grieving, i'm sorry for your loss. the point of my post was more about learning from the incident than assigning blame. i can see how what i wrote might have come across as blaming the victim, and while i wrote them, the intent was not there. i have been out in those bad weather circumstances and i know how f'ing terrible it feels. i could have been the one in the paper and being discussed on the internet, and you know what... no matter how much i wish it wasn't, it would have been 100% my fault for going out, and ignoring all the warning signs. when the big charters wonder what the hell you're doing out there, that's a sign (guilty more than once). just wanted to let everyone know that i was just as lucky as those who made it back from this storm. those that live learn a lesson that could never be taught anywhere else.

i stand by what i said about setting the seasons... and for those who criticized my post for bringing up halibut derbies... you can stick it where the sun don't shine. read the thread title, then read the links to the news articles. there was a halibut derby going on... right?

and while this might create a few more negative posts directed at me, so be it. small boats are dangerous when you are 20-45 miles out in the ocean. while bad stuff can happen to larger boats... many of the small boats just are not capable of the seas that can come up when so far out.

i stand by everything i stated about small boaters that i saw being careless with their lives out in the ocean. if one life can be saved by candid discussions, it'll be worth it.