"Conception" Captain Pleads Not Guilty in Deadly Boat Fire

Nov 26, 2023

It's all awful, I feel for everyone involved. I also have a license, I have some experience on the water, but not even close to the Captain in question. I've followed this tragedy pretty closely so that I can learn from it and be a more safe recreational boater. It seems to me that, unfortunately, there was a safety culture/practice on that boat that was below par--and unfortunately the failure to post a night watch was probably the worst of it. If you don't have a consistently disciplined practice embedded in the rules of how you operate your vessel then you are on a slippery slope and this is the worst case outcome. I hope that the new rules and practices in place rom the USCG and the publicity around the tragedy will motivate people to take individual responsibility for their safety and the safety of others.