* Ed Gordon wrote, On 6/10/2007 7:06 PM:
Jeff wrote in
....
My issue with this situation is that the boat is marketed to novices,
yet requires extra attention to issues that are found on very few
other boats.



Well, then maybe they should sit down and read the owner's manual. What
do you expect? a warning sticker plastered on every part of the boat? No
matter how hard you try to think of how people can screw up people can
always screw up worse than you think they can. If you had a warning that
said don't get drunk and operate this boat, don't put more than six
people in it, and so forth you'd just get ignored. If you don't count
the little kids you end up with eight adults. That's still two too many.

You miss the important issue here. There are very few other boats
that would have capsized in this situation. If this had been a keel
boat, or if the ballast tank were filled, or if it didn't have a 50hp
engine, there would not have been a problem.



Would you blame an airplane that crashed because it said it was for four
passengers and they crammed eight people in it?

The people were not "crammed" onto the Mac. I'm sure that they felt
there was plenty of room. A Rhodes 19 would be "crammed," but not a
16 footer.

Nope. That would be
pilot error. So don't blame the Mac. If you built a boat that was idiot
proof it'd be a square room with rubber walls firmly stuck to the
ground.

Sorry. I prefer boats that do not suddenly roll over when there is no
wind or waves.