How did this happen.......

[Chalk]

Got this from sportfishingflorida.net.......It says they were anchored in the prevailing sea and wind and a wave broke over the transom while pulling the anchor......How can you pull the anchor into the sea and have a wave break over your transom? Sounds to me like they got her side ways or turned around into the sea....They are lucky, no doubt......

I just talked to David Brewer, the owner of the boat that sank off Clearwater on Monday.

The boat was a 20' Pro-Line center console (1994 model) with 150hp Yamaha.

The boat was bow anchored approximately 15 miles off CW in 2-3' seas. Wind increased to 15-20 and they were about to haul anchor and head in when a wave about 5' tall came aboard from astern. They did not see the wave until just before it hit. The boat was anchored into the prevailing sea and wind direction. According to Mr. Brewer, there was not a wind shift, just an increase in wind speed.

The wave (est. at 4-5') broke over the transom putting 2' of water into the boat. Mr. Brewer tried to crank the engine and nothing happened. He grabbed the radio and switched to 16 about the time the boat flipped. Just before the boat flipped, one of the guys made the comment, "Where did that wave come from?"

Life preservers were stowed inside the console and they made the decision NOT to try to get them because of the possibility of getting trapped under the boat in fairly heavy seas.

The boat floated upside down and the men held on to the engine and dive platform for 13 hours.

They probably would have been found sooner but, evidently the anchor broke loose at a tide change. The CG had the position where the guys always fished. They were found anchored about 2 miles from their reported position.

They were extremely lucky that one of their regular crew members had their favorite GPS coordinates recorded. They were King fishing at the HUMP a well known spot where the water breaks up from 60' to 30'. Spots like that can get nasty under certain sea conditions as we all know.

The boat flipped some time about 9AM and they were found at 10PM. Thirteen hours in 63 degree water! It is rather remarkable that they were able to survive. They had gasoline burns on their bodies and had swallowed some gas, nauseating them. Two of the three are out of the hospital. The third crew member injured his back in the accident and is still in the hospital recovering from back surgery.

The boat was salvaged. The salvage job cost $2600. The insurance company is going to determine if the boat is worth repairing or is a total loss.

Here is a man who says he will not go to sea again without a personal EPIRB.

There is a physical phenomenon that explains capsizing of a flooded boat called the "free-surface effect." Simply put, the water heads toward the lowest side of the boat, increasing the weight on that side until the gunwale goes under. Sometimes the boat simply floods further until it is awash or it turns turtle. Question? Will boats with "upright flotation" capsize? I have a call in to CG Group YT and hope to have an answer soon.

[CSMarine]

These situations seem to be more common lately. Wonder why? A 20 foot proline is a fairly seaworthy rig. I had a 17 foot once. That thing would take bad water great. Don't think it has a spashwell at the transom does it.

[Rogan]

Could it be the wind and current were moving in different directions and the boat was actually angled into the wind and the wave slapped over the lowest point being the corner of the transom...

[CSMarine]

Don't know the design of this particular boat, but that's one of the dangers of taking a bay boat with a low transom and no splashwell offshore. I understand that can happen in some "unsinkable hulls" as well. Won't sink, but will capsize. I've seen a 21 foot Proline with the flow thru hull hold ankle deep water it seems forever, untill it runs out. My drain holes on my Proline were just above water level. If the inside filled with water, the weight alone would lower the drain holes below the water line.
Don't matter how long or wide the boat, if it ain't designed for offshore, it's good advice to stay in the bay with it.