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| Name: |
Jack4tide
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| Subject: |
People in Distress
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Date:
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8/1/2011 9:56:54 AM
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What is proper if you see a boat in distress? Twice in the last 2 months I have stopped to help boaters in distress. The first was a very easy 100 yard tow. The next was Sat. A large, older inboard was stuck on that point off Powell's. It was an older man with a female on board who was no help at all. There was a storm coming up and I was finally able to pull him free but then his boat would not start. The folks at Rabbit Branch told him to get a tow to a public landing and they could come get him. I did not know where to take him and the water was very rough and I was having a time pulling him with my pontoon and all the while a lightning storm with high winds was upn us. We flagged a boat which was the "War Eagle" boat and the 2 guys were very helpful. I got them pulled to a dock at a vacant house and once again I was in 2 feet of water. There was no way to get them off their boat on to ours as they made no effort to tie off to the dock. My wife had hurt her arm and the female on the other boat was still not helping a bit. We finally pulled away leaving the War Eagle boat to assist. And of course before we got in the bottom fell out and we got caught in a shower of hail.
Not only did my wife hurt her arm, a water line on the side of my engine was ripped out, (250.00) to repair and I question the strain on my engine pulling this very heavy boat out of the red mud. . My thought for the future is to stop and offer to call the lake patrol/police and let them handle the matter. Suggestions
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| Name: |
twc
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| Subject: |
People in Distress
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Date:
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8/1/2011 2:20:50 PM
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Thats a conundrum there.
I would say the way I look at it is what goes around, comes around. Do what you can, offer whatever you are comfortable with and sleep well at night.
I dealt with a simular situation. A guy on a Yahama jetski was having trouble near my place. Long story short, it was getting towards dark and my wife and I pulled alongside and offered to tow him somewhere. He refused. We stayed near him for awhile but he persisted and we finally just headed on home. Whatever!
But on a lighter note. I've been gone all weekend. No one at my place. Ran by this morning to grab something and looked down and noticed my pontoon boat was missing. Ran down the hill to see it was tied to the neighbors pier. It obviously broke loose sometime this weekend and someone caught it and secured it for me. If whoever it was is reading this...Thanks a million! I really appreciate it.
Peace,
<><
TC
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| Name: |
Jack4tide
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| Subject: |
People in Distress
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Date:
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8/1/2011 3:35:21 PM
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What about calling the marine police? On Sat. , I had no idea where to take these people and with the weather conditions and the physical condition of the people, there was no way I could get them off their boat and onto mine. I could see them drowning if they had gotten in the water.
I will stop but the dangers of trying to tow someone might make me not try that again.
By the way, you may want to check your insurance policy on your boat, I actually having towing on my boat coverage.
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| Name: |
twc
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| Subject: |
People in Distress
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Date:
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8/1/2011 6:13:43 PM
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Yeah, I would call the MP's. Sure. Don't mean to be a naysayer but both times I have called them, I really didn't get much response. Granted, on a weekend, they usually have someone on the lake. And in fairness to the MP's, my calls were not any kind of emergency.
A boat captains first responsibility is to his or her own vessel, passengers and crew. You should never jeopardize that in offering assistance. My old pontoon is not gonna do much good towing a lot of boats. But I could come alongside and offer a ride to safety from the weather you mentioned. I guess I'm just saying it's kinda like offering a ride to someone whose car is broke down. I've never accepted payment, just said do the same for someone else when you get the chance. I've been on both sides.
My boat is so old I just have it listed for liability on my homeowners. It's really not worth insuring. It came with the house cause the previous owner didn't have a place to keep it or way to move it. It floats, runs (most of the time) and it's paid for. It ain't pretty but it's a boat and I'm not complaining.
Peace,
<><
TC
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| Name: |
jace
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| Subject: |
People in Distress
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Date:
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8/1/2011 7:46:31 PM
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I agree with you if its a larger boat and a inexperance crew call the marine police before you or your equipment get hurt
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| Name: |
BamaDave
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| Subject: |
People in Distress
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Date:
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8/1/2011 10:56:39 PM
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FYI, Pell City now has a boat that can be dispatched depending on location.
If someone waves me down, I'm going to help any way I can. I was in Clear Creek on the waverunner and got flagged down by seniors. Engine had quit and the pontoon was about to be washed up on some rocks. They tossed me a line and asked where they needed to go. Their house was near Coosa Island so not too far to go. Yamaha's have the water spout and by time I got them home, they were soaked. I don't think they will ever ask someone on a waverunner for a tow again.
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| Name: |
Packrat
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| Subject: |
People in Distress
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Date:
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8/2/2011 12:44:30 PM
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Woods Surfside will tow(can call on Marine Ch 6 or land line)Boat US will reimburse all charges if unlimited coverage,its peace of mind to have.
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| Name: |
Old Diver
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| Subject: |
People in Distress
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Date:
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8/8/2011 8:57:02 AM
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Frequently a towed boat will swing wildly from port to starboard. A better way to tow them is to tie them up along side and then they tow as one. If it is too rough to tie along side, have the towed boat tow a sea anchor (such as a bucket) to slow down the gyrations.
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