On Apr 4, 3:03 pm, "Roger Long" wrote:
wrote

As far a sleeping on the wheel watch goes, that's a capitol offence.
Anyone on any boat I've ever ran found sleeping on watch was sent
below to pack his bag.

Yes, but if it should happen, I would rather be yelling at them on a
floating boat than on one pounding on a reef or screaming from the dinghy
watching your boat pound apart.

I friend running a 220 fter in the Gulf was below making out with the
cook. The mate fell asleep with the auto pilot on. They crashed into a
oilfield production platform with living quarters and sheered the
platform off it's legs. They were near the seabouy off the Atchafalaya
river . They brought the platform with crew into the dock. More
tonnage on top of the wheelhouse than the boat was certified to carry
on deck. No need to yell, the mate was in the corner of the wheelhouse
crying, his career was over. If anyone here as attended Houston Marine
(http://www.houstonmarine.com/) for your USCG exam prep, you can see a
picture of the boat with the rig on top hanging on the wall in the
hallway. IIRC It was the MV State Diamond.


Joe