Man....these guys should be on the front row this Sunday. Lesson to all on the importance of PFD's...and knowing Big Muddy can be Big Meanie.

http://www.louisianasportsman.com/details.php?id=10415

Mud Boat with floatation...


After a weekend duck hunt that nearly ended with catastrophe in the cold waters of the Mississippi River, Matt Grabert called Saturday’s experience “the scariest thing I’ve ever been through.

“When you get thrown into the water at 4:45 in the morning, helpless in the middle of the river … it could have been a much different result,” said Grabert, of Boutte. “I could barely process it when it was happening.”

Grabert and his friend, Jake Duhe of Destrehan, were on an early-morning duck hunt in frigid temperatures Saturday, heading down the Mississippi River when their trip took an unexpected turn.

They were in Grabert’s boat in the middle of the river near Venice, and winds were much stronger than expected — and so were the river’s waves

“The weather report said there would be 20 mph winds. It ended up about 45,” Grabert said. “We didn’t realize it would be so bad until we were about a quarter of the way out there. The waves were way too rough to be in, but we couldn’t go back because we knew it would be worse.”

A wave came over the boat’s motor and it stalled, leaving the two stranded. Then, their worst fear was realized when a second large wave tipped the boat over and threw them into the ice cold water.

“It was pitch black,” Grabert said. “It was a completely helpless feeling.”

The two began swimming for shore, clinging to the floating boat for stability. Grabert said they made it about 50 yards from shore after 15 minutes in the water, but he knew time was running out.

“We were getting to the point of exhaustion,” Grabert said. “I was barely able to hold onto the boat.”

Fortunately, the capsized vessel was spotted by a passing ship, and a nearby pilot boat responded to the situation and rescued them.

Grabert said they were relieved over being rescued, but the two hunters were still freezing cold. He thanked their rescuers, who included Capt. Warren Nelson, watchman Philip Crovetto, Capt. Dana Wright and deckhand Roman Lewis.

“I’ll forever be grateful,” he said.

In addition to their rescuers, he credited their survival to wearing life jackets and having bought a boat only three weeks earlier that was built specifically to float if it capsized.

“The man who built it had that exact scenario in mind,” said Grabert, who credited Evan Schaubhut of Des Allemands. “If that boat sank, it would have been a lot harder for anyone to spot us and we wouldn’t have had it to hold on to. There may have been no way to find us and things could have ended much differently.”

An avid duck hunter, Grabert said he had crossed the river countless times without issue, although it was the first time he attempted it in his new boat.

“It wasn’t until I was cleaning the boat out (Sunday afternoon) that I really processed what had happened and the kind of danger we were in,” Grabert said. “That’s when I started to realize how fortunate and blessed we really were to get through it.”

Any idea on what size boat it was?

scary stuff, wear your PFD

That is scary! And It makes me think of all the mud boats without floatation. I just had one custom built and it does not have floatation. I got 24 inch sides and a hunt deck which could help some what to prevent swamping.

Mine has 24 inch sides with no flotation as well. PFD is always worn. The group of us all know where we are all hunting every trip (via a group text), just in case there are problems. I am not opposed to flotation in the floor... just don't want to be digging waterlogged foam out in a couple of years.

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I'm happy they made it out safe, always a very good outcome. But they were in a 15 foot boat with a 36 prodrive from what ive heard from my buddy's that were hunting there also. My buddy's were crossing the river in a 22 foot Fiberglass bay boat and the most they could go is 8 mph without getting soaken wet.

I heard it was one of those fiberglass boats they were running and I believe they have pretty low sides as well.

They were actually in a 17ft hydroflat with a 35 mud buddy on it. Matts a good buddy of mine, I got the boat at my house now, going through the motor and fixing it for him. Them guys were very lucky that morning. But it was a side wind with the waves that drowned out the carb killing the motor, which didn't take long after that for the waves to turn the boat side ways and roll it over.

Damn I got told some false information lol anyway glad they all got out safe and he was able to recover his boat and work on the engine

Any way to add flotation after a boat is built?

Glad they are ok.

I have argued against flotation in the past but this might change my mind.

We were there the day after and heard about it. We crossed it Sunday and the rest of the week. Sunday was the worst of the weather we experienced while we were there. If you do not respect that river it will make you respect it.


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20 mph winds on a navigable river is no joke, whether they gust to 45 or not. Flotation and life jackets are a must, but sometimes just being smart and not going out in that kind of wind is a bigger must. Glad they're ok.

I personally don't think its a matter of flotation or not.
The boat still would have stalled, the boat still would have flipped, even if it did have flotation.

My boat could be slapped full to the gills with flotation, and I would NEVER decide to try to cross that river in those weather conditions.

Oh, and IMO, flotation in a boat is still the devil
just 2 years of flotation in a boat, my uncle and I pulled out over 200 lbs of water logged foam.

Its a duck boat, not a 35 ft Crew boat.
You've got to make better observations about your surroundings and mother nature. Especially in the river, and Venice in general.
Things could turn south quick!

Floatation is a legally required part of factory hulls built for sale to sell nationally.

It is "a choice" in a custom hull - if you choose not to have it you need to make
sure everyone who rides in it knows the facts or you put their life at risk.

A first aide kit - a fire extinguisher - drinking water - rain gear - anchor - tow rope
duct tape and bailing wire - a winch and trolling motor 2nd battery - 2nd gas tank
and a hundred other odds and ends that add weight are also "a choice" too.

I tote most of these and my hull has floatation for my safety and the safety
of my passengers. I ask each passenger to put on a PFD every trip but don't
force them to put it on if they are an adult.

Where are the posts against carrying all this other gear ???

Almost everything in that list weighs more and takes up more space than floatation ! ! !





Just curious - how many of yall won't pull away from the dock each
and every trip till everyone is wearing a PFD ???

The "choice" is no longer available in a custom hull unless built in a backyard. The coast Guard offered manufacturer's exemption for flotation/sealed air chambers is gone as of a year or 2 ago (don't remember the date), unless something changed since then (which is entirely possible). It was up to the customer prior to that, and many of us chose not to get it for whatever reasons. Accidents can and do happen, but things like the subject of this thread are avoidable. They were lucky to have the flotation and be wearing their pfd, but they should've used caution and better judgement and not been out in that crap to begin with, due to the fact these motors have proven to say "F U" at the most inopportune moments, and bad water isn't safe even with a running motor.

And giga, none of my hunting crew will sit down in the boat without having it on. They don't leave it up to me to tell them anything. And I don't have flotation. If I don't run in conditions that exceed the seaworthiness of my boat, too fast for underwater stumps or the conditions I'm in, and pay attention, their lives aren't any more at risk than if they were driving down the road. I don't run unfamiliar places at 4am or rivers that produce 3 ft waves with 20mph winds in a 1748. Use the tools for how they were designed and the risk factor goes way down.

I got the water logged foam problem solved


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What is the solution? Empty oil jugs?

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Nope took heavy duty trash bags
Trim then seal seam and vac bag and sealed it did all floor foam bags out of sun should last a long time the side foam when they go bad clean use the bag trick on that too


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Some more guys that should be in the front row on sundays.
Could have been a lot worse. Safety first!

And yes Giga, this boat had flotation.

http://www.louisianasportsman.com/details.php?id=10440

Ha! Saw that last night.


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