v20 seaworthness

[throwback]

Ok can hear the screaming already but Although V20s are great little boats but are marginal as open ocean boats. Twenty foot is twenty foot. Boats have some waek points the windshields are crappy take a hard look the Inboard boats are not selfbailing and at least the early boats have limited floataion. Evan a 1200 gal rule is not much help if your swamped. Also the batteries are prone to getting drowned alsa no pump power. No I am not bashing a fine little boay just suggesting that you don't expect to musch from a 20 footer. Wrote an article last year for Big Game Fishing Magazine about fishing offshore in a small boat included a picture of my 27 footer nda 24 albe in rough weather. Seas were flat all morning blew up around 11am into 7 foot seas. Conditions not foorecast a 20 footer would have been history. MJ was very lucky that another wave did not roll over them or the story would have bbe different. Believe in Murphy I do

[TunaHead]

As I see it, your points are as follows:
1) The V20 has limitations and it's a good idea to be aware of them. (I agree with that.)
2) Your 27 foot boat is safer in rough water than a 20 foot boat. (Ok, I'll buy that too.)
3) "Sh!t happens", and MJ was lucky that things didn't go from bad to worse. (I agree with that as well. Of course the same could be said of anyone who survives an ocean mishap regardless of the size of the vessel involved.)

Congratulations, you are officially a master of the obvious.

[reelapeelin]

I think all of us should be VERY aware our V-20s are just that...20 ...as good as 20 gets, but still...20

But one other consideration is, there's a LIMIT for EVERYTHING THAT FLOATS...history has proven that time and time again ... MJ was luckier than most of the souls aboard the Titanic (considerably larger than our 20s ;))...

Just as commercial boat Captains and Commercial Jet Pilots gain as much information about the conditions awaiting them, we need to do the same ...

[THEFERMANATOR]

As was stated, SH!T HAPPENS!!! I've been 7 miles out in a 14' jon boat with no lights, bilge pumps or NOTHING!(of course I'm not quite right in the head) I've been 50 miles out of MONTAUK on a 43' TORRES in true 6-8 footers and got the SH!T KICKED out of me! It's all a roll of the dice, you never know what's going to happen tommorrow. I've been 50 miles out in an 19' ANGLER bay boat in 8-11 footers and felt more comfortable than another guy out there in a 50 footer due to the wave duration(I was able to ride up and down em, he was hitting the next one before the last one passed). It's luck of the draw. If there's one thing I've learned in life it's that you never know when it's your time, but when it is you CANNOT stop it from happening. So live life, don't live in fear. I'm only 26 but I can't tell you how many times I should have died. I can tell you that ER doctors told me before to say goodbye to my family it would be my last chance, yet here I am today still goin.

[Airslot]

Throwback, what kind of 27'er are you running? ;)

I'll agree that any 20' boat has limitations. I fish many of the same waters as you, out to 20 miles on a regular basis and 38 or so a few times a year when I'm convinced of the weather patern over a few days time and can buddy up, which is most any day.

MJ was a victim more of a rogue wave as much as rough seas. He would have been fine all morning in 3-4, if not a bit uncomfortable.

[msbhammer]

In the End, Mother nature Rules.

[charlie_the_tuna]

oh hamster, you're so gay.

Originally Posted by throwback

Ok can hear the screaming already but Although V20s are great little boats but are marginal as open ocean boats. Twenty foot is twenty foot. Boats have some waek points the windshields are crappy take a hard look the Inboard boats are not selfbailing and at least the early boats have limited floataion. Evan a 1200 gal rule is not much help if your swamped. Also the batteries are prone to getting drowned alsa no pump power. No I am not bashing a fine little boay just suggesting that you don't expect to musch from a 20 footer. Wrote an article last year for Big Game Fishing Magazine about fishing offshore in a small boat included a picture of my 27 footer nda 24 albe in rough weather. Seas were flat all morning blew up around 11am *into 7 foot seas. *Conditions not foorecast a 20 footer would have been history. MJ was very lucky that another wave did not roll over them or the story would have bbe different. Believe in Murphy I do *

Hmmm. First off, I think you mean SEAWORTHYNESS. Secondly, 30 knot winds with 7 footers breaking over the bow of my v-20? Sounds like a normal winter day off of Wasaw Sound here. ;)

Marginal as open ocean boats? ?!? I would have to say your open water experience in a v-20 is very limted then. To say a 27 footer is going to be more seaworthy than a 20 footer is like saying, "you know, that water stuff sure is wet." And to say a v-20 is a "marginal" open water boat just means you have never spent much, if any time on a v-20 on the open water.

What happened to MJ was a freak accident. And, surely does not reflect on the seaworthyness of his boat. I think it's a testament to the toughness of the hull and the skill of the captain that he made it back.


Besides, if he had been in a Mako or Grady he probably would have been swimming. ;) ;) ;) ;D

[msbhammer]

CBE, just looked at your V. Sweet. ;)
You have a gallery ?.

not yet hammer. I need to start one up.
I have her all torn apart right now. Tryin to get the transom done, but it's raining buckets here lately. So not much work gettin done.