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Eight rescued from harbor island after boat starts smoking, taking on water

WBZ reports on the overnight rescue from Rainsford Island.

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Comments

They keep mentioning the cell phone with 15% battery used to call 911. Where was their radio?

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" Where was their radio?"

Had a Justin Beiber CD stuck in it.

Glad they're OK and didn't wind up marooned on Rainsford. The Ghost Coyote of Rainsford Island would probably get them.

But really, it's theoretically possible to check boat engine stuff beforehand. Does sound like the engine overheated and blew a hose. Somehow the salt/fresh system failed, hello ocean. If it's a salt water cooled block, then, well, send the friend you like the least to close the seacock.

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Remember the USA VS. CANADA LOSER KEEPS BIEBER billboard on 93 before their Olympic hockey game in 2014?

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(that's a clue someone is about to say something pedantic and boring), a cell phone is a radio.

Probably doesn't meet marine requirements, though.

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I did not think it was necessary for me to specify VHF radio.

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Just sayin'...

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.
It might meet Marine requirements, but it doesn't meet Coast Guard requirements.
[running]

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Recreational vessels less than 20m long are not required to have a VHF: https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=mtWatch

But if you have one, you have to have it turned on and monitoring channel 16 at all times.

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That doesn't make sense. What if you're not required to have one, but you have one, but it's broken? What if you have 95% of the parts of one?

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I'm also glad they are ok but eight people on a 24' is a lot, especially at 2 am.

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Is that what you do? I've heard you say you were a police officer.

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Federal Law requires a boat capacity plate at the helm and 8 people would usually be the maximum for a 24'. The police and/or USCG could end the voyage and issue a ticket if overcapacity.

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22 foot Boston Whaler

IMAGE(https://garzonstudio.com/i/Boat-capacity-plate-decal-replica.jpg)

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But, maybe they shouldn't have been there at 2 PM...

Anyone on board have US Power Squadron training? Was there a USCG courtesy inspection sticker? (Clue...courtesy. They WANT to just give it a once over for your safety.) Proper CG approved PFDs? Emergency signaling devices? Any type of navigational aids like charts (hey paper is fine)? Any of the most basic knowledge necessary to get back to the mooring alive?

If you refuel and you don't run the bilge blowers, you're asking for an explosion the moment you hit the starter button.
Was there any seasonal work done? Basic cleaning, de-gunking, filters and fluids? No matter what happened, the boat shouldn't just get 'smoky' and 'sinky' at the same time.
My earlier joke about the seacock was only half a joke. If you don't know what you're doing out there, you're putting lives at risk.
Not just your own. What if something goes wrong right when Sea Tow (or USCG or whomever) pulls up next to you?

Oh, a cell phone is not an approved signaling device.

Remember the old saying..."The sea can suck sometimes".

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They were pulled off of the island at 2am. They may have been delayed returning due to the mechanical problems, and then it took time to get to them.

8 people in that boat is okay.

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...I said 2 PM because I meant 2 PM. It's not a typo.

Boats that size have made it across the Caribbean with way more than eight people. It's not the occupancy load that I question here, it's the fundamental soundness of their trip.
PFDs for everyone? A foghorn? Radio? (Even a portable (handheld) would be fine in the harbor). Basic knowledge of how a friggin boat works?

8 people in a boat is not OK if it's drifting powerless in the President Roads shipping lanes. Yes, they can disappear within sight of land.

Another famous saying, "The ocean can be really kind of an asshole at times."

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"The North Atlantic does not coddle fools or the ill-prepared."

And if you're foolish enough, or ill-prepared enough, Boston Harbor may as well be the North Atlantic.

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They were probably within the max persons boat capacity, 8 is less than 9.
http://www.boatsafe.com/kids/599kidsques.htm

We were not there. I must have been scary. It is being investigated by people who know more that us.

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... have to do with anything?

It was still in the 80s last night at that time. They also may have planned to be in sooner, but ...

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I'm not judging them and glad they made it to Rainsford, it's just the chances of getting help are much better during the day if they had sunk. Many more boats operating during the day than at 2 am. I'm pretty sure the USCG and police/fire bed down overnight unless called.

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Because operating a vessel of that size requires exactly zero training or certification in Massachusetts. It's bad enough when anyone with enough money can go out on the water without even knowing what the channel markers mean in daytime. Navigating at night can be trickier.

Now I'm not necessarily saying that's the case with these boaters. Bad luck happens. But the time of day is not exactly insignificant. And why is the cell battery on 15% a detail that's even mentioned? A boat of that size should have a VHF.

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