www.iFourWinns.com

Couldn't agree more with 230Mike. I only live a couple hours' drive from that place. I actually bought my FW from the dealer on that lake and they were astonished that I wanted a trailer and that I WOULDN'T be using it on LOTO.

I have friends who frequently invite me to that lake and I won't even go near it. And that is at the 30 mile marker where it is supposedly, "calm" and "safe." No thanks.

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Paul
2007 Four Winns Horizon 220
Mercruiser 350 Mag MPI w/ Bravo III Drive
2004 Ford Explorer Limited (V8-AWD)
Pomme de Terre Lake (Southwest Missouri)

Define "people die so frequently on that lake". How frequently, and how often is it contributed to a boating accident?

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1994 FW Horizon 190
5.0 OMC Cobra

I would say 1-2 per year, often children, which in my mind is pretty frequent when it happens year after year. And that doesn't count the number of injuries and property damage that occurs there. I'm not a database of death statistics so I don't know the breakdown of causes of death/injury, but between the "more money than brains" mentality which is pervasive there, and the number of drunks on the water at any given time, it's not a surprise. Things happen on that lake that are FAR worse than what is shown in the OP's video; they just aren't caught on camera so they aren't all over the news.

Paul knows - anyone who has been around LOTO for 40+ years and has seen the changes there, knows. It's an immensely popular lake because it's a big party.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

Thanks. I wasn't sure what numbers or information you had. Many of the deaths there have to do with drownings occuring away from moving boats as well as dock electricutions and other situations as well. Typical for any large body of water with the kind of traffic it has. Don't get me wrong, I am fully aware of the issues with the lake. But at the same time it is still a great lake destination, and very easy to avoid the 'partiers'. I have been going there for the last 20 years, and it is a great place to boat. I have never felt unsafe boating there with some precautions and common sense.

The "More money than brains" mentality is not prevasive there. The few just give it that reputation. IMO, it is not a fair one.

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1994 FW Horizon 190
5.0 OMC Cobra

Couldn't agree more.

I have been boating there for years and yes it is busy on the holiday weekends. But you have to keep in mind that it is a long (90+ miles) and somewhat wide lake (usually 3/4 of a mile). I frequent the main channel a lot and have never felt unsafe, but you do have to be vigilant. Most of the boating accidents at the lake are with waverunners, usually kids. In Missouri if you're 14 you can pass a test and get the keys to the powerful waverunner.

1 death this year, that I recall, related to boats. It was dark, one driver was drunk, and drove his powerboat over the top of a pontoon.

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08 H240 5.7 GXi/DP/Volvo Penta
08 F150 Supercrew Lariat

I would agree that LOTO can be fine if you're on the "right part of the lake." THAT can be very difficult to find at times, though. Especially within 10 mile markers of the dam.

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Paul
2007 Four Winns Horizon 220
Mercruiser 350 Mag MPI w/ Bravo III Drive
2004 Ford Explorer Limited (V8-AWD)
Pomme de Terre Lake (Southwest Missouri)

When I go to LOTO, it's around the 60 MM, and make trips upstream to the 80 (Warsaw). I rarely venture past the 50, and no further than the 45 MM (Big Dicks/Halfway Inn). In this area, it is very much a large river, <1/4 mi wide, and only 15-40 ft deep. Having said that, "this" is the "right part of the lake". It is very common for boating collisions on that lake, just pull up the MSWP website after a holiday weekend, and see for yourself. I would say 230 Mike's estimate of 1-2/year is very low. I see 1-2/holiday weekend... mostly due to alcohol, and not neccesarily boating.... again, typically below the 40 MM. Even at Smithville, we see 1-2/yr (notice, almost noone dies on the river....?).

Safe boating starts with "Hey y'all, watch this!"

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Walt B
"Debt-Charged"
Black '07 H210SS
6.2L Bravo One turning a 21P HIFive
Wakeboard Tower with Perfect Pass Stargazer version
Missouri River; Kansas City, Mo.

I typically boat LOTO at least once per year. I will cover that lake from the dam to ~65MM, including runs up the Gravois and Niangua. Anymore I stay far away of the big party zones. My 26' boat gets smaller on that lake every year. Admittedly, I've seen a lot of stupid things on that lake. Heck, I've even been a part of a few stupid things myself. On the other hand, I've seen stupid things on just about every body of water I've ever boated on. Boating there is just like any where else... pay attention and know the situation at hand. If you think there aren't any stupid people doing stupid acts on whatever body of water you typically boat on, then you probably better open your eyes a little wider.

That being said, I did read just this year that LOTO is the deadliest body of water in [region], not sure if it was Missouri, Midwest, US, North America, etc. I wish I could remember where I saw it, but I'm pretty sure it was part of an article relating to one of the elecrocutions suffered on the lake earlier this year. Sorry I couldn't fact check that statement better.

Back to the OP, that video sure begs to ask some questions as to what that driver was thinking. However, without having been there and not fully understanding the situational conditions, it's hard to truly pass judgement. We could all armchair QB this one to death, but unless we were driving the boat, it's tough to say how we would have reacted in that situation.

The point is... stay safe everyone. Happy boating to you and your loved ones.

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2005 FW Horizon 250
8.1L VP DP

Well said..........videos like that scare the crap out of me, which is exactly what I need to always remember to remain humble on the water. Themore I go, the more comfortable I keep getting, and I never want to get cocky, cause this is the result!

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2012 H210--First Boat! Woo Hoo!
2013 Ford F150 Eco-Boost V6

Agreed. No doubt that every body of water is unsafe when someone pulls an idiot move. Even moreso on holiday weekends. I've always said that the best approach on the water is to anticipate that every boat you can see is going to do something stupid that you will have to react to and that is what prepares you best for when it does happen. While that sounds like a stressful way to boat, it really isn't once you get used to doing it and realize that it doesn't happen all that often in most places. It just becomes second nature after awhile and you settle in.

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Paul
2007 Four Winns Horizon 220
Mercruiser 350 Mag MPI w/ Bravo III Drive
2004 Ford Explorer Limited (V8-AWD)
Pomme de Terre Lake (Southwest Missouri)

Question: they talk about having a lanyard and/or tether to disengage the engines if you lose control of the wheel. I have a 2000 298 Vista so is this even an option? The way I see it, if I tether to my traditional keys and lose control, it would break the keys off at the base and the motors would keep running. Am I missing something with regard to this lanyard and tether stuff?

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Current Boat: 2000 Four Winns 298 Vista
Previous Boat: 2000 Carver 406MY

No idea if a boat your size has a safety lanyard....

On smaller boats and jetskis, the clip attaches to the throttle/gear controller (typically) and then clips onto the driver. If the driver gets launched (like in this video...), the clip would discpnnect from the controller and kill the engines.

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2002 Funship 214
VP 5.7 GX Si
2003 Tahoe

The offshoreonly.com thread regarding this incident is getting about 10,000 hits per day and up to 77,000 views (http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/gene ... er-53.html). I always thought these powerboaters' had more money than brains but they don't. Pretty impressed with some of them and it is a shame that they will all suffer due to some imbecile's actions.

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Current Boat: 2000 Four Winns 298 Vista
Previous Boat: 2000 Carver 406MY

Wow...this video just made it onto Entertainment Tonight. Was flipping channels and instantly recognized the tease. One of the shots that they showed, was a video from another boat showing the water conditions, and if that video was true, this Captain had absolutely no business what-so-ever of going as fast as he was going in those conditions. Any possible hope I had of this just being a freak accident, just went away after watching the clip. Again, if the video's I just saw were TRUE, then this guy really was an idiot and he put every single one of those passengers in danger...which is also what he was CHARGED WITH according to the story. Reckless Endangerment of his passengers.

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2012 H210--First Boat! Woo Hoo!
2013 Ford F150 Eco-Boost V6

Got a link for that other video?

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Paul
2007 Four Winns Horizon 220
Mercruiser 350 Mag MPI w/ Bravo III Drive
2004 Ford Explorer Limited (V8-AWD)
Pomme de Terre Lake (Southwest Missouri)