloy boat was literally designed for "jetty fishing" in mind. Period!!

Mayport jetties

I don't ask it to be my creek boat, or a flats-casting platform. That kind of fishing, isn't my "gig" anyhow. It's a big water craft, with lots of safety built into it's design.

small boat washed ashore

But as you'll read here:
Boaters Nightmare Escaping With There Lives
It's not unusual, for people to "squeeze" many fishing tasks out of their small boats. I have customers on my boat during a day of jetty fishing always say to me, "Damn, that's a small boat to be out here today, isn't it Dave?"


What happened to these boaters, isn't unusual. It'll happen several times a year. The last time that I heard of a small boat go down at the jetties, two people were rescued, while one remained missing.

And think about this for a minute....."alot of beer, and other impairments make there way on to boats every weekend. As important as rods, reels and bait, for the day." Add in just one periless situation, a 12 pak, or "other impairment", and some strong current, or cold water, and what do ya have? A near death situation. Doesn't sound worth it to me. That's why I do not waiver on my policies concerning the malted brewed beverages.

I don't need more to deal with, thank you.

Captain Dave Sipler's Sport Fishing
904-642-9546
charters@captdaves.com
JacksonvilleFishingReports.blogspot.com

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