Rescued a broken down boat and boater - some lessons learned.

This is the post that people are reacting to, and I agree with it. The post isn't advocating driving past without offering help, but stating the truth: that towing can be dangerous if done incorrectly.

I have a smallish boat and no experience with towing. Unless there was real threat to occupant safety, I would not attempt to tow, but would stay with the other boat until qualified help arrived and offer whatever other help I could.
You are very wise. I get that people want to help. BUT ...
- are you experienced with sufficient skill for the conditions?
- do you have adequate equipment: a tow bit or a bridle and very strong cleats, an adequate length (200 plus feet of 5/8" or better tow line - Not nylon)?
- is there an adequate attachment for towing the boat in distress.
- what if there's an accident or injury? Are you insured to tow?
- what if there is damage to your boat through towing?
- are you able to communicate with the other boat?

Think about things before you rush in where angels will not go.
 
About 6 years ago a guy in about a 17 footer flags me down off otter poing "can you tow me back to sunny shore" I said whats the problem ???
"oh i have engine troubles" well im going to sooke harbour ill tow ya there and you can figure out what to do.
get him tied up he jumps out of boat with a empty fuel cel!!!!
I said thought you had engine trouble ....I do no gas!!!! I was furious as I dont mind helping someone but cmon worst part he said oh ill drop a case a beer at your boat (never saw it)
fast forward a few weeks later same dude is off bluffs stranded.... I go over again whats the issue ...oh I have b engine troubles... I said no gas again !!!!????
UUUMMMUUMMMM yeah!!!!!
Good enough tie up to the kelp bed there ok and I called CC said guys out of gas needs help ... . Dude goes oh dont do that they already warned me!!!! Well sorry to late....
Wolf, the very foolish habit with this douche is who will come to help if he has a medical emergency or is taking on water? He literally cried "Wolf!" one too many times.
 
I agree that one needs to be prepped on both ends of the tow rope (assuming you have one - I always carry one like CIVANO) with bridals - and experience & communications with the towed vessel is helpful - wind and waves are not. I also agree that it does put the tower into liability. Sometimes the best thing to do is to tow them into a sheltered area so they can anchor and wait for a larger vessel rigged for towing. Occasionally, all they really need is some extra gas (which I always carry). Sometimes you can take the extra & unneeded passengers back to the dock for safety.
I don't think it is necessarily a black and white answer - depends on these variables (and others) and most especially - if they are in immediate danger.
 
one of the most amazing things i ever seen was in Bamfield; we walk down to our boat in grappler 5 am and there’s a crappy 15’ glass-boat with an ancient Merc tower of power tied off to the dock completely underwater. only thing keeping it from totally sinking was the bow and stern ropes tied to the dock. “ that guys gonna have a crappy surprise” we say as we head out fishing.

we come back, the boat is gone. we assume he’s had the thing pumped out, and towed to the shop or better yet, the dump.

Nope. we saw him later that day fishing off CapeBeale. i still have no idea how he pumped it out and got his outboard started, but he did. and then headed to Beale of all places.

unreal…
That's totally Bamfield approved - whatever happened in Bamfield, probably never happened....plausible deniability in action.
 
I agree that one needs to be prepped on both ends of the tow rope (assuming you have one - I always carry one like CIVANO) with bridals - and experience & communications with the towed vessel is helpful - wind and waves are not. I also agree that it does put the tower into liability. Sometimes the best thing to do is to tow them into a sheltered area so they can anchor and wait for a larger vessel rigged for towing. Occasionally, all they really need is some extra gas (which I always carry). Sometimes you can take the extra & unneeded passengers back to the dock for safety.
I don't think it is necessarily a black and white answer - depends on these variables (and others) and most especially - if they are in immediate danger.
In immediate danger, with life at risk? You call Mayday to Coast Guard and then take direction from them. That's black and white and it's not amateur hour.

I am a C-Tow member for $225/year. Unlimited tows and assistance, year round, Northern V.I. to Washington State. Or a budget plan, for $175. If anyone can afford a boat, they can afford this insurance, with support from competent professionals.
 
Obviously it's all situational whether you could/ want to help a fellow boater or not. What used to blow my mind was the amount of times people had to tow the seabeam rental boats in. I'd avoid fishing around those boats.
 
Wolf, the very foolish habit with this douche is who will come to help if he has a medical emergency or is taking on water? He literally cried "Wolf!" one too many times.
Thats why I just phoned CC when my clients saw he just ran out of gas they were like , cmon you cant be that dumb....They walk among us!!!
 
In immediate danger, with life at risk? You call Mayday to Coast Guard and then take direction from them. That's black and white and it's not amateur hour.

I am a C-Tow member for $225/year. Unlimited tows and assistance, year round, Northern V.I. to Washington State. Or a budget plan, for $175. If anyone can afford a boat, they can afford this insurance, with support from competent professionals.
I guess I am more used to working in remote areas of the Coast where there is no C-Tow - Coast Guard are many hours away even if you can raise them on the VHF (lots of dead zones on the North and Central Coasts especially inside the inlets) - there is no cell coverage - and you likely even know the boat/operator if they are local and not instead inexperienced Americans stopping on their Pilgimage to "America's Last Wilderness" (groan... Alaska) as they claim.

So the reality on the South Coast in BC is very different in these regards than the North/Central Coasts.
 
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I guess I am more used to working in remote areas of the Coast where there is no C-Tow - Coast Guard are many hours away even if you can raise them on the VHF (lots of dead zones on the North and Central Coasts especially inside the inlets) - there is no cell coverage - and you likely even know the boat/operator if they are local and not instead inexperienced Americans stopping on their Pilgimage to "America's Last Wilderness" (groan... Alaska) as they claim.

So the reality on the South Coast in BC is very different in these regards than the North/Central Coasts.
Quite right!
The reality is the same working in Northern B.C. and the Yukon: you take care of yourself except when you can't. Then you hope you have a buddy within 200 km.
 
Thats why I just phoned CC when my clients saw he just ran out of gas they were like , cmon you cant be that dumb....They walk among us!!!
In Power Squadron they taught us the 2 most common reasons for marine emergencies were: running out of fuel and faulty wiring. In that order. So a lot of boaters get it wrong. Ya think buddy would wake up and learn. Some people are beyond help.
 
In Power Squadron they taught us the 2 most common reasons for marine emergencies were: running out of fuel and faulty wiring. In that order. So a lot of boaters get it wrong. Ya think buddy would wake up and learn. Some people are beyond help.
Yep - unfortunately a few newbie/inexperienced mariners don't know the size/capacity of their fuel tanks (easy to do) - don't know or think to figure out fuel consumption at different RPMs (a must) - don't know or figure out how far a return trip will be (i.e. route planning) and/or un expectantly change their plans and go farther than they should exploring w/o fueling up. I always carry extra fuel in case I have to depart from what was planned and/or in case I meet these guys on the water. It is unfortunately common & yet easily avoidable.

The electrical problem is generally less an issue - as if one can't start ones boat - one generally doesn't leave the dock. Alway start your engines and warm them up before untying. The very next thing I do is check how much fuel I have. Then onto route planning.

I also carry a ditch bag with me no matter whose boat I am on that has things in there like a charged handheld VHF with DSC, a handheld GPS with maps, extra batteries, an assortment of fuses, a multimeter, a First Aid kit, some tools, flares, and other stuff.
 
Yep - unfortunately a few newbie/inexperienced mariners don't know the size/capacity of their fuel tanks (easy to do) - don't know or think to figure out fuel consumption at different RPMs (a must) - don't know or figure out how far a return trip will be (i.e. route planning) and/or un expectantly change their plans and go farther than they should exploring w/o fueling up. I always carry extra fuel in case I have to depart from what was planned and/or in case I meet these guys on the water. It is unfortunately common & yet easily avoidable.

The electrical problem is generally less an issue - as if one can't start ones boat - one generally doesn't leave the dock. Alway start your engines and warm them up before untying. The very next thing I do is check how much fuel I have. Then onto route planning.

I also carry a ditch bag with me no matter whose boat I am on that has things in there like a charged handheld VHF with DSC, a handheld GPS with maps, extra batteries, an assortment of fuses, a multimeter, a First Aid kit, some tools, flares, and other stuff.
Good points! I rate good battery maintenance right up there with adequate fuel. No battery = no nothing.
There was a rule many boaters once followed of 1/3 out, 1/3 back, leaving a reserve of 1/3. I typically stick to that.

I have a 100 gal. main tank but also a built-in 20 gal. emergency tank. I never touch that except to run it out at the end of the season.
 
Separate everything. Even its own water/fuel separating filter. And carry spares and wrench. As posted earlier, fuel is the main thing that will take down modern marine power.
 
Separate everything. Even its own water/fuel separating filter. And carry spares and wrench. As posted earlier, fuel is the main thing that will take down modern marine power.
I was out of Clutesi Haven with a buddy and his new Volvo 350 quit. Good man! - spare fuel filter. We changed it in 5 minutes and away we went!
 
Great comment son the fuel filter issue. Often - in the afternoon when it gets rough - the bouncing of the boat stirs up sh*t in the bottom of the tanks that is sucked into the fuel system and can clog the filter. One of my friends has a split in the line with a valve to change filters on the go w/o having to stop and shut down and disconnect to replace filters. Here's one of the worst examples when if your filter clog at the wrong time (sad story): https://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/marine/1994/m94w0010/m94w0010.html
 
Most outboards have a fuel filter within the cowling, but there should also be a primary filter in the hull. Far better to change that one than be hanging off the transom in rough seas trying to change the motor filter.

I like the idea of a bypass system, but it would need to have a filter as well, or you would be sending gunky fuel directly to the main, likely clogging that filter. (See above paragraph). A simpler precaution would be to have the kicker in the water and running to maintain steerage while main filter change is done.
 
Most outboards have a fuel filter within the cowling, but there should also be a primary filter in the hull. Far better to change that one than be hanging off the transom in rough seas trying to change the motor filter.

I like the idea of a bypass system, but it would need to have a filter as well, or you would be sending gunky fuel directly to the main, likely clogging that filter. (See above paragraph). A simpler precaution would be to have the kicker in the water and running to maintain steerage while main filter change is done.
Hey SK - Guess I could of explained it better. My buddy has 2 Raycors on the same line - with a valve to switch from one to the other quickly w/o having to shut down to change a filter. Later, he can change-up the clogged filter at leisure. Pretty smart idea I thought. And I agree that the small inline filters provided internally with the outboards are way to small and are too easily clogged to be effective, That's why reputable boat shops install Raycors as well.
 
Actually not true, with new equipment, sleds, quads,side by sides and yes the amount of new boaters it is taking us(yes us, you, your friends, loved ones and me) to places we could never go and that is what most of the calls were to Rev SAR in the winter are lack of skill, we were all rookies once, so buddy drops into the "Tiolet bowl" and with fatigue and snow and lack of skill, didn't mention to anyone they were dropping in, no one can find him, so call goes out. We get off the couch or whatever else we are doing and go get someone's loved one. Simple, not my call to judge. Get to scene and actually feel glad it was a simple ride the sled and double person out. Should we only go if we feel it's a life or death? I actually hope all calls are that simple and it's not another time to give life saving measures to a fellow adventure enthusiast. There are people on those boats. Most importantly the amount of guys who learned and the trickle down to their friends and hopefully next trip they are more prepared, like radios, buddy riding, I always looked at it like a learning lesson, no one wants to need help.
If I ever see someone in distress I will stop and lend what assistance I can. Period. Be a captain and pass on and mentor and share your experiences, again, we were/ are all rookies once.
Well said, and thank you for being there for everyone else!
 
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