IF you were stranded...and your phone battery died..

[JimS123]

Re: IF you were stranded...and your phone battery died..

Don't feel sorry for me. I have the absolute best job one could hope for.

Relegating responsibility within a group is one thing. Been there, did that for 20 years. Making a living off your name and reputation is something entirely different. I can?t assign someone to step in and be me.

I know EXACTLY what you are saying. When I left my former company I started a consulting business and now I work for their 14 competitors.

But guess what? I DO have a cellphone, but it is rarely turned on. And none of my customers even have the number. My policy is that e-mail is my only source of contact. So, expect a reply before sunup, or after sundown. In between I'm in the boat. If you're in dire straits, I'll be on-site tomorrow.

Even if I'm not in the boat, I don't want to be in the position of having to answer the phone for one customer, while I'm in the presence of another.

 

[25thmustang]

Re: IF you were stranded...and your phone battery died..

I have my phone on the boat. Not for emergencys I may face, but for emergencys of others needing to get ahold of me. Do I "need" it? No. Do I like having it? I like knowing others can reach me if need be.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: IF you were stranded...and your phone battery died..

I don't boat anywhere near the ocean and never have but I think one of the things we do while hunting could be of use for those who may find themselves in this situation. We hunt in some of the roughest, hardest areas to reach here in Colorado 12,000' and 50 miles from the nearest hospital roughly. My hunting party is normally 4 guys and we have all bought satelite phones, they can be expensive but once you own them its the air time that is expensive so the monthly cost isn't so bad. I also take it when we go to Powell just in case. They are not as big as they used to be and they really don't add too much weight to your rack, (we spike hunt so weight is pretty important). I realize I didn't worry about this 20 years ago but now that I am in my fourties I try to be a bit safer then I was in my younger days.

Just a thought.

 

[NYBo]

Re: IF you were stranded...and your phone battery died..

My original post was NOT trying to make a case that a cell phone was a substitute for any other method of communication. It was trying to help someone remember a simple device to keep a cell working when it was needed.

Nothing wrong with redundancy, IMO.

Oars, anyone

Well, I do keep a paddle on my boat.:redface:

 

[bowman316]

Re: IF you were stranded...and your phone battery died..

i like to have my phone on me at all times. But i can turn it off if I don't want anyone to contact me.
If it starts to annoy me by too many people calling me, i just turn it off.
but i still have it if i need it.

 

[dingbat]

Re: IF you were stranded...and your phone battery died..

I know EXACTLY what you are saying. When I left my former company I started a consulting business and now I work for their 14 competitors.

But guess what? I DO have a cellphone, but it is rarely turned on. And none of my customers even have the number. My policy is that e-mail is my only source of contact. So, expect a reply before sunup, or after sundown. In between I'm in the boat. If you're in dire straits, I'll be on-site tomorrow.

Even if I'm not in the boat, I don't want to be in the position of having to answer the phone for one customer, while I'm in the presence of another.

That would be nice, but when my clients are down they're facing $50K-100K per hour in downtime. Sending me an e-mail and waiting til after sundown or the following morning to get an answer just isn't an option.

 

[oviedochapparal]

Re: IF you were stranded...and your phone battery died..

Darwin winners:http://forums.iboats.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

 

[Mark42]

Re: IF you were stranded...and your phone battery died..

I bring my cell phone when I go on the boat. Its in a zip lock bag to keep it dry. But I don't rely on it for emergency help. For emergencies, there is always a hand held rechargeable VHF marine radio on board. It is 100% water proof, and floats if dropped in the water. I don't go off shore, so the hand held 5 watt radio will reach responders.

I would never take the risk of relying on a cell phone for marine emergencies. The problems with phones and emergency rescue responders is they generally are not talking to you directly on your phone. With a VHF, the people looking for you are talking directly to you. Also, other boats in the area can pick up your call for help and respond. They can't do that if you are on a phone.

Phones are fine, just don't rely on them for emergency situations.

 

[MainShip36]

Re: IF you were stranded...and your phone battery died..

I monitor the VHF when I am out and I hear people from 50 miles away. Why not use it?

 

[Sea Stomper]

Re: IF you were stranded...and your phone battery died..

In a 15 foot tri-hull used offshore in the hostile Pacific Northwest ocean, 3 vhf's, and 3 gps chart plotters will do. The last backup is the cell phone which is required equipment by rule imposed upon myself. Sorry, if it's that convenient to carry a cell phone on board and if it can be a backup, it will be a backup. You never know when it comes to at-sea emergencies.

And to the guy who said the USCG responds only to life and death? It isn't that way. Emergencies are defined by responders as "threat to life and / or property". We have engine failures and steering failures out here on calm days in the summer, and the Coasties are only too kind and willing to go 20 or more miles out to tow us back to Humboldt Bay safely. They prefer to let civilian craft tow in non-urgent distressed vessels, but they will respond if civilians can't. Not sure if the Coasties in Texas or wherever this was are different, but I think not.

 

[dboyd351]

Re: IF you were stranded...and your phone battery died..

Out on the water with no GPS, no radio and depending on a cell phone for communications???

I think they left their most important multi-app piece at home; the one between their ears.

Amen to that!

 

[dboyd351]

Re: IF you were stranded...and your phone battery died..

the idea should be to never be in a situation where you will die if you don't get help.
if you only have one engine, stay near shore, and coastal waterways. where you can drift to land.

if going offshore you should have at least 2 main engines. I'm not going to trust my life to 1 eninge. they fail too much for that. And if you lose one enige. turn around right now and go back.

if you are say 5 miles out with no engine, you might be sol.
you really need to be able to save yourself offshore.

Having 2 engines doesn't necessarily mean you get home on your own power. There a number of things that can go wrong that can simultaneously render both engines useless (bad batch of fuel, lines wrapped around both wheels, etc.).

 

[1fishbone]

Re: IF you were stranded...and your phone battery died..

The truth comes out:

"The guys were stranded high and dry on an oyster reef and the tide was going out. The only ones who could, and did, help... were other boaters with true shallow water craft. 100's particpated in the thread...most could not help as they were at work or were too far away. 3 set out to help..

The worst that would have happened to these guys were that they would have sat on the reef all night long....no doubt consumed by mosquitoes...and someone would have come by in the morning and towed them in. "

That's not stranded, just wait until the tide changes!
I see your tide only changes "once"?
Then 3 guys go to the 'rescue'...WOW

 

[mustgofaster1966]

Re: IF you were stranded...and your phone battery died..

Alot of good info here. Being a land shark until a couple of years ago and with the age of my boat my biggest fear was breaking down/sinking. I stay close to land as my boat is small but I did invest in a VHF handheld with a rechargeable NiMh battery and an empty battery case that holds AA cells and can be used if the rechageable pack goes dead. The Coast Guard and Marine Police here monitor VHF and suggest that is the first course of action and never rely on a cell phone. The other thing is educate yourself on how your boat works and learn how to do repairs within your skill level. And if you boat is small enough bring a push pole .

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: IF you were stranded...and your phone battery died..

Db did what I would do in a case of getting on a reef or aground..

Id trade my celly for a snorkle..mask..line..and me trusted anchor any day Ill get myself off in no time walking the bottom and planting my anchor to pull myself off.

YD.

PS. I would take my cell Anywere .. why leave it in the car ?
PSS. others are right about going were you shouldnt be. IF you Dont Know..then dont go.