Why not swim back to the boat, don't get that at all. I wonder if the boat had a ladder to climb up or too high of sides to get onto the huge 36' boat?
I do know when I was in good shape in high school, me and my brother the day after i had a tiring football game on Saturday morning went fishing on a very hot day on our local medium sized lake with my dad's 14' fiberglass fishing boat. It got hot, so we decided to jump over the boat NO lifejackets both at same time.
Well, guess what? We could NOT get back up into the boat after trying to several times to pull ourselves over the side of the boat, almost tipping it over even. The front was too high, the sides too tipsy almost sinking the boat from our weight. We finally got smart and went to back of boat stepping on the trim plate to haul ourselves into the boat since the back was lower in the water some. We were young and stupid, not just old and fat-ter.
Not many people wear life jackets while boat is not moving, let alone moving, but is a good idea.
I would think staying with the boat if able to hold onto it would be the smart thing to do vs. swimming for it 9 miles away, especially with NO life jacket on.
Ever try it ? Can't do it. If he happened to be trolling, especially in salt water, can't do it. I've tried to catch up to the boat[ drifting] while swimming when the wind was blowing and thought I was going to drown before I got there. JoAnn and her sister were on board doing whatever women do and would not come get me. Never used a painter until the day after that one. Live and learn.
