Bellyup SeaCraft in Fort Lauderdale

[FELLOW-SHIP]

I read this story today on another sight.

Looks like one or ours. I don’t know who owns it but here is the story. In another story it was confirmed a SeaCraft.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../sunk_boat.jpg



It Started out Friday afternoon with a top notch crew. Tony (2nd Chance),
Ray (Dragon Baits) and myself GENERALturtle. We cleared PE around 5:00, and made quick work of getting bait on one of the ships anchored up. Decided to run until we were loosing light and ended up setting up on the 00. Set out the spread and drifted for awhile with no bites. Just after 8:30 the tip rod with a runner goes off and I'm on a decent fish, As soon as I get harnessed in, I can feel the fish start to unwind himself and he is gone. Reel up the runner not even touched and still kicking. I figured he never had it, just got lasoed... Soon after Ray is hooked up with another decent fish but Tony decides he wants to hear the clicker and walks over and switches it on...Just that second, Fish is Gone!...
When we reel up the leader, we notice the hook broke right at the bend .
Oh Well... Maybe it is better cause we decide to run back and reset. Just as we get up on plane Tony and Ray see the Flare. I run to the bow and Ray gets on channel 16 while Tony changes course for the area. In about 3-4 mins we think we are close. Then we see another 2 flares 300yds dead ahead. We notice another boat responded from NE. It was hard to locate them out there in the dark but we did. None of the 3 men we injured just hanging on the the upside down boat. The vessel HOOKED UP threw a rope to the men one by one and they boarded his vessel. Hooked Up's radio was not working so well, so we relayed the informatin to the coasties. After about 20-30 mins Sea Tow arrived and grabbed the boat and the 3 men. Three other boats did respond, One of them was FINICKY and the two other I didn't remember the names. I'm glad we were close enough to help and everyone did there part. Thanks to HOOKED UP, TEAM 2nd CHANCE, THE USCG, FINICKY, SEW TOW and the three other boats. Everyone did a great job.
Wait!!!! One more thing! SAVE THE BEER !!!! We passed thier cooler on the way and decided to retrieve it for them. We find it floating full of beer and soda. We each take a beer out and toast to a job well done. Then we return it to the rightfull owners.....
So now it's time to get back to fishing! We run about a mile south of the area and set up our spread. About 30 mins later my brand new tigra 50w (thanks Tek) 200' live runner w/ disco starts screaming....... I'm tight and Tony and Ray clear the baits faster than I have ever seen. I'm super low on line so we start up and give chase. I get back to my topshot and so starts the 3 1/2 hour tug of war. This fish was working my skinny butt and 90 mins into the fight the rod belt splits down the middle, damn!!!! 90 mins after that I'm beat to hell. My hands swollen and cramping, My gut with black and blue poka dots and my arms about fall off. I decide to pass the Rod to Ray to finish off the last 100'. With the new energy from Ray the fish is boatside in 10 mins. I grab the leader and wire him into range for Tony to stick him with the Swordslasher Harpoon.... It's takes us about 30 mins to get him over the gunnel and celebrate with a high five and start our 30 mile run back to port. He taped out at 81'' with a 53'' girth...300#er? I think very close if not....
Man what a nite! Helping out the 3 men was the highlight of the nite, catching the fish was just a bonus. Can't wait to get out there again. What I was reminded from tonight is that your equimpment should always be ready for whatever may come. Whether it be your flares, lifejackets and epirbs or your rods, reels and terminal tackle. Make sure you are ready for the nite when all that stuff makes the differance......
Thanks Tony and Ray! We are a awesome team!
Here is the fish picture

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...E/boat_ray.jpg

FellowShip

[Ikan Besar]

It'd be nice to hear from those that were on the belllyup boat...

[ScottM]

Stinks for the SC crew (glad to hear they're okay), but that's a sweet swordie!!

[edloh]

it looks like our 23' boats are fond of flipping over. Currently, if the boat becomes unstable, it will lean on one side soon water will fill in between the liner and side, eventually it will flip over once this floatation is gone. i noticed that we could keep out boat from flipping over if we would to fill the cavity between the inner liner and the side of the hull with close cell foam. this could be accomplish by drilling and filling the side with foam prior to a restoration work. this extra floatation on the side of the boat will keep the boat from flipping over if for some reason the boat is swamp with water. at most it water would come to the deck level. sound like a cheap insurance to me. plan to do this on mine when i restore it.

[JohnB]

I have a big hardtop on my boat which tends to make the center of gravity higher than I would like sometimes. Especially, with a light gas/ice load. These boats will flip, or nose into a wake if you catch it wrong.

There also seems to be a trend down here in Florida of people running boats very fast out in the ocean, especially at night. I have hit some stuff out there in the gulf stream that you wouldn't believe, including a playschool swingset last month, just under the surface. I am glad to hear that everyone was ok, but I would like to know the circumstances that lead up to this.

[EVERGREEN]

I was a first hand witness to a 20-SF that rolled at the dock. It belongs to a friend of mine who left plugs in the scuppers and it swamped after a heavy rain. It was hanging from the dock lines and when one broke it rolled over despite our best efforts to try and hold it upright.

I know that the Coast Guard requires all boats built today to have the capability to float upright and level when swamped. I would be interested in finding out if any of the older boats have this capability.

[edloh]

Egreen,

don't remember when the requirement to flow-up right came into effect. what i did remember reading is that the boat must stay afloat with the plugs removed. i don't see how the seacraft can stay upright without any floatation on the side/bottom of the boat. i found some 2 part close cell polyurethane foam than can be injected into our boats, silimar to what Boston whaler uses. This should keep it from flipping over in the even that it is swamped.

[Tarpun]

My 1981 20MA has foam from front to back under the gunnels. I don't know if it came that way from the factory or was added by a previous owner.

[PipeDreamsMarine]

I just want to point out... that boat hit something.. so don't blame the boat..

[FELLOW-SHIP]

I didn’t here much on this one other than they were taking on water, battery died and the bilge pump did not work. It sounded like poor maintains but I could be wrong.
FellowShip [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]