Mud hole

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by Capt Sal Cathy Sea Charters

First go out with to the mud hole with an experienced capt. Radar,gps and chart plotter are a must. Being inexperienced and bringing less experienced people with you is not a good idea. People panic very quickly when the slightest thing goes wrong. When the weather is good it is no big deal so pick your day.

Funny story along these lines.... Decided to take the boat down from Sandy Hook to Barnegat for a long weekend. The wife and a friend and his wife wanted to take the ride down with me on the boat. A nice sunny day when we stated out but it got a little nasty when we got down around Deal. Nothing bad but it got breezy out of the south, had a small storm come through and we'd stuff the bow, get the curtains wet and took some spray over the top every so often....

Not being boaters you would have thought from their reaction we were in the perfect storm.... My wife (and you'd have to know her to fully appreciate this) tends to over react a bit from time to time. She's been out with me several times but never when the ocean was rough.. She starts screaming "We are all going to die !!" The other couples eyes got wide and their faces turned white with fear and they too were now screaming and scared to death.

After about 10 minutes of this I couldn't take it any more.... I slowed the boat down and had to sober them up... "Listen" I said sternly as I could.. "You guys have to get a hold of yourselves ... We are fine, the boat is not going to sink but I have to concentrate here and you are not helping matters. Sit down, shut up on and hold on".

They did and we were fine. We never were in any danger but if I had not had the time in and the confidence that went along with it, I too may have panicked and when you panic, you tend to do stupid things.

As the old saying goes.... "It's not the ship, it's the Captain".

I'd rather be out in a 20 foot boat with a good seasoned and confident Captain, then on a 30 foot boat with someone who does not have the experience or confidence.