Boat Incident

[safeboater]

There was a boat that sank off the coast of San Mateo, six people were hospitalized after there 19 foot boat capsized, Six Hospitalized After Boat Overturns Off San Mateo Coast - News Story - KTVU San Francisco[/url] for the whole story. Make sure you take precautions when boating.

[RogerD]

It says it was a "Runabout" - that's a power boat, right? Glad everyone was rescued - hope everyone recovers OK.

Do small powerboats like that often go out in the Pacific like that? I can imagine the surf could be quite an issue 300 yards out like that.

I'm still new at this and 3 ft. waves in Lake Michigan still look huge to me - never mind California surf!

[hump180]

Reminiscent of the Florida accident involving the football players that capsized in the 19' whaler earlier this year.

[meuritt]

To answer the question, yes lots of folks go out into the great blue Pacific in tiny boats for fishing. On the local kayak list we have been regaled with stories of kayakers aiding swimmers who used to be boaters. in one incident the kayaker was picking the barely surviving swimmer off the jetty, I think it was off Half Moon Bay. The CG couldn't get in that close to the break surf.

[GeorgeB]

I had to look this up. They apparently came to grief between Mavericks and Pt. Montero. Unfortunately, they aren’t the first family to wreck on this particular piece of coastline. The launch ramp is inside of the Pillar Pt. harbor which is well protected and has a southerly exposure. Our summer wind pattern is from the North West. Mornings are fairly mild, luring the newbie’s to turn north and fish along the reef. When the fog backs off and the wind fills in, the waves can build quickly and with the close proximity to Pt. Montero, refracts them and those confused seas are dangerous to small boats. In those conditions I go all the way out to the Pillar Pt. Buoy before turning north and it still is quite bumpy.