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OT-- Slightly-- Saftey Lesson Learned



 
 
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  #1  
Old September 21st, 2003, 10:54 PM
Chuck Coger
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Default OT-- Slightly-- Saftey Lesson Learned

I took the wife and kids fishing, we went sal****er fishing because the
catch rate is good when I am soley focusing on the kids. Things started off
well enough, they were catching catfish as fast as I could get a shrimp on
thier hook. Then things went south. I noticed a bigger boat off on the flats
and a guy out in waste deep water pushing the boat. No flags or flares going
and even though several boats passed he made no attempt to flag them down.
About an hour later this guy soaking wet comes up and asks us for help. His
boat is about 500 yards off the bank across a canal that has very swift
tidal currents in it.

He has apparently gotten his boat stuck and his kids need to be gotten off
quickly, because a storm is coming, the tide is going out and the waves are
building rapidly. He wants me to find a 500-600 yard rope to string across
and pull him off with my truck. I quickly explain the dangers of stringing a
rope 6 foot high across a boating canal. We sent a truck over to the nearest
ramp to get a boat to pull them off but they return empty handed. So me and
my buddy decide to swim the canal and help push the boat off. All I can say
is if that canal were 20 more yards wider, name was in the paper the next
day. I completeley overestimated my swimming ability. 8 years ago when I was
in the military this would have been a breeze. WIth the 1 foot chop and
swift currents, I nearly didn't make it, plus it was pitch black and I hate
pitch black ocean water.

We finally get across the canal and nearly have to pull my buddy across. We
examine the situation and if the boat doesn't come off in the next 30
minutes, he is spending the night there. I tell him to trim the engine up
and his reply frightened me. "What is trim?" uhhhhohhh big trouble this guy
is an amateur. I ask New boat? he says yeah how did you know? it's my second
time out on it. Ever had a boat before, no this is my first! We finally rock
the boat and get a trough big enough we can move the boat forward, and
eventually slide it off the big sand flat.

Driving in with them was no pleasure either, for some reason headed out to
sea they tried to stay left of the Red bouys, Red, Right ,Return I tell
them. They are clueless as expected. I explain when you Return from sea the
Red is on your Right, so it needs to be to our left and green to our right.
Wow 10 feet of water instead of 1.8 they are amazed. 26 feet Prolines dont
like 1.8 feet of water for some reason. They had no clue on how to drive and
it is pitch black in a storm, and my buddy starts coaching them. I quickly
tell him to shut up, because he (A boat owner as well) is obviously just as
clueless. The whole shining the spotlight through the glass windows was
quickly extiguished so we could drive by the outlines of the bouys and shore
lights. I explained what plane was, since they like to drive with the Bow at
it's maximum height. We finally get to the ramp a short mile from where they
were stuck, and they had about 20 miles to where their truck and trailer
was. They decided to catch a ride and drive the truck over. I told them not
to set foot in a boat until they understood basic boating, saftey and
navigation and gave them the name of a nearby course. They were already
signed up for next week and I said dont get inthe boat until your done,
because you are a hazard to yourself and everyone on the water.

Lesson I am not the swimmer I use to be, so I am buying a set of
SOSuspenders to fish in. If I fell out of the boat in a swift river away
from bank, there is a chance of not catching the boat or the bank. Made me
think twice about a lot of thing I do on a boat.

I remember hoping that when Alabama passed their mandatory Boater Saftey
course that my age group had been grandfathered. No I wish it was required
for all new boat owners. These people didnt have enough supplies to 2 hours
on the water much less an overnight stay. I am glad I helped, but I dont
think I will risk my saftey in this manner again, in retrospect it was about
the dumbest thing I have done in the last 10 years, and I have a long list
of dumb things.


  #2  
Old September 22nd, 2003, 01:45 AM
BassMr.
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Default OT-- Slightly-- Saftey Lesson Learned

Thanks for the story Chuck,and reminding me that you can never,ever be too
safe on the water.I am glad you made it OK and hopefully that guy will be a
lot safer in the future.



 




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