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Those with open boats, be sure to have plenty of positive flotation, especially up high to keep the boat upright and recoverable when you take a sea on board. And you will take a sea onboard.
Just last weekend here in NE Florida, five men went fishing offshore and took a sea on board. Three of them survived 14 hours in the water (with life jackets) and were found by the CG the next day. Two are missing and presumed dead. The three survivors dove down to the foundering boat and got the life jackets before it sank all the way then started swimming for shore (I don't know how far offshore they were). When they got tired they cuddled for warmth and fended off the small sharks that kept bumping them by hitting the sharks. They were afraid if a small shark bit them the blood would attract the big sharks. They also said that they felt that if they kept swimming the sharks would be less likely to attack.
If their boat was built to survive a sea sweeping the boat and filling it they would have had no problem. Many of these small fishing boats are built that way. I have seen many small (1, 2, and 3 man) commercial fishing boats up north built with no transom, like a pickup truck, with the deck and deckhouse forward watertight. When a sea comes aboard it just drains out the back immediately.
Norm
S/V Bandersnatch
Lying 30 07.7N 081 39.6W
Julington Creek Estuary FL
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