Fishing Offshore In A Flats Boat (With Flats Fishing Gear)

I have been fishing offshore for years and at one time I dabbled in the charter business. Still have my USCG 100 ton license. Some things concerning safety needed to be added to this video. I have assisted in more than one offshore rescue scenario and things can get crazy out there quickly, even in a bigger boat. Any boat leaving site of land should have or do the following:

1) Functional VHF radio. A hand held is better than nothing but they work on line of sight so the Coast Guard may hear you but you wont be able to hear them. I have been the relay between a vessel with a poor VHF and the USCG before. There will be a protocol that involves communication from both parties. Get the tallest antennae you can reasonably put on your boat.
2) Back up GPS. My neighbor had an incident last week where their chart plotter quit and they almost didn’t find port. They had no back up. There are numerous apps you can get on your phone such as Inavix, Active Captain and Navionics. Have at least 2 separate GPS devices on board.
3) Ditch bag with supplies in case you get stranded. The sun is hot and dehydration and/or hypothermia can happen fast. You can find lists online of suggested items to include.
4) Follow the 1/3 out, 1/3 in and 1/3 reserve fuel rule. Know your burn and range. You need the extra 1/3 in case something happens such as a storm or getting lost where you cannot directly return to your port.
5) Be overly cautious of the weather. Numerous times I have seen the forecast say 1 foot or less and a storm pop up and turn that accurate forecast to six footers. Spring, Winter & Fall are not as bad as Summer but anything is possible. Radar, even the XM is helpful. I have used radar to run around cells to stay in calmer water. Radar is also a lifesaver if fog moves in on you.
6) Fishing the oil rig areas in a small boat requires you to always be on the look out for rogue waves from a crew boat. They are typically 3-4′ high and can travel for miles on a slick day. Had one break over my 17′ skiff one time and the only thing that saved me was seeing it and getting the bow turned into it with engine on before it hit me. Would have rolled me over had it hit me sideways. These boats are a daily routine in areas with oil rigs.
7) Consider an EPIRB.
8) Make sure you have an anchor with plenty of rode. If seas turn bad and the engine quits you will be at the mercy of the sea if you cannot anchor. You want your bow to the waves in most cases and the anchor will accomplish this.
9) Double check all your safety gear and fire extinguishers, bilge pumps, etc. I have been in a boat with an engine fire offshore and it is not fun. Also, and I am guilty of not doing this as I should, check your hoses going to anything below the water line. 17 miles offshore I picked up 5 people off a 23′ boat that had 9 total on it. A bigger boat sunk due to a hose breaking or coming loose off the smaller boat picked them up. USCG called for assistance as they were having trouble making it in with 2′ seas due to the number of people. I happened to be in the area. Had that boat not had a VHF they would have probably lost two boats that day.
10) Consider buddy boating for just as the reason above. Don’t let it make the go/no go decision but it does provide redundancy.
11) Consider buying a Goo Loo or similar battery booster. Often I leave my engine idling instead.
12) Lifejackets, flares, etc. are required for a reason. Make sure you have them.

I go 15 miles offshore in my 20′ center console but I have all the equipment mentioned above and watch the weather closely. Not trying to discourage anyone from heading offshore but I see so many boats, mostly small, operating in unsafe conditions offshore. Saw at least 3 boats in the fog Saturday about 15 miles out. I was in my 55 footer and none of them had on their nav lights, had radar or were operating the required fog signals. Lucky for them I saw them on radar but I think one of them had to clean their pants when my boat appeared out of the fog less than 200′ away. It was flat calm but still unsafe to be out without proper equipment. End of rant but I hope it helps someone avoid becoming a statistic. Remember Gilligan’s Island was discovered on a 3 hour tour.