Quote:
Originally Posted by Oblio13
I can envision looking at GPS as being a factor, too, as they navigated near that tangle of markers between Bear and Pine. I certainly look at mine going through there, even in daylight.
It was dark, and the backgrounds of nearby islands were dark. It was cold, so they were likely huddled behind windshields. They each probably thought that they were the only boat on the lake. They were both probably referencing GPS overlays or apps.
Most accidents are not due to a single cause, but rather to a chain of events that could be interrupted at several points. Environmental factors, complacency, distractions, etc.
There are things to analyze and learn from this tragedy.
Great pic of a classic, BTW.
|
Those guys had been boating on the lake well before GPS even existed. They don't need one. Hell I don't need one, and I've only been out there for 8 years and driven through there hundreds if not a thousand times. That is not a difficult once you're used to it. Plus the Bear Island Post Office has a light on at the dock at night 24X7 year round that does a pretty good job of identifying where the gap is.
Everyone who has been there enough knows the only hazards to worry about in there is staying far enough away from the Pine Island and cutting out wide of the NW point of Bear. Those markers in the middle are for the mail boat and the mount. Shallowest point in there is maybe 8 foot deep.