Scratchie Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 G’day raiders, Had a very eventful day with @Spearer1 The plan was to chase some snapper early then once the sun come up high, go marlin fishing. Started out with a fair lump of swell but managed an ok drift. My mate came up tight to a pannie and the drift start improving. A heap more cast and time to move. As we were making our way to the second spot, we could see a light ahead in the choppy waters. Thinking it was another boat we maintained course and then realised that it wasn’t a light but a flare. We hastily made our way over to find 4 POB’s in the water hanging on to two eskys. All wearing a life jacket. They looked pretty calm but you could tell they had been through an ordeal. We asked “where’s your boat?” To which they replied “down there about 26 meters. So we now, call marine rescue, had to deal with phone calls from NSW Search and Rescue as they had activated their epirb. Lent them a phone to call home. Then we proceeded to take them to Esmeralda Cove to drop them off, so the Westpac rescue chopper could send a paramedic down to access them. And marine rescue was on the way to pick them up! Once we knew all was in place we headed off to continue our fishing. They were very lucky lads and they said their boat went down in only 30 seconds. It was a 2019 Formosa. What saved them was the life cell they had and managed to throw it overboard as they tipped over. It had their epirb and flares which ultimately got our attention. Very lucky lads indeed. We only moved because the fish weren’t biting in one spot and I wanted to show my mate a new area. We pushed on with the day hoping that Karma would return us a marlin but I think every boat other than ours got one! So we left with our tail between our legs but our journey today was obviously not about the fishing! Then on the way home we seen another boat in tow by Marine rescue, who noticed us and gave us a thank call on the way past. Its been a big day and I’m ready for a good sleep! Please be safe on the water raiders and make sure you have all the safety gear. In this instance it saved 4 lives! cheers scratchie!!! 20 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wazatherfisherman Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 Great work Scratchie! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smobaby Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 Well done you have helped to save there lives another big achievement. Shame about the marlin though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big Neil Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 Great write up Scratchie. Thank Heavens you guys got to them, they would have had a much longer time wondering if they were going to be rescued. They were lucky. Cheers, bn 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsswordfisherman Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 Good work Jeff @Scratchie and Adam @Spearer1 Those guys were very lucky. They did have all the most up to date safety gear onboard and deployed the Life cell as they went down. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickmarlin62 Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 Great work jeff doesnt say a lot bout the formosas 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowie Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 Good work there Scratchie. The swell does not look too bad yet, it is on the way tomorrow. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizza Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 You are a Champion.Excellent stuff. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenno64 Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 Great work Scratchie, hope they were all appreciative of your actions! The karma is with you most of the time anyway😁That one will be an interesting insurance claim🤔 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rev Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 Good on you Scratchie. Also - Out of interest and to learn what NOT to do... What caused their boat to sink? The Rev 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GordoRetired Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 Fantastic work Scratchie. 3 people who could have been in a lot of trouble but for you. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingie chaser Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 (edited) Good on you Jeff, I bet you were a sight for sure eyes 👍 Glad the story ended well but still my curious nature gets the better of me. How is it they didn't set if an Epirb, no mayday call & how does a vessel go down in 30 seconds? In sure more details will come out but think it's important for people to know how things like this can happen & so quickly. Very lucky blokes, especially knowing the frequency of white points in that area! Edited January 18, 2021 by kingie chaser 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ribs Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 Wow, U the man bro, 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼add life saver to your credentials mate, don’t worry about the marlin, your good karma will come. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zmk1962 Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 Fantastic job Jeff and Adam. That’s the Raider spirit at full throttle. Those lads would have been ecstatic to see you guys. 👍👍👍 I’m with KC on this raising so many questions - I thought current build craft had to have level floatation to be compliant with codes - esp a 2019 model. cheers Zoran 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 Great work well done. Busy day. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratchie Posted January 18, 2021 Author Share Posted January 18, 2021 Thanks for all the comments raiders. It’s certainly an experience that I’ll never forget. I’m sure you all would have done the same thing if you were in the same position. The fact that these guys were well prepared certainly highlights the need for boating safety on the water and to be prepared for anything. They had a life cell, epirb that they activated and flares. As well as life jackets. Here is a write up by Newcastle Herald.... https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/7089316/lessons-to-be-learnt-four-men-praised-for-carrying-safety-gear-after-boat-sinks-off-hunter-coast/ As for the reason why it sunk is a mystery. I would have thought it would have some floatation required too 🤷♂️🤷♂️ SAFETY SAFETY SAFETY!!! cheers scratchie!!! 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoingFishing Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 Good on ya Jeff for coming to their rescue. So glad it ended well. Im with the boys, scratching my head as to how a 2019 model tub can sink in 30 seconds. The only thing i can think of that would make them sink so fast is a cracked hull. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zmk1962 Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 Again, top job Jeff. The safety and be prepared message is crystal clear. Both be prepared with your safety gear and safety plan, but also as a boatie be prepared and on the lookout for others that may need help. In that vein, I personally yesterday just restocked barrycuda with 8 new AS4758 compliant life jackets. So I now post the below with some caution as I do NOT want to detract from those important messages above or from your and Adam's awesome effort. But regarding the sinking ... I checked and current formosa craft are built with foam filled subfloor floatation ... its one of their selling features. https://www.formosamarineboats.com.au/features/safety-performance/ So for the boat to go down in 30sec, it appears someone has removed this floatation - for what purpose we do not know. But I'm sure formosa and the insurance co will make every effort to have the truth come out. I guess in all that, there is one more important message - and that is that we need to carefully consider the impact of any modifications we make to our boats. Cheers Zoran 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratchie Posted January 18, 2021 Author Share Posted January 18, 2021 @zmk1962and @GoingFishing We were racking our brain all day and surmised that they had cracked the hull or they’ve had a malfunction of their bungs. They definitely didn’t leave the plugs out and they made it from shoal bay to Broughton Island with for people on board and a load of spear gear. Why there was no flotation in the boat is definitely sketchy but that’s not for me to comment. The important message is that they were well prepared for an emergency and they got home safely! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish-aholic Posted January 19, 2021 Share Posted January 19, 2021 You are an Angel sent from God @Scratchie. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M1100S Posted January 19, 2021 Share Posted January 19, 2021 wow what a adventure that was Scratchie So what is everyone's setup with regards to their safety equipment.... aa this has got me thinking about how to set up the new boat. If the boat went down in 30 second then you really have no time to get the epirb out of it is mount if it is mounted somewhere in the cabin especially if you are in a frantic panic. Also on my Surtees i had all the flares etc in a bag stored under one of the bunks up front of the cabin so really buckleys chance of getting these in a rapidly flooding boat.... May need to invest in one of these life cells for the boat... and i am getting myself a PLB which we be attached to myself as well. what other options or how do you folk who go offshore alot have your safety gear stored 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratchie Posted January 19, 2021 Author Share Posted January 19, 2021 30 minutes ago, M1100S said: wow what a adventure that was Scratchie So what is everyone's setup with regards to their safety equipment.... aa this has got me thinking about how to set up the new boat. If the boat went down in 30 second then you really have no time to get the epirb out of it is mount if it is mounted somewhere in the cabin especially if you are in a frantic panic. Also on my Surtees i had all the flares etc in a bag stored under one of the bunks up front of the cabin so really buckleys chance of getting these in a rapidly flooding boat.... May need to invest in one of these life cells for the boat... and i am getting myself a PLB which we be attached to myself as well. what other options or how do you folk who go offshore alot have your safety gear stored Those life cells are amazing. They hold everything you need and are a sort of floatation device themselves. I have looked into them properly yet, only the one I seen first hand. But I will definitely be investing in one! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
back cruncher Posted January 19, 2021 Share Posted January 19, 2021 Hi all....well done Jeff...you always seem to be in the rite place at the rite time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoingFishing Posted January 19, 2021 Share Posted January 19, 2021 56 minutes ago, Scratchie said: Those life cells are amazing. They hold everything you need and are a sort of floatation device themselves. I have looked into them properly yet, only the one I seen first hand. But I will definitely be investing in one! me too...... i have all my safety flares, V sheet etc inside the cabin. Sounds like that needs to change. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsswordfisherman Posted January 19, 2021 Share Posted January 19, 2021 1 hour ago, Scratchie said: Those life cells are amazing. They hold everything you need and are a sort of floatation device themselves. I have looked into them properly yet, only the one I seen first hand. But I will definitely be investing in one! https://www.lifecellmarine.com/trailer-boat Here is the link 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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