your thoughts on my reaction to helping other boat users - requests for a tow

[Chi Man]

What are your opinions on my actions?

Last weekend heading back to my marina, I saw a woman frantically waving at me; she was on a very large sailing yacht (around 50 feet). Drawing alongside, she and her husband asked if I could give them a tow, bearing in mind I only had around 20 minutes to get back to my lock before it shut on low tide. They only wanted a tow back to the channel at the entrance to their marina about 5/10 minutes away. They said they had engine failure. I agreed to tow them, I telephoned my lockkeeper telling him I may be a bit late; he was fine and said he would hang on. I gingerly towed them back to where they needed to be whereupon the marina launch came out and took them in. No problem, I felt good, first time I had done this and you never know when I may need the same (karma?). They offered me a bottle of wine for my trouble, but to be honest I did not want to attempt coming alongside again with a rapidly falling tide so declined and sped off.

This weekend, coming out of my marina lock near to low tide a sailing yacht, around 40 feet had got caught on the mud having not taken the channel properly. The yacht was crewed by some young lads taking their Dad’s boat out for the day. They asked me for help i.e. a tow. Having spoken to the lockkeeper before I left I said to him I expect they might ask me for help. He said it was unlikely I would be able to pull them off the mud. When they asked me for a tow, I said I was unable as it was unlikely I would be able to get them off and I did not want to risk running aground myself (my reasons:for fear of damaging my prop and then an expensive potential repair). So in this instance I declined, felt guilty! Especially guilty as when I returned later that day they had been stuck there all day waiting for the next high tide.

Bear in mind my boat is a Fairline Sprint 21 feet and single engine. Just need a bit of reassurance from you guys I was right (or wrong).

 

[henryf]

Rendering assistance is a very satisfying thing to do on many levels including having one in the mental bank should you need to call on others for help.

However and it's a very big however, you must always be comfortable that you are acting within your ability and machinery capability. If you are at all unsure then say no. Having another boat in trouble will hamper efforts to save the first lot.

When life is at risk you might push your limits a bit further but ultimately as skipper you are responsible for your boat and crew.

Henry

 

[omega2]

You need to consider your own safety first, and then the potential damage that you may cause to yourself or the casualty. From what I have read here you have no need to feel guilty, unless they were in real danger and that case a call to the coastguard would have been sufficient, and stand by until the life boat arrived. No good trying to be a "hero" or Samaritan unless you have the tools to do the job.

 

[macnorton]

A yacht aground on a falling tide is not realy one you should try with a smaller boat, the crew were not in danger other than a long boring wait for the tide and a chance for them to study the cut and work out where they went wrong, had there been risk to crew and a Mayday issued this would be different and you would have been obliged to attempt to help.
Had you attempted to pull them off and damaged your boat (without a mayday) I wonder if the insurance would have paid out.
Difficult call to leave people who call for assistance but it sounds in this instance you made the right call.

 

[lisilou]

Sounds the right decision to me and I'd have done the same tbh. Hard thing to have to do tho so I empathise with you.
L

 

[Blackfeather]

Having gone to the assistance of a small powerboat with engine failure that was drifting towards Sandbanks beach, I can tell you that Karma doesn't always come into it.

With some difficulty, and trepidation as we had to go into very shallow water, we got a line on the boat and towed her into Poole Harbour. They were moored at the RYMC (dead posh) so we had to get in amongst the swinging moorings to get them to safety. My brother, on our boat for the first time, was instructed on no account to drop any rope in the water.

We lifted a mooring bouy and got the powerboat onto a mooring just at the point that my brother (or shall we call him idiot relative) dropped a warp in the drink.This manged to combine with the mooring line and collectively they wrapped themselves around the starboard prop.

We are now stern on to an ebb tide running at about 3 knots. It's an interesting experience having that amount of water coming over the bathing platform and up the scuppers. Nothing would free the entangled mess so I made a panic call to some divers to come and get us unhooked. Warm weather and a Saturday afternoon don't encourage people, in particular divers, to rush around. However it does encourage them to increase their rates.

We enjoyed 3 hours of waiting with nothing to console ourselves but a half empty packet of prawn flavoured skips before the diver (suitably attired in stripey jumper and Dick Turpin mask) arrived to free us. Still at least we were able to watch the occupants of the boat we had rescued get the water taxi into the clubhouse and give us a cheery wave.

Don't talk to me about karma.

 

[MapisM]

Just need a bit of reassurance from you guys I was right (or wrong).

Well, if you're looking for confirmations that other forumites would have done the same, I'm afraid I can't give you mine.
Mind, not because I would have necessarily done the opposite, but because you can only judge these situations there and then.
Even the most accurate description can't give us all the elements which you could assess in that exact moment.
You were there, you made your evaluations responsibly, and you drew your own conclusion.
There's nothing wrong with that, so in your boots I wouldn't look for (let alone "need") reassurances from anyone else...

 

[epervier]

Made the right choice without doubt, as previously stated there's no point in having two boats in trouble at the same spot, if lives were at risk offer to take them off, call coast guard, pan pan, mayday, take your pick, but then they also should have a radio for this purpose if required.

 

[l'escargot]

I've towed broken down boats under power in sailing boats in open water and up to a pontoon/mooring. I would hesitate to try and tow another boat off that was aground though. Firstly you put yourself at risk of grounding and doubling the problem, and secondly if their motor won't free them, it is unlikely yours will. If the only consequence of not helping is them spending a boring day watching other boats go by then you certainly have nothing to feel awkward about

 

[benjenbav]

I tried to pull one off the mud in the same location (I think) a few years back. Sadly the cleats on the tow were not up to the task and, err, fell off. The tug was fine and left the scene being unable to do any more than advise them to wait for the tide which was almost on the turn anyway.

 

[maverickofpoole]

I have towed in several boats over the years and have been towed back myself twice so can empathise with your agonies. You made your assessment and judged them not to be in danger but could of put yourself in an awkward position so I would say your call was correct you have no need to fret on making the safe decision.

 

[Philiz]

We've towed a couple of boats out of trouble, one of them being Kawasaki of this parish, but that's another story. I would only do it if I was comfortable to do so though, I wouldn't take any risks. Explain your reasons for not helping and suggest they call the coastguard if they're concerned about their own safety, you could always offer to stand by untill professional help arrives. I reckon you did the right thing on this occasion, yachts are stricky to refloat unless you know what you're doing, I speak from experience!

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

The question I would be asking myself is if the situation was reversed ie. you were one stuck on the mud and a 40ft sailing boat came past, would they help you? No, of course they wouldn't, they'd just laugh and point at you. So you did the right thing; the more sailing boats there are stuck in the mud, the fewer there are out there cluttering up the fairway and whining about wash

 

[Mark-1]

This weekend, coming out of my marina lock near to low tide a sailing yacht, around 40 feet had got caught on the mud having not taken the channel properly. The yacht was crewed by some young lads taking their Dad’s boat out for the day. They asked me for help i.e. a tow. Having spoken to the lockkeeper before I left I said to him I expect they might ask me for help. He said it was unlikely I would be able to pull them off the mud. When they asked me for a tow, I said I was unable as it was unlikely I would be able to get them off and I did not want to risk running aground myself (my reasons:for fear of damaging my prop and then an expensive potential repair). So in this instance I declined, felt guilty! Especially guilty as when I returned later that day they had been stuck there all day waiting for the next high tide.

These guys leaving Birdham Pool???


I saw them on the putty at 10:30am, they were still there at 5pm-ish.

 

[michael_w]

The only really effective way to get a raggie off the mud is to rig a long towline via his spinnaker halyard. Get him to put the washboards in and hang on as it can get quite dramatic. Heel her over and pull off sideways till in deeper water. Doesn't work with bilge keelers.

Another way a Mobo can be really helpful is to create lots of wake. This will lift the captive craft and will often allow an escape from the putty.

Once afloat, come alongside for your well earned reward.

 

[Philiz]

The question I would be asking myself is if the situation was reversed ie. you were one stuck on the mud and a 40ft sailing boat came past, would they help you? No, of course they wouldn't, they'd just laugh and point at you. So you did the right thing; the more sailing boats there are stuck in the mud, the fewer there are out there cluttering up the fairway and whining about wash

What a load of utter bollox

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

What a load of utter bollox

Wow that was quick. Hooked one already. Were you a mackerel in a previous life by any chance?

 

[Philiz]

Wow that was quick. Hooked one already. Were you a mackerel in a previous life by any chance?

No, a mo-boer.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

No, a mo-boer.

Lighten up, its a Monday

 

[raven]

I'm with Philz on this one, thought is was a serious thread - for serious responses.

As a raggie who was previously a stinkie, I would happily offer help to any fellow water-user in bother providing it was safe and practical to do so.

Going off what the OP says, he weighed up both situations and probably made the right call each time.