Always Help Boaters in Distress

[paddlers]

Something like running out of fuel unless you've had a catastrophic failure of your tank or fuel line I personally put in the realm of self inflicted foolishness and would expect to pay for a tow !
Who in their right mind sets out to sea without a spare tank of fresh fuel and line. I've never known an accurate fuel gauge on a boat yet so try to top mine off every time I set off.

 

[500dollar744ti]

I go out of my way to help other boaters. I've towed folks in for many miles and pulled stuck trucks on the ramp up the ramp with their boat in tow. It just happened this past weekend and my gf got a video.

 

[bakerlh]

I suppose we all have stories. I have not yet needed assistance, but have had occasion to tow two pontoons back to home base. Both piloted by females; one out of gas (wine involved), & one just plain engine trouble. But the one I remember most vividly involved two teenage girls that took a canoe out near dusk, capsized it, and were floundering around 150 yards offshore in their bathing suits trying to right the canoe & climb back in. No adults looking for them as it got dark. They climbed in our boat shivering when I asked if they needed assistance. We took them & the boat to homebase. I still do not think they grasped the gravity of their situation with hardly anyone on the water at that hour.....

 

[ihearth2o]

I go out of my way to help other boaters. I've towed folks in for many miles and pulled stuck trucks on the ramp up the ramp with their boat in tow. It just happened this past weekend and my gf got a video.

Sweet! Nice work. That guy should get used to being pulled out if he keeps tugging that cuddy with a mid-size SUV.

 

[jimmy wise]

the adventure is part of life. its a shame the liability. but some guys are just asses.

 

[four winns 214]

..........the one I remember most vividly involved two teenage girls that took a canoe out near dusk, capsized it, and were floundering around 150 yards offshore....... I still do not think they grasped the gravity of their situation with hardly anyone on the water at that hour.....

I ran upon a similar situation a few years ago. A young couple was in the middle of the Ohio River trying paddle a two-person fiberglass boat back across, at dusk, with a thunderstorm approaching and towboat and 15 barges coming downstream. They had no PFDs, lights.....nothing. Just their car keys sitting on the bottom of the boat. We got them into our boat and towed the little boat to the ramp. The boat was one of those Wal-Mart specials designed for floating around a farm pond. They had found it abandoned somewhere. This was where the Ohio River is about 3/4 of a mile wide. I tried to relate to them the extremely hazardous situation they were in, but they didn't think it that big a deal. I had seen them at the ramp a few hours earlier with their two little kids, but they weren't with them on their little excursion, thank goodness. We got our boat on the trailer and covered just before the thunderstorm hit.

 

[dingbat]

I pay forward very year....it's called Sea tow. Unlimited towing to 75 miles off the coast.....

 

[Mischief Managed]

I've towed quite a few people and have been towed three times. I stopped to give someone a tow this Summer and when they told me where they needed to go, I recognized them from towing them from roughly the same place on the lake to the same house, in the same boat, the year before...

 

[gtochris]

They were so grateful and wanted to offer money but I didn't take it. It angered me to see other boaters not helping and I just told them to do something nice for others that are in need.

That is my approach- I help everyone I can as I can't believe others blow by boaters who are sitting in distress. It's only a matter of time before I'll need a tow.
I also just ask that the other person pay it forward to the next guy and I refuse money too- I don't always have a ton of cash on me on the boat so I hope if I need a tow someone is sympathetic toward me.

 

[acdc96]

I was in a similar situation a couple of years ago. I went out early Saturday morning to make sure my 1974 Cobia runabout with a late 80's Evinrude 110hp was working properly before going 10 miles upriver to a sandbar where everyone meets up. On the way back I saw a 16ft speed boat, It was awesome big block 454 all chromed out, blower, super charger and sounded badass. He was having a overheating issue so I towed him to the ramp. Very apologetic and offered money but I declined. So, later that day I just left the sandbar heading home and my motor dies for some reason (combination of bad thermostat and some ignition issue) I waited for 30min for someone to stop and see what was wrong (at least 12 boats went by, I was blaring my horn and had everyone waving) out of the blue my fathers friend comes out of nowhere and stops to see what's up. He towed me 8 miles back to my slip. 2 years later I buy that boat off of him 1986 Celebrity. It is big enough for my family but I used my fathers ford F250 to tow it. He decided to stop bringing his 5th wheel down to Florida and make it permanent down their and got rid of the truck. At the time I only had a 87 Mazda B2000 which I had towed my old boat with. Then I upgraded to my current truck 2000 Dodge Dakota sport 3.9L V6. My boat is still too big for my truck but I tow it only short distances (5 miles max). Always help someone in distress cause one day you will be one of those people.

 

[joed]

I think a lot of the issue is passers by don't realize there is a problem. They think people are just being friendly and waving at them. People should use something bright like a life jacket to wave with, that would indicate they are not just waving hello.

 

[Fastatv]

I have been towed one time, in my 38 years of boating. Was test driving a triple toon with a 150 Johnson, and the transom mount broke, and the danged engine fell into the water, and I had thought it went to the bottom. Was towed in by another toon, probably three of four miles, backed the trailer in the water, winched the boat up on trailer to find the motor was still there...the steering cable was about all that was holding it LOL. What an experience. Anyway, I have towed at least a dozen folks, or more, and I'm very glad to do it, and help. Just makes one feel good to help others and it used to seem like helping others on the water was kind of an unspoken rule.