Mitch P., that's a nice thread, thank you.

Just two weeks ago, a gentleman from our dock happened across a 25-30ft. center console dead in the water. The catch is; they were 10 miles beyond the continental shelf! They had been adrift for 1 full day. No radio, no flares, no epirb.
He towed him back!

For the inexperienced, any body of water deserves respect.

If you don't know your limits, ask another's advice. If you're going to head out with an iffy weather, poke your nose out around the point (montauk), don't think you're a wuss if you make the call to use that flat of butterfish to chunk up some bass or blues inshore. It beats getting the s__t kicked out of you, the crew, the boat. Unfortuneately, most people need to get a good a_s kicking offshore to gain a healthy respect for the water.

For those looking to pal up with someone to go offshore on another's boat, listen to the NOAA report yourself. Make your own decision on whether to step onto the boat. It may not be your decision to turn the boat around.

Common sense and gut instincts, use 'um.