A boating mishap that could have ended badly, but didn't

LaRea

Here's a little slice of holiday-weekend mayhem.

I was rafted up with five boats, with everyone swimming and relaxing at the stern.  One of us noticed an inflatable toy blowing towards us, so I grabbed a boat-hook and went to the bow to snag the toy.  As I reached for it, I heard a faint voice ... 

About 100 yards away, there was a guy swimming towards us.  I figured he was coming to get his toy.  As an afterthought, I asked him if he was okay.  All he could do was say "I'm struggling."  That's when I realized the guy was on the verge of drowning.  I went into high gear, called "Man Overboard," and had my buddy fire up his dinghy.  We yelled to the guy "we're coming -- stop swimming, just float and save your energy!"  By the time the dinghy got there, the guy literally had his ears in the water and was in a complete state of panic.  Another 60 seconds and he'd have gone under.  

The guy would have been toast except for a thin string of lucky coincidences: (1) the wind happened to blow the toy directly towards us, (2) we saw it in time, (3) I heard his voice, and (4) we had a dinghy in the water ready to go.  

Backstory:

The guy was anchored in his 20-foot boat with his wife and three little kids when a gust of wind blew the toy out of the boat.  Instead of starting his engine and pulling anchor, he dove in -- with no PFD.  Then he kept swimming, even though the toy was getting farther and farther away.  By the time I saw him, he was in no-man's land: 100 yards downwind from his boat, 100 yards from us, and 200 yards from shore.  

The guy was probably in his late 40's, not fit, and not a strong swimmer.  He had no business being in the water without a PFD.  

Ironically, nobody on his boat had a clue he was in trouble.  They were laughing and taking pictures.  And even if they had known, none of them knew how to operate the boat.  It boggles the mind.

LaRea

Postscript:

An hour later, the same guy was anchored back in the same spot, and a different toy blew out of the boat.  This time, he stayed on the boat and sent two little kids swimming for the toy, but they couldn't get it so he called them back.  Then he used the boat to chase the toy -- as he should have done the first time. 

Dream_Inn

I definitely could see how that would happen without thinking about it.  Luckily, we usually have several dinghies ready in our raft-ups for that kind of thing.

Really great ending to your story and way to be so observant!

Our story for the weekend, well, we had 6 of us rafted up and we are all usually very observant....but, somehow a boat snuck in near one end of our raft-up, with the wind, blew into end boat and then hit throttle big time trying to get out.  He actually bent the end boat's anchor in two spots as it slid down his entire side of his boat.  I was in the cabin (which I'm never down there during day, but was changing clothes).  It felt like someone hit us going 20mph.  Luckily everyone was ok.

to add to the story, within 3 minutes, another boat tried to anchor in the same spot and drifted over into him as well (no extra damage though), and then about a minute later one of our captains fell in the water twisting his ankle.  Man, it was time to relax with a drink!

Handymans342

Where in the world was that? 

LaRea

Funny how often the anchor ends up being a defensive weapon.

On a holiday weekend, you can always count on a visit from Mayhem at some point.  You just never know where or how.

TonyWalker

As I heard it often from the captain of a small coastal cruise vessel, "Murphy" is always riding with you in your back pocket.

Handymans342

LaRea, where as that guy swimming?

LaRea

It was in Gunston Cove near Pohick Bay Park -- a popular launch ramp where a lot of day boats put in.  

Handymans342

I wouldnt swim in that water.

LaRea

Not enough jellyfish for ya?  We swim there all the time.  It's not exactly the clear blue stuff you'll have down in FL, but it sure feels good on a hot day.

Handymans342

So does my pool

Michael T

We just brought our boat back to the marina where we bought it for a final month's boating and then winterization. Actually, it's the marina where our fellow forum member "Old Dog New Trix" keeps his boat (340 Rinker).  We went by him on the way there as his Rinker was tied-up at a lock. As I was going down a fairway at the marina I saw some damaged boats. After getting tied-up at a slip I asked. I was told that a "new to boating couple" were entering that particular fairway with a strong wind to stern. They had a single engine boat about the size of a Rinker 260. A loose mooring line was picked-up by the prop and jammed it. The boat under speed and wind hit the first boat bending the anchor roller over so that the anchor damaged the gel coat, then rammed the second boat damaging its bow railings quite significantly and punching a hole in its front bow. I did not walk the docks to look at the damage bit could easily see from my slip that the description I had been given was pretty accurate. As many have said - as Captains we have to be constantly aware of our surroundings and events - as they unfold - to keep our family, guests, other boaters AND our boats safe. I had a close call myself, yesterday in a canal lock . No damage to the boat except for a small scratch on the anchor  but a few more gray hairs. I'll post the event that after I contact Mercury to get some answers.

LaRea

Tough situation ... one engine, instantly immobilized by a random hazard that nobody would expect.  You can prepare in general by getting fenders out before entering the marina, but after that, it's just experience and situational awareness.

Michael T

La Rea you have nailed one of my biggest beefs. We have just spent 5 days going through 15 locks and mooring overnight at 5 canal sites. We watched countless boaters approach canal locks, docks and moorings totally unprepared - in a huge rush to get fenders down, ropes ready and look for push poles - total confusion. The admiral and I prepare for a lock WAY in advance with fenders on both sides down, a line for bow and stern attachment to the cables and push poles ready. As we approach and see the actual conditions (wind, other boats on stand-by) and the set-up at the particular lock or dock,we discuss how we will handle the events as we seen them. The night before we review paper charts for the next day and narrow areas in channels and special approach notes to locks. Then we watch other couples hit the lock doors, the granite walls and other boats. It's just amazing! Docking at marinas - amazing too - as we watch the Admirals of some boats already in a crowded fairway running all over a boat to get fenders down while the Captain instead on concentrating on his position is relaying orders. Not ranting here - just amazed (once again) by what we just saw over a 5 day period transiting locks.

MarkB

I still can't believe the number of people that come to the gas dock at our marina with no ropes or fenders out.  I go over to help them, and ask them to throw the rope, and low and behold the captain is trying to navigate his boat and at the same time slip a rope through the cleat!  I'm like What The??? 

I don't get it.  Do they think they will be able to secure their boats without fenders and ropes???? 

The bad thing about it, is people then try and GRAB the dock with their hands to secure the boat, and sooner or later someone's going to break something.  It's just crazy.

LaRea

So true.  Occasionally, experienced boaters get a chance to help educate newer boaters (as we do daily on this forum).  More often, people learn the hard way.  Or they just keep repeating the same mistakes.

Dream_Inn

Our fuel docks typically have someone tending them and they all have lines already there.  & I can say most don't need a fender on the boat either because they have huge rubber pads on the pilings and a fender wouldn't really have anything to fend off (dock is set back from pilings).  I guess it's a bit different in other areas.

As far as locks, is it people that are going thru them for the first time?  I couldn't imagine, & I've never been thru a lock with my own boat, going into a lock without lines, fenders and a pole for keeping off the wall.

MarkB

DI, We dock up to hardwood, no ropes ready.  Yes there are attendants, but they often get busy on the weekends attending to multiple docking boats. So if I see someone that needs help, I always go over. But I can tell you, the last 2 times I've gone to fuel, there were 2 boats (one on each occassion), no lines, no fenders - nothing.

Michael T

Mark you are 100% on the hand injuries. Until this summer I had heard of splinters in fingers, bruised knuckles and the odd sprain from getting a hand between a dock and a boat BUT this summer our slip mate's Admiral (a savvy and experienced woman) reached for a dock with her hand at (I believe ) the Cape St. Vincent docks and got her thumb caught in the dock. The end of her thumb was torn right off and hanging by some skin. She was rushed to the hospital and has spent the rest of this summer undergoing reconstructive surgeries trying to normalize her thumb. If one is not properly prepared in most aspects of boating matters can get worse so fast. People seem to forget the futility and danger of trying to stop a boat that is underway or being moved by wind using their hands or feet. For example, in an emergency we could stand on a finger dock and temporarily hold our Rinker EC 310 in place while we tied it up - even in a light wind. There is NO way we can hold onto our EC 360 on the dock in any kind of current or wind.

bigal6030

I boat Lake Michigan. We love to swim off the boat miles form shore
we alway wear our life jackets and tie off to the boat
no excepts.
i see people all the time without jackets, not me not on Lake Michigan