Doing a good deed cost me

mheitman23

Went on a weekend trip and on our way came across a stranded boater who needed a tow..as we were towing into the marina came across some shallow water..it didnt sound or feel like it hit too hard but when I took the boat out of the water today it did take a couple nicks out of my ss prop.  I put the muffs on when i got home to see if anything was bent and there was a very very slight wobble you could see on the hub of the prop..should this be a concern or need fixed?  I didn't notice any vibration the rest of the weekend

212rowboat

My guess is you'll be needing a new hub, at the least.. not much money, glory be, but it likely sacrificed itself for you... A couple nicks out of a ss prop means it would have likely ripped a blade off a aluminum one... You'll get a good look at the shaft when you pull the prop.. I hope you're good, there, because that can cost you... Get a prop shop to fix your prop, or get another... An unbalanced prop causes grief in short order.

Michael T

The good news is that ss props are real tough the bad news is that they are real tough. If you hit something hard (rock) with an alum prop it is sacrificed (cheap). If you hit something hard (rock) with an ss prop, with enough force to nick it, there is a possibility that the prop shaft could also get bent.  I recommend that you have the run out of your prop shaft checked. Any decent tech has the tools and the knowledge to do it. Take it somewhere you trust. IF and I say IF your propshaft is bent it will be FAR cheaper to have it replaced now that when it shakes the sh*t out of your drive. Fingers crossed. MT

mheitman23

Thanks for the responses.  Good news brought it to my mechanic and said im seeing things and that nothing is bent...just going to need to repair the prop this winter

Michael T

Good outcome! MT

MarkB

I agree, good outcome!  Banging up SS props normally wrecks other things.

 

mvn

Like they say, no good deed goes unpunished!

But I get the feeling that you'd do the same all over again if called upon....as we all should.

 

Mark

jhofmann

I agree sometimes helping someone can cost you ( I once towed a fellow boater from Sound view beach

jhofmann

And up the Connecticut river and a week later my out drive blew idling on the trailer) but helping each other is part of boating,much like this forum.

raybo3

Even though you "dinged" a prop you did the right think.

JoeStang

I kind of disagree. I'd radio for help if another boater is stranded and take the people on my boat if in danger, but there's VERY little chance I'd tow someone in. That's what BoatUS is for, and its only $67 for unlimited emergency service/towing in the Great Lakes.

What happens if the rope gets tangled in your prop, now you have two disabled boats. What about if a storm kicks up and starts to kick your a$$ while towing?

I dunno, I'm all for helping people in need but it seems like around here the people needing help are the least prepared and often dangerously so. Took your 30 y/o 20' bowrider out on the lake and ran out of gas? No map, compass, VHF, or tow coverage? There's a point when bad luck is actually bad planning.

TonyWalker

My favorite rescue experience was when the Admiral and I were almost home just poking into Terra Ciea Bay.   This young lightly clad damsel on a jet ski did a circle around us.  We were at trawler speed and my first impression was how good looking I must be.  But she circled us again so I went to neutral.  She motored over and asked us if we knew there Ellenton was located.

 

She was at Woodie Rhoos, part of a party over there.  Someone threw her the keys to his jet ski and said take her for a ride.  She accepted.the offer and sped off down the Manatee River far enough out past the mouth that when she turned around to return she mistakenly cruised into Terra Cia Bay.

 

We gave her our cell phone so she could call and let her friends that she was basically ok.  No answer so she hung up.  As things progressed, we explained how to get back into the river and monitored her progress to make sure she was following the plan, which she was.

 

Since we had the cell number of the fellow she was trying to call we called that number.  No answer so we left a message.  At the same time we turned up channel 16 just to make keep track of any coast guard calls etc.  None heard.

 

A few minutes after that we received a call from the damzell's boyfriend and man was he ****.  He was in a boat ou looking for her.  We were able to assure him that she would be coming out thru the Snead Island Cut, turning their way and she would show up.

 

She kept her head about her so it turned out to be really simple

 

Tony

Salt Shaker 342

BTW what does **** mean?

mheitman23

They had a boat full of kids and they said they called a tow boat and that broke down on the way to get them lol just bad luck

raybo3

Tony the slang word for taking a leak is not allowed on this forum......

Black_Diamond

Neither the CG nor sheriff will tow you in by me for non-life threatening issues. They will tow you out of traffic. After that it is just luck if they do more for you.

raybo3

I don't know maybe its just me but if a fellow boater is in trouble and I can help I think I should. What if I was stuck? I would want someone to help me. I certainly know enough about boating to help someone and not get a line around a prop. So I really don't think that's an issue. Now don't get me wrong I am not saying you should tow someone 50 miles but help out and get them out of harms way. 

JC290

I'm with you raybo3  

rasbury

10-4 here....so far, I gave a guy an extra plug I had in my boat before Tow Boat clobbered him, assume it did not have the service, and I used my jump box to jump two boats. I was rescued once, very remote area when my motor over heated due to a bad impeller change (on another boat). Did not tow me far but man, getting in the water was not an option where I was at and there was no cell service. So, yes, I would help just about anyone no matter what it did to my day. I don't think I could live with myself if I found out later someone was hurt or worse because I would not help.

TikiHut2

I'll lend appropriate assistance within reason to any mariner any time. Just sayin.

Tony, There's little doubt that the little lost girl was attracted to your awesomeness...and that sweet 342.
Mike

rasbury

hey, the bigger the boat the smaller the ..........

JoeStang

Dont misunderstand, I'm not saying I wouldnt offer help to someone in need. If someone flagged me down because they were in a bad situation then I would absolutely help. Help doesnt always mean towing them in though. If someone can afford a tank of gas for the day they can afford the $60 towing package.

Do you feel for the guy that gets stuck in the snow with his RWD sports car with summer tires on? You towing him home?

If people just go out thinking someone will always help them, isnt that possibly perpetuating the problem of people being ill-prepared?

MarkB

I'm with raybo and ras on this one.  Part of the reason I boat is to be part of a community, not to be on my own doing something else.  And for me a community means helping one another, and knowing you can count on that.

TonyWalker

I can picture it.  My admiral on the jet ski and the damzel in the helm seat with me!
  

TikiHut2

Now that's an imagination...

JC290

Hey ras didn't you just get a bigger boat? LOL 

raybo3

I do not want to prolong this thread. Joe big big difference between being stuck in a car and being stuck on the ocean. Huge.......... It is our responsibility to look out for one another in emergency situations... 

JoeStang

Very true, but wouldnt that mean that as the owner/operator your judgement and preparation be THAT much more thought out?

I dont know what its like where you guys boat, but we get TONS of trailer boats that get dropped in the lake and then have issues. Many of them are small inland boaters that think St Clair is just another small lake. Its really amazing to me to see the lack of respect for the water.

Lobodemar

As a boater  we canott leave a fellow boater stranded regardless of is preparstion.  Just dont put yourself in harms way helping

Dream_Inn

Ok, there are no 'sides' here, but I'd lean more towards what Joe is saying. I will & have more times than I can count, help someone out. Heck, I've gotten in a stranger's boat and used my spare impeller and change their's out. Towing though is very dangerous. (& yes, I did it once for a stranger on my second boating time out) I'd make sure they have an anchor down, give a call to someone for towing properly. I think a lot depends on the circumstances. Yesterday when I pulled out of my anchorage (had lots of boats hanging on my bow/stern anchors for the weekend), myself and a 390 Rinker were leaving together (put another anchor out on another boat that was staying) and I said since it was so shallow I'd pull us out slowly (very slowly) to the deeper waters of my anchor using my windlass. Well, I knew my boat freed up from the bottom once I lifted my outdrives, but theirs didn't. I was told to fire my engines up and use that and my windlass to help pull both of us. There was no way I was gonna do that cause it would put tension on our connecting lines (that were holding us together) and could kick up mud that I might suck in. Unfortunately, I ended up untying and pulled out on my windlass a little and then started up. Reason it was unfortunate, I left a great buddy still back, stuck, while I was in deeper water. Long story, but the others there tried several things, one using a boat to pull him (I was just so unhappy watching that I almost reanchored and swam in to help) that almost got tangled in anchor line. If I had been able to, I would've suggested running his anchor line out and having that help pull him out. All ended well which was good.

TikiHut2

...a good decision is knowing when to say, "I just can't fix that problem with what I have at hand". Another is admitting that the tide is stronger than the toughest mans will, and sometimes we just have to wait for the next high tide rather than wreck eqt trying.

Sounds like you called it right. Mike

raybo3

In my post I was talking about another boater in distress. Maybe motor not running or whatever. I was not talking about someone in the sand. I get dragging a boat off of land could be difficult. Put a line to a boat that is floating and in need of help is what I mean when I say we need to help fellow boaters. This could be done safely and not cause any damage to either boat.