Good Seamanship and Rendering Help - little rant

[southkogs]

Wanted to take the boat out today for a run and do some swimming with the kids (and dog). Prepped the boat, hauled her to the lake (Priest Lake here in Nashville) and plopped in. Pulling outta' the marina, just approaching the main channel marker, I went to throttle up ... heard a "squeak" in back, and the ole' tri-hull settled into the water as the OMC shut off. (Dunno' what's wrong ... another post/another night). We were dead in the water.

Here's where the rant comes in: We were within a quarter mile, maybe out to a half mile from the ramp. I pulled out the paddle and started back in. That was gonna' be slow going, and the kids had wanted to swim anyway so three of us donned orange life jackets jumped in the lake and started pulling the boat along. That's three swimmers towing an 18' old boat ... got the picture?

We were passed by no fewer than 10 (probably a couple more) boats headed into the marina, not counting the ones headed out. EVERY ONE OF THEM (no kiddin') looked at us and NOT ONE (seriously) offered a tow in to the ramp! C'mon y'all!?! Really? We wound up swimming it all the way to the boat ramp ... and even had one bass boat slide in front of us to load up at the ramp while we were trying to swim in our dead dinosaur of a boat! GRUMPH!!

We did get her loaded with no major hitch, and headed home my oldest daughter said, "well dad, I'm thinking we're not quite the volunteer state we thought we were."

I think good seamanship and common manners are sliding these days. I was taught that you NEVER passed by a potentially troubled boat - always ask if you can help.

<< end rant >>

The day wasn't a total wash. We all wound up still having a pretty good time and several good laughs. Kids got a kick out of swimming the boat back in.

 

[1973Chieftain]

Re: Good Seamanship and Rendering Help - little rant

Wow, that sure is sad!! I kinda know your feeling as I had trouble with the engine on each of my boats last time and limped back to the launch (6miles) at about 4 mph with my AC towing the Starcraft. Several high powered boats zoomed past us and just glanced at us! Not quite as bad as pulling her in via swimmers though!

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Good Seamanship and Rendering Help - little rant

...

I think good seamanship and common manners are sliding these days. I was taught that you NEVER passed by a potentially troubled boat - always ask if you can help...

It's actually your duty under the Coast Guard Rules of Navigation. You MUST render assistance. Now "assistance" doesn't mean they have to tow you, but you can't just pass by.

 

[jasperboy]

Re: Good Seamanship and Rendering Help - little rant

Doubt you want to hear this, but did you display a distress flag? I have trailer boated on smaller inland lakes and agree people might not be interested in helping, but I think a distress flag might help in letting others know you needed assistance. Hope your problems are minor and that OMC service is available in your area. Up here they are avoided like the plague due to a lack of parts.

 

[Georgesalmon]

Re: Good Seamanship and Rendering Help - little rant

I always stop and ask if I think someone is having trouble. Cause I would like the same consideration if I'm in trouble. Most times The people I've asked don't want/need help. If you didn't do anything at all to indicate that you needed help, I can see people passing by. Did you at least wave, or yell? People do a lot of strange things on the water. I would like to see some, any indication you needed help, If I got that I would be there in a flash.

 

[5150abf]

Re: Good Seamanship and Rendering Help - little rant

I have already towed a boat in this year, they should have stopped and ask if you need help but if you weren't trying to get any ones attention I could see them thinking you were just screweing around.

Japser, in Tennesee and Indiana where I am I really doubt anyone would know what a distress flag was, there are alot of coast gaurd rules that simply aren't know about in the mid west, like the horn thing, I saw a post about blowing your horn to indicate what you are about to do and I had never heard of it, then again the last time I saw the coast gaurd on my river was never.

 

[Philster]

Re: Good Seamanship and Rendering Help - little rant

If I can communicate with hand gestures to other boats that are off plane or look 'not right', I give a thumbs up and down and kind of look for feeedback.

Mostly, I get thumbs up. A few times, I cruised over and helped or towed.

I am surprised by the number of people that don't care to check. I guess they stick to the letter of the rules/law.

 

[crossroads123]

Re: Good Seamanship and Rendering Help - little rant

I always stop and ask if I think someone is having trouble. Cause I would like the same consideration if I'm in trouble. Most times The people I've asked don't want/need help. If you didn't do anything at all to indicate that you needed help, I can see people passing by. Did you at least wave, or yell? People do a lot of strange things on the water. I would like to see some, any indication you needed help, If I got that I would be there in a flash.

I would think seeing three people (including two children) swiming pulling a boat would be a pretty good indicator that something was wrong.
I think this is just a reflection on today's "I dont give a damm about any body else attitude". People today dont care about anybody, but themself, and as far as distress flag goes most people don't know what that is. Just my $.02

 

[southkogs]

Re: Good Seamanship and Rendering Help - little rant

It's actually your duty under the Coast Guard Rules of Navigation. You MUST render assistance. Now "assistance" doesn't mean they have to tow you, but you can't just pass by.

I know that from boating on the Great Lakes, but down here I doubt many people know it at all. I was thinking more along the lines of common concern ... y'know, driving past a guy on the side of the road with two flat tires. Chances are, he's got a cell phone and help is on the way. But still, might be a good neighbor thing to do to check.

Doubt you want to hear this, but did you display a distress flag?

... here in TN, an orange flag is rooting for the Volunteers. Most (perhaps all) in this area wouldn't have recognized it.

Hope your problems are minor and that OMC service is available in your area. Up here they are avoided like the plague due to a lack of parts.

... thanks, and me too. There are two guys in the area who will look at OMC. I used one guy a couple of years ago and got the boat back more broke than fixed. I did all of my own last year, so we'll see. I'm a little worried that my intermediate is the problem ... like I said, another post/another night.

I have already towed a boat in this year, they should have stopped and ask if you need help but if you weren't trying to get any ones attention I could see them thinking you were just screweing around.

... in the defense of the other boaters: We were doing fine, and not terribly far from the ramp. We were dealing with it, and even reasonably chuckling at it. But...

I would think seeing three people (including two children) swiming pulling a boat would be a pretty good indicator that something was wrong.

... me too. The marina is fairly high traffic, and "swimming" in the marina is not allowed. Those factors might suggest the above. And that's what got me - at least ask, sheesh!

I have seen folks towed in on the lake before (just the other weekend), and I've towed a couple in myself so it's not that EVERYONE/ALL THE TIME just goes on by. I was just pretty surprised at how many went by us in this situation without asking. The last 3 or 4, I probably would have thanked and said we're close enough we'll get it in.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Good Seamanship and Rendering Help - little rant

Keep your hopes up. Not everyone is like that. I have NEVER passed by a boat that looked as if there were any issue. I have towed more boats than I can remember and never took a penny for it, even though it was out of my way.

Even though you got passed up, I hope you never pass up another boater in retailiation.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Good Seamanship and Rendering Help - little rant

Thats one of the issues I sort of ran into last year. Their has ben a big increse in the number of boats, but owning a boat dose not make you a boater.

 

[PSG-1]

Re: Good Seamanship and Rendering Help - little rant

Sounds like more candidates for the "NO CFC" sticker.


What's that, you ask?

It looks kinda like the symbol you see on the back of aerosol cans that says "no cfc's"

Except, the text around the perimeter of the sticker says...."This vessel contains NO Common F-cking Courtesy"

I'm thinking of having a bunch of them printed up, so, when I deal with jerks on the water who either swamp me or otherwise display a lack of common courtesy, I can go up to them and say....."heeeere's your sticker"

Kinda like Bill Engvall with the "heere's your sign" but different.

But from what I see out on the water, I'll need a LOT of these printed up. Wonder if I can get a bulk rate discount?

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Good Seamanship and Rendering Help - little rant

You would go broke having them prined and spend all day handing them out.

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: Good Seamanship and Rendering Help - little rant

I personally would have stopped and asked if you needed help. But if you had displayed the, international distress hand signal.. which is slowly raising and lowering your outstretched arms[ to the side] you may have received some assistance.. my 2 cents

 

[2ndtry]

Re: Good Seamanship and Rendering Help - little rant

Being a half glass full kind of guy, I'm willing to concede many of those passing just saw a family swimming by their boat. Pretty common around here (but not that close to the marina).

I stop any time I see the motor cover up, give a quick wave and make sure everything is ok. 4 out 5 times its fine, but I've towed in many and offered a ratchet to tighten up a alternator.

Pay it forward.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Good Seamanship and Rendering Help - little rant

Being a half glass full kind of guy, I'm willing to concede many of those passing just saw a family swimming by their boat. Pretty common around here (but not that close to the marina).

Normally, that would actually be us ... swimming around the boat. That's a lot of what we do. It was the "where" we decided to swim (entry channel to a marina) that would say (to me anyway) either they're REALLY STUPID or they're in trouble.

But if you had displayed the, international distress hand signal.. which is slowly raising and lowering your outstretched arms[ to the side] you may have received some assistance.. my 2 cents

I stop any time I see the motor cover up, give a quick wave and make sure everything is ok. 4 out 5 times its fine, but I've towed in many and offered a ratchet to tighten up a alternator.

... and you guys are actually right. And let me tone myself a little: we didn't flag anyone down. I was in the water with the kids, wife was controlling the golden retriever that couldn't figure out why she wasn't swimming too. And, we were close enough that I could swim it in. It was not a dire situation at all.

I was just surprised no one offered unbidden. Maybe that's the way I should tone the rant a little.

 

[The Rooster]

Re: Good Seamanship and Rendering Help - little rant

Sorry to hear about your experience, "Southkogs". Certainly not the usual Southern Hospitality we've come to expect around here.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Good Seamanship and Rendering Help - little rant

Sorry to hear about your experience, "Southkogs". Certainly not the usual Southern Hospitality we've come to expect around here.

Agreed. Dadgummit! Makes me mad!

 

[drrpm]

Re: Good Seamanship and Rendering Help - little rant

Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity. I probably would have inquired as to whether you needed help had I been there, but I may have interpretted the situation as a crew of goofballs who didn't know what they were doing, especially if there was an adult on the boat and they were not making any attempt to flag me down. At least you guys had some fun and all ended well.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Good Seamanship and Rendering Help - little rant

...Certainly not the usual Southern Hospitality we've come to expect around here.

That's probably a hunk of it too. I'm a native yankee, but the good folks of TN adopted us kindly. Southern Hospitality is a reality that I've learned to treasure. Just didn't think it was dehydrated