Jupiter inlet incident

[jwclbi]

Anybody see the email and photos of the large sport boat in jupiter inlet where captain fell off the boat and passed? It is pretty scary, boat safely folks.

[DonV]

Yeah....very scary!!! Just unbelievable, can even happen to an experienced captain.

[uncleboo]

That was awful! My heart goes out to his family. Just goes to show how a great day can go bad quickly!

[Bushwacker]

There is a reason there are no marker bouys in Jupiter Inlet . . . the channel moves around so often that it's strictly a "Local Knowledge Required" inlet!

Here are some interesting comments on that e-mail I got from my friend that owned the Moesly 21 "Unohu":

". . . Having traversed Jupiter Inlet more times than I could count – starting from 1961 – in my little 21 ft. SeaCraft and NEVER took water over the bow of that boat! – NOT EVER ! – From observing the slide show, I believe I know what may have occurred.

The FIRST thing one must have in his boat traversing Jupiter Inlet is RESPECT ! – for the Inlet, that is.—USCG will NOT use it unless it is a matter of life or death. (Their sworn Duty.)

Next, he needs either to ask a RELIABLE old timer where the “hole” is that day.

Better yet, he needs to slow speed as he approaches exit of the Inlet, look carefully at WHERE the rollers are SMALLEST or non-- existent. – THAT location is known by us locals as “The Hole” on ANY given day – because the dang thing can “shift” even while you have been outside only a couple of hours.

Proceed out the place where the rollers are “leastest” and memorize that “HOLE” location relative to the mouth of the Inlet.

When you come back in, watch for other boats exiting the Inlet, observing and evaluating their performance and situations.

Moreover, scan the rollers again to see if the Hole has shifted or if you see a better HOLE.

One MUST know his “water colors” at this place or at MOST places in navigating boats. STAY away from any but GREEN or BLUE water, if possible. Jupiter Inlet usually (not always!) has a sand bar right across the middle. Sand bars are kinda’ yellowish white and if there is a “sea” running, there will be BIG ROLLERS ! – and the shallow water will “grab” your keel and you WILL broach, even capsize!

Since the skipper was purported to have been experienced with Jupiter Inlet, one would expect he knew ALL of what I have written.

n But, he had BIG ROLLERS & following sea, making me suspect he was not at the HOLE. Without better view can’t call that one.
n If he was not going thru the HOLE, he would probably run aground, stall and broach for sure.
n His prop could have fouled (and thereby stalled) on a fishing net, rope, ????
n He may have been trying to “prove” something – like a bet ???? – by NOT going thru the HOLE.
n His engine(s) may have stalled, making him broach for sure in a following sea of that height.
n He may have been “throwed” out of his seat, reaching for a CELL or ???. – Happened to my little wife, Beth, in that Inlet one day.
n The HOLE – MOST of the time (NOT ALWAYS) was south of the Inlet. So we would proceed southward, inside the breakers, really close to shore, but in green water. When we reached the 2nd Life Guard Station, that was usually where the HOLE was. We would then make a hard turn to port and proceed out thru the BEST water in the Inlet zone with no more than a few splashes going into a sea of REASONABLE height. – BUTT ! – There WERE daze we just said: “Uh—Oh – Not today. Neptune is pouting.”
n Big cruisers like that one would have difficulty sweeping south close to shore without striking “ground.” So, I cannot judge him without having been able to see the whole situation. Jupiter Inlet has KILLED lotsa’ folks. – It demands and deserves RESPECT !" . . . from the skipper of the "Unohu".

[Basspond]

Jupiter Inlet has KILLED lotsa’ folks.

Including the Capt. in question... RIP.

[jason555]

I was at the inlet that day to observe the waves and saw the whole incident take place. It was the day after the hurricane had passed at sea skies were clear and sunnny but the waves were huge. A group of us on the jetty saw this sportfish coming towards the inlet and commented as we watched the waves break across the inlet, that he would have to be real careful coming back in. We watched as he came up over the back of a huge cresting wave and thought all was going to be fine as he looked like he was going to ride the wave in. But he instead went over the front, maybe just a bit too much power, and the wave which was now following him shoved the bow down on the front of the wave. Problem appeared that he was not coming straight into the inlet and he was approaching slightly from the south east. We surmised that he started to turn a bit to the starboard to line up with the inlet. At this point the boat violently hooked to the starboard and layed down that tower almost flat with the water. Assuming he was piloting from the flybridge the centrifugal force throwing him from his seat was probably overwhelming with one hand on the wheel and one on the throttles. We saw something fall out the port stern area and we immediately agreed that someone had fallen out. Within a few minutes a boat and lifeguards ventured out and they retrieved the person and performed CPR all the way in the inlet as thet passed us on the jetty. Marine patrol went out and intercepeted the boat and it appeared escorted them back to Palm Beach Inlet. Just watching that left a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach for the rest of the day.
I have always had the utmost respect for that inlet but more respect for the worst condition of all and that is a following sea. My 23 CC has a great flare on the front but the weakness in all of these boats are the low transoms where a following sea will sink it real quick.
Pictures on link below.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/ma...in-896503.html

[jwclbi]

I have run that inlet a few times in years living down there, but when I saw those photos I was amazed that boat recovered! Horrible to see the captain being thrown off the bridge like that. How long did it take for someone to get to the helm?

[jason555]

We never saw anybody on the flybridge, I assume he was piloting from the bridge and the centrifugal force caused by the boat hooking must have overwhwlmed his grip on the wheel and throttles. The boat righted itself and continued back out to sea and I can only assume someone grabbed the controls from the salon. Only an assumption on this point though.

[JohnB]

We heard about this all the way up in Central FL.
Prayers out to his family.

I lost power coming in Sebastian Inlet (close second to Jupiter on the sphincter scale) and almost lost my 23'. That is what convinced me to fill in the transom and go to a bracket. Cut out transoms can be dangerous if something goes wrong.

[Fr. Frank]

Like many captains who have used Jupiter extensively, i have great respect. There's a reason it was named as one of the 10 most dangerous inlets in the United States.(#8) Denny's post is absolutely right on. When I used to run the inlet going out, if there was any kind of break at all, I would circle two or three times well inside the mouth of the inlet while scanning the bar to make sure I had the best hole spotted, before running out.
Coming back in, I would approach very close to the shore, outside the inner break, so I could once again spot the hole. I would then head out until I could make a good safe turn to the hole.
With care, and good local knowledge, you can run Jupiter in most conditions with a fairly good sized boat. I was 16 and deck crew on the Anheuser yacht TICA when Capt. Lopez ran in Jupiter in 6'-8' seas, and she was an 81' wooden-hulled Broward FDMY.
On the other hand, I watched a 54' Ocean slam her running gear and props into the bottom trying to run straight in. She fell off the back of the wave and bottomed out in the trough. Were it not for a strong flood tide she would undoubtedly have broached. She drifted in on the current and then anchored in the eddy just inside the narrows. (She refused my offer of a tow, however.)
I have several times made the decision to run south to Lake Worth inlet because I thought Jupiter unsafe for any boat and any captain regardless of local knowledge.
And Boynton Beach Inlet was #4 on the 10 most dangerous list. (Boca Raton was #10) Three of the potentially most dangerous inlets in the USA (as of the mid 80's) are in Palm Beach County