CG search to be called off in a few hours.

imho, engine cowling off could mean higher speed impact with water..meaning they stuffed or chine walked into ejection/capsize.  From the storm witnessed by others...coulda been short duration waves over 4 feet... running in that is fuct.  

hoping for a miracle!!

http://myfox8.com/2015/07/31/frying-pan-tower-owner-helps-in-the-search-for-missing-teen-boaters-from-fla/

NO....Engine covers on engines that big have 3 cam type locking arms. They do not just fly off. The boys most likely took it off due to engine fail. Then things went bad. Cooler and lifejackets missing reflects direct imput from them. They should have stayed with the boat. Even in the water. RIP

So their engine quit, for whatever reason, and they got swamped?

Do not know anything for a fact... But certain items missing lean thought towards gathering things to get off. and... Engine covers dont just fall off. They are tight and held on well to keep water out in all sorts of shit weather at speed. The thinking is: Engine fail. Drifting. Storm: Taking on water: Sink..As soon as water got to battery then no radio. or they could have had an electrical issue to begin with, or too far off shore..?
If that boat had a cut away transom and they were drifting in a storm then..? Good chance they got swamped.
Unexpected condations. Not enough life experience in those condations ?
I am relatively shocked 2 people, 2 orange Life vests (no one knows if they had vests) and a solid white cooler were not found. The begining of the search was timley and this time of year there are hundreds if not thousands of boats coming and going in all directions up and down the coast. the one big problem is although the search was started in a timley manner they may have started in the wrong place. Boys being Boys they may have gone where they were not supposed to.
As far off shore as they found the boat my guess is the Boys ignored the rules set to them went off shore much further than anyone thought. which means the search started in the wrong place and those hours were lost while they were drifting elsewhere...

I feel they went into weather and did not come out.  no time for jackets either. I don't think their motor failed them.

I'm guessing there was never any new information on this.