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PostPosted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 3:08 am 
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So I have been feeling really bad because I had to say no to a fellow boat owner that asked me to tow them back after their engine seized.

    To be fair I had my two kids on my boat that were getting sick and I was in a hurry to get them back home.

    They had been there all night and never mentioned they needed a tow until they saw me hurrying to pack up.

    I told them I would be happy to send the tow boat from the marina that was about 25 minutes away, they said it was too much money - $85.

    And I haven't towed another boat in about 20 years, and never a boat this size (his was a 24 foot maxum).

I really wanted to say yes. So my question is how do I safely tow another boat?

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 6:07 am 
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http://www.mooringlines.com/tow_lines.htm

Very slowly, use the stern hooks if you can attached to his bow hook. $85 is not a lot of money for a tow.

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 7:37 am 
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Another way that I use is the side by side tow (rafting). Put the boat to be towed on your starboard side and tie up, trying to match cleat for cleat, with lots of fenders between. Make sure you tie up fairly tight to prevent the 2 boats from sliding back and forth as you go.

Towing this way prevents the "accordian effect" from regular towing, puts a lot less stress on the cleats (which are usually NOT rated for towing), and lets you be in eye and earshot of the other boats captain.

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 7:59 am 
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I've never tried the side by side method, although there have been other conversations on here about that being how the SeaTow folks do it. Not having a bridle, I typically hook my tubing rope from my ski ring to their bow eye, get the people into my boat to reduce the weight, and drive slowly back to the ramp.

I see it as good karma, as I know that sooner or later I'll need the same. The one time I needed it, the douchebag on the lake wouldn't tow me in because he "didn't want to foul his plugs" :roll:

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 8:18 am 
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Location: Winthrop, Ma.
By law you must lend assistance, and I "think" stay with them until help arrives. The $85 tow is not your problem, but there safety is. You are now there, so it becomes your problem. At worst I would have called the Harbor Master on the VHF and waited for him to show up. Once he shows up, I would than leave unless the Harbor Master wanted me/you to stay.

Tow as mentioned above is a good way to do it. In the past, I would make up bridal and use my 2 rear cleats to take up the strain. The bridal would do 2 things, share that load between the 2 cleats and keep the tow line centered. You don't need any thing spacial. Normal dock lines and I like to carry one 50' one as a sping line or for towing.

I would not worry about the cleats too much as long as you use the 2 of them. Also, your not towing over headway speed anyways. I would not use the tow ring! That is meant for water sports and its only one point.


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PostPosted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 8:34 am 
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Paul I. wrote:
By law you must lend assistance, and I "think" stay with them until help arrives. The $85 tow is not your problem, but there safety is. You are now there, so it becomes your problem. At worst I would have called the Harbor Master on the VHF and waited for him to show up. Once he shows up, I would than leave unless the Harbor Master wanted me/you to stay.



http://www.uscgboating.org/assets/1/wor ... ns/420.PDF

Quote:
Rendering Assistance (46 USC 2304)
The master or person in charge of a vessel is obligated by law to
provide assistance that can be safely provided to any individual in
danger at sea The master or person in charge is subject to a fine and/
or imprisonment for failure to do so


I would not consider someone unwilling to spend $85 for a tow as being at danger. Assistance was offered and turned down, OP met his obligation.


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PostPosted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 8:56 am 
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joet wrote:
Paul I. wrote:
By law you must lend assistance, and I "think" stay with them until help arrives. The $85 tow is not your problem, but there safety is. You are now there, so it becomes your problem. At worst I would have called the Harbor Master on the VHF and waited for him to show up. Once he shows up, I would than leave unless the Harbor Master wanted me/you to stay.



http://www.uscgboating.org/assets/1/wor ... ns/420.PDF

Quote:
Rendering Assistance (46 USC 2304)
The master or person in charge of a vessel is obligated by law to
provide assistance that can be safely provided to any individual in
danger at sea The master or person in charge is subject to a fine and/
or imprisonment for failure to do so


I would not consider someone unwilling to spend $85 for a tow as being at danger. Assistance was offered and turned down, OP met his obligation.


Now decribe "danger"? A wide open term. Now why was the boat disabled? Fuel leak, bad battery cables that ether one could start a fire? What happens if that anchor thats go and now some one has a "heart attack"?

OK, I am reaching, but you see were I am going with this. After you leave you don't know what can happen or what that boater will say. Remember, he is not happy that you left him.

"I would not consider" Thats great, but your not the judge. As to "Assistance was offered and turned down, OP met his obligation" He refused to tow him in. Not to pick on him, because he felt that he could not do it.

To wait 15 or 20 min. for the Harbor Master and to know that this boater is safe & its off of you. Its worth it!


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PostPosted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 9:45 am 
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It says "Provide assistance" not do whatever the stranded boater wants.

It does not say that you have to tow the peson in, it does not say that you have to stay with the person. His assistance was an offer to notify a tow company and they turned him down, that does not obligate him to tow the person himself.

The OP stated that the boat had a seized engine and that they had been there all night and did not say anything to him until he was getting ready to leave. So they must not have felt they were in any danger at that time. Now if 3 hours later because they will not pay $85 for a tow, the anchor loses hold or someone has a medical problem that is on them because they were not in danger at the time he had contact with them.


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PostPosted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 10:06 am 
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To "Provide assistance" another wide open term. And it could mean a tow under different circumstances.

I get it, but not to wait for the Harbor Master to show up is what I am talking about. Remember, this is our interpretation of the law and how it can be played out.

Remember the woman that sued MaDonlds for burning her self with hot coffee. Stupid yes, but she won. So you would risk it all or some rather than to wait 15 or 20 minuts. No thanks.


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PostPosted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 10:30 am 
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Paul I. wrote:
Remember the woman that sued Madonlds for burning her self with hot coffee. Stupid yes, but she won. So you would risk it all or some rather than to wait 15 or 20 minuts. No thanks.



Now you're mixing civil lawsuits in with criminal charges. Two totally differnet things.

You could render all the aid you wanted and still be sued by them.

The stranded boaters knew the cost was $85, to me that means they called the towing company and declined there services. So who is the OP suppose to wait the 15 or 20 minutes to show up? And if the OP was to call the towing company and they showed up and were declined, who is on the hook to pay them for there time?



Op, you did what you had to do. You offered help, they declined. You had sick kids on the boat that needed to be tended to and you did. There is no need to feel bad.


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PostPosted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 10:48 am 
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joet wrote:
Paul I. wrote:
Remember the woman that sued Madonlds for burning her self with hot coffee. Stupid yes, but she won. So you would risk it all or some rather than to wait 15 or 20 minuts. No thanks.



Now you're mixing civil lawsuits in with criminal charges. Two totaldifferentnet things.

You could render all the aid you wanted and still be sued by them.

The stranded boaters knew the cost was $85, to me that means they called the towing company and declined there services. So who is the OP suppose to wait the 15 or 20 minutes to show up? And if the OP was to call the towing company and they showed up and were declined, who is on the hook to pay them for there time?



Op, you did what you had to do. You offered help, they declined. You had sick kids on the boat that needed to be tended to and you did. There is no need to feel bad.


On the civil and criminal. Remember O.J. He won one & lost the other.

"You could render all the aid you wanted and still be sued by them." There is a law called "Good Samaritan" Some states offer immunity to good samaritans with in reason.

BUT again, I am talking about "waiting for the Harbor Master." Not trying to make ANYONE feel bad about anything and more so OP. Let us know how you make out by leaving a stranded boater the next time you come upon one.

Thats it for me and good bye!


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PostPosted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 12:46 pm 
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Paul I. wrote:
On the civil and criminal. Remember O.J. He won one & lost the other.

"You could render all the aid you wanted and still be sued by them." There is a law called "Good Samaritan" Some states offer immunity to good samaritans with in reason.

In some cases the Good Samaritan law only protects trained personnel(i.e. Doctors, nurses) so you may not be protected.

BUT again, I am talking about "waiting for the Harbor Master." Huh. There was no one to wait for. The stranded boater did not want to pay for a tow, so nobody was coming out. If this was a public boat ramp or like many small marinas there is no harbor master.


Not trying to make ANYONE feel bad about anything and more so OP. Let us know how you make out by leaving a stranded boater the next time you come upon one.

They are stranded because they refused the reasonable aid that was offered. Not a second thought given by me




Thats it for me and good bye!



Have fun with some cheap SOB waiting for aid that is not coming while I am out enjoying a day on the water.


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PostPosted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 1:37 pm 
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Wow, waited too long to get back to this. I believe I must have left out a very important piece of information.

We we're beached at a party spot. There were at least 30 other boats there and over the course of any weekend hundreds of boats would stop there.

If it had just been them and me, no way I would have refused to help. If they had just asked for a lift back to the marina, of course I would have welcomed them aboard.

The only reason I refused was my inexperience in the process and my families safety. I don't think I did anything wrong, I just feel like I would have liked to help because That's what I would want someone to do.

And just to add to the story. When I arrived I had boat problems. No power, I had no idea what was wrong. So the first thing I did was call my boat mechanic (left message), next I was going to call marina for tow (but luckily found the problem circuit breaker) My last resort would have been to ask for a tow...

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 1:52 pm 
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LVChris wrote:
Wow, waited too long to get back to this. I believe I must have left out a very important piece of information.

We we're beached at a party spot. There were at least 30 other boats there and over the course of any weekend hundreds of boats would stop there.

If it had just been them and me, no way I would have refused to help. If they had just asked for a lift back to the marina, of course I would have welcomed them aboard.

The only reason I refused was my inexperience in the process and my families safety. I don't think I did anything wrong, I just feel like I would have liked to help because That's what I would want someone to do.

And just to add to the story. When I arrived I had boat problems. No power, I had no idea what was wrong. So the first thing I did was call my boat mechanic (left message), next I was going to call marina for tow (but luckily found the problem circuit breaker) My last resort would have been to ask for a tow...


I am NOT saying that you did anything wrong!! My point to joet, would it be worth the 15 to 20 mins to wait. He thinks not & I think it is. BUT thats what makes the world go around and I respect his opinion.


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PostPosted: Tue Jun 18, 2013 2:00 pm 
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Paul I. wrote:
LVChris wrote:
Wow, waited too long to get back to this. I believe I must have left out a very important piece of information.

We we're beached at a party spot. There were at least 30 other boats there and over the course of any weekend hundreds of boats would stop there.

If it had just been them and me, no way I would have refused to help. If they had just asked for a lift back to the marina, of course I would have welcomed them aboard.

The only reason I refused was my inexperience in the process and my families safety. I don't think I did anything wrong, I just feel like I would have liked to help because That's what I would want someone to do.

And just to add to the story. When I arrived I had boat problems. No power, I had no idea what was wrong. So the first thing I did was call my boat mechanic (left message), next I was going to call marina for tow (but luckily found the problem circuit breaker) My last resort would have been to ask for a tow...


I am NOT saying that you did anything wrong!! My point to joet, would it be worth the 15 to 20 mins to wait. He thinks not & I think it is. BUT thats what makes the world go around and I respect his opinion.


Yes but that's not even worth arguing about. I would have waited for anyone if someone was coming. They did not want to notify anyone because another boat had offered a tow, but wasn't ready to leave yet...they just wanted to go earlier. There was no sense in me waiting.

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