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Chuck Hannaford.
I am the proud owner of an 07 Cougar FTD. Let me be clear from the onset that I am in no way complaining about my Basscat boat by posting this message. I absolutely love my boat and wouldnt have anything but a Basscat boat. This past Saturday, me and my partner were fishing the first tounament of the year. About a mile and a half from blast off, I hit some freakish waves that were caused by a boat up ahead blowing an engine and turning to get out of the way and the wake of the boat I was following. I was trimmed up pretty good and running about 70 mph when I hit the waves. My boat turned hard right after hitting the waves, and I could not hold it after it grabbed. Me and my partner were thrown out of the left hand side of the boat in what seemed like the blink of any eye. Thanks be to God, neither of us were injured seriously. My partner hit his leg on the side of the boat going out and badly bruised his leg, but otherwise we were good. I could go on and on about what I think happened and how bad this wreck could have been. All I want to get across is how important it is that we wear our kill switches and life vest. If I hadnt been wearing my kill switch, this accident could have gotten really ugly. There is no doubt that me and my partner would have had a hard time swimming with all the clothes we were wearing, so the Basscat life jackets certainly prevented us from drowning after we were thrown overboard. Me and my partner both have wives and children Tournament fishing is our passion, but nothing means more to us than our families. I was not driving careless or reckless. I can not imagine having to live with myself or face his family if my partner had been seriously injured or killed. Please be careful guys and wear/hook up your safety equipment. Like it or not, sometimes accidents just happen.
No doubt we have frequently cautioned folks to wear their life vests and use those safety lanyards. It is a practice we should all follow. As we push speeds that many have never pushed before, and these newer 250 engines also push things faster than we have ever had easy access to before. There are more 250s than ever, and some also have huge potential. For knowledge of things, the 20 hull you have was run from 1996 Jaguars, through the 2007 20 models. All Jaguar, Cougar and Cougar FTD models have shared that same exact bottom. The new 08 hull is different and the ride and performance were enhanced. The Cougar Advantage Elite still has that original 20 hull, while Puma and Cougar FTD have the 2008 hull. The speeds we can achieve today push things faster and conditions change. You are approaching waves while traveling 400 yards or more in about 12 or 13 seconds. And about 3 seconds to cover 100 yards, so we must pay constant attention to those changing conditions. Above all else it appears that both you and your partner came out with only minor complications. We must all be careful out there. We do hope that your partners condition continues to improve. BCB
Glad to hear that both you guys are OK. Boat, fishing gear etc… can all be replaced human life can not. I myself always were my safety equipment. Thanks for the reminder. Just like you said nothing means more to us than our families.Joe BarreraYour Signature …
Ive made a promise to my wife to wear my PFD with KS attached when the big motor is turning. A few years ago I had a close friend run his boat up on the bank in some trees in a tournament. He freely admits that his motor was too high and so was his trim for those conditions. My point – in tournament situations – boat traffic situations – etc, we all need to make sure that we are not over trimmed and our motor height is well within the recommended range by Bass Cat. I have seen people inadvertantly jump wakes/waves and due to the excitement/stress, turn the sterring wheel to right or left while prop is out of the water. When it bites again, the boat makes a radical turn to right or left. Please be careful and thanks for posting. We all want every mph out of our boats we can get but not at the cost of safety. Good reminder above – especially about how any of would feel if our partners were hurt and cost their families a father and husband.
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