'No Worries' Vessel Lives Up to Its Name Thanks to Revere Products on Board in Florida Panhandle Sinking
November 13, 2010…the day No Worries became No More.
No Worries was a 31’ Fountain CC with twin Mercury 250xs’s, my baby! People spend months, even years, trying to name their boat. For me it was simple. The only time I was at peace and without stress was when I was on my boat. So for me, the name came easy!
I was recently introduced to night fishing and it quickly became an addiction. My wife hated the idea of me traveling up to 60 miles offshore at night and persuaded me to buy a life raft and EPRIB. Like so many fishermen, I reasoned that there was no need to spend the money as I had plenty experience offshore and I had one of the best boats one could have…there was nothing to worry about. But with a three year old and one on the way, she won the argument…and I am glad she did! This was my second trip with the raft and EPIRB…
November 13, 2010 started out like any other normal fishing day. My father Larry Hendricks, Jason Gordy, Matt Dale, and myself were out to relax and fill the fish box. We boarded, got bait, and by 8:30 were headed out of Keaton Beach to some great snapper and grouper numbers. The seas were a little sloppy on the way out but not too bad. We took our time and made the ride as comfortable as we could in a solid 4’ head sea.
We got to the first spot 33 miles out and found no action, so we trolled plugs to another number. We found some bottom and dropped the hook. The first set was not successful because of the seas and current, we needed to try it again. We dropped the hook and came tight and the bottom machine lit up. I told the guys to fire down and Jason Gordy immediately hooks a beast! He fights it to the surface and we see it is a 50-plus cobia. The cobe gets tangled in Matt’s and my dad’s lines, so I grab one of the rods and head to the back of the boat to do that dance that we do to untangle the mess. As I turn towards the back of the boat I freeze and then shout “we are sinking!!!” Everyone looks at me like I am crazy and then they see what I am talking about…both motors are half way under water and the deck is filling up!
In a split second my safety plan that I had rehearsed a thousand times was put into action. “Dad, go cut the anchor rope! Matt, grab the life jackets” (anyone fishing without an automatic pfd on at all times is a fool)! Gordy, grab the big yellow bags in the console (that would be the ditch bag and the life raft under all of the clothes and gear…not a smart place to have it)! I grabbed the mic and hailed the CG. I told my dad to grab the wheel, keep the throttles full and the bow into the seas. We could only make about a knot or two because the boat was so heavy with water, but it was enough forward motion to keep us from capsizing. The next action was to get Gordy and Matt each a five-gallon bucket so they could get to work, and man did they! Those two guys bailed as hard as they could giving me time to communicate with the CG and ready the raft and other safety equipment. In short order we were overtaken by the water and one of the motors cut off. It was time to get out!!! I don’t care how many times a captain rehearses for moment, actually doing it is a crazy experience!!! I put the raft in the water, threw in the ditch bag, and had everyone get in. I relayed our position a final time and dove into the raft myself. It took less than two minutes for the boat to roll and then she was gone. Laying there in the raft watching my boat go down was a feeling that I just cannot describe. With so many thoughts racing through my mind, all I could really focus on was my family and how lucky I was to have such a demanding wife. Had she not have been so persistent in me buying the life raft and EPIRB, we would be floating in a very cold ocean!
We were picked up by a fellow fisherman who heard our distress calls and they went way out of their way to take good care of us.
As someone who always thought that “this will never happen to me”, I can tell you that when it does, you had better be prepared. A safety plan and the right safety equipment is a must! When tragedy strikes, there is not any time for hesitation. Even with all of the right gear and with a well rehearsed safety plan, I was not prepared. It all happens so quick… there simply is not time to figure out what you are going to take when you abandon your ship. Be prepared for the worst imaginable situation and be prepared to step off of your boat with everything you need in less than a minute.
In making a decision to purchase the proper safety equipment, I spent considerable time researching all of the brands and options available. I visited Revere’s facility and they took time to give me a tour and answer all of my questions. I can tell you from first-hand experience that Revere offers products that saves lives!
-Jason Hendricks, Captain/Owner of No Worries