Self-reliance

[Mike Wiley]

Self-Reliance Is Learned!

While I would never advocate "turning off the brain" and go sailing with no knowledge or experience, I believe experience is the best teacher of life's lessons. Learn the basics to sailing with someone who is experienced (or a Coast Guard sanctioned class) and take small steps. Go out on nice days to start, and eventually graduate to times when the seas are "grumpy". Don't wait until you "know all about sailing" to start actually sailing; that day won't happen! You will learn your best lessons by getting out there and doing it! Just don't turn off your common sense; ALWAYS know where the life jackets and other safety equipment are and how to use them; NEVER take children sailing until YOU have been out often and feel comfortable in your abilities; and NEVER underestimate the ocean. I learned the latter lesson in 1992 when I was knocked down just outside the entrance to Morro Bay Harbor by series of 15-20 foot waves in my 36' Cheoy Lee Clipper, when I should have known better than to have attempted the entrance, given the conditions at the time. Do you think I'm a LOT more cautious since then?So get out there and SAIL! There's nothing quite like it!

 

[thomas habanek]

death happens

Two years ago three sailors (ages in the mid 60's) lost their lives just outside the harbor after their above 35' sailboat was tossed on the breakwall. I would guess that a line wrapped around the prop, killing what ever chance they had. A call for help would have brought the Coast Guard, which has a station right around the corner. But the call never came. Recently I was called an "....hole" for admonishing a person interested in sailing about the weight of a mast for a 25'er. My reasoning is that if you have to ask, DON'T LEAVE PORT alone because if you have to ask questions like this, you must not have enough experence or study under you belt. I first learned to ride a motorcysle by getting a small one and ridining arounf beer cans on the drive, progressively moving them closer. In sailing, I started out with a 12'er, moving on to a 19'er, then to a 37'er. I don't know what this all means except that you should read something daily about boating all year, to keep fresh.

 

[Rick Webb]

Do Not Be Afraid to Ask

As one of the guys who volunteers to go out and help my biggest suggestion (taking for granted that all of your required safety equipment is aboard and in order etc etc) is to ask for assistance before things go really downhill. For instance you run aground, call the Coast Guard (use the cell phone if you are too embarrassed for others to hear) tell them you are aground but believe you can free yourself. If there is a boat on patrol but headed the opposite way they will likely direct them in your direction. They will not be the least bit angry if they arrive to find you have freed yourself. If you wait until you have a hole in the boat that patrol boat is even further away and your situation is dire and more work for the guys that come to get you.

 

[Roger Henderson]

Underway to Learn

Get your boat underway and slowly expand your horizions. Every sail is a learning experience. Make each overnight trip a little farther until you feel comfortable in sailing to another shore. It also helps to read about other peoples experiences and learn how to prepare by learning from their mistakes.

 

[George Lesieutre]

Think safe but fun

Sailed since 1951 on Long Island sound. Mid west in small baots and now a 26X. I'am still learning. You read, plan and when emergencies arise keep a cool head and do what seems logical and sensible. All boaters should help each other in an emergency. Failing to get help or be able to help myself, I would call boat USA tow.

 

[Joe McGinnis]

Be Prepared!

The Boy Scouts know what they are talking about. In my position as Vessel Safety Examiner for my local Sail & Power Squadron, I have seen boaters and boats unprepared to be on the water. Sailing off onto the waters of Green Bay with a "Fishing Hot Spots" map as their chart; or no radio, flares, not enough PFD's etc. Spend the down time when the ice is on the water, or it is not a good time to be sailing to learn and prepare to enjoy our sport. Join the Coast Guard Auxillary; the United States Power Squadron; or similar groups dedicated to boating safety and education. It is a lot of fun as you learn with other people at your level. Then as you practice what you have learned you will gain experience to enjoy this recreational activity more, and you are prepared to assist the boater who is trying to catch one last fish because he thinks he can race the growing storm back to shore. And when you assist that boater, by warning him to get for shelter immediately, or by pulling him out of the water after the storm, you can suggest he take the classes. Even heading to you local boating shop, you can purchase videos and self help books on any subject on boating. Great things to read any evening - even sitting on your boat at anchor. Be safe - be educated - be learning - have fun.

 

[Breeze Way]

Look, Listen, and Learn

I will be comletely prepared according to USCG and NYS guidelines,with basic boating and sailing knowledge and passion when I put my newly aquired 72 Mac 22 in this season. Completely prepared to the best of my ability, but lacking experiance. My first concern on the water will be to seek sailers to pay attention to what they are doing, and if I get the opportunity, ASK QUESTIONS!cya out there

 

[ken smith]

preventive maintaince

Last year just prior to a launch I was doing a safety walk around when I found one of my shrouds was missing the ring pin. I believe the sail or sheet caught it just right and somehow got it out.  Adaptability to the situation, my motor cables went out on me last year at the dock. I took a string and ran it to the throttle link and off we went.  NEVER allow any body to come between the boat and the dock or any object. Just reading these posts refreshes your safety knowledge. Can you do a man overboard drill? Do you know the time frame it will take to retrive a person from the water? I have a game we play on our boat and it goes like this. Anybody at any time can throw the safety ring overboard and name the person who went overboard. That person cannot help in the rescue of the MOB. This is a required skill and if you have kids somehow they can create some very strange situations in this drill. Clock your first drill and you will see why you need to practice this drill. Many "lives" will be lost before you save your first person. Ken

 

[Jack LaValley]

Minimize Murphy!

A good boater prepares to go out on the water with Murphy's Law in mind. Personal experience,acquired knowledge, and imagination should be fully engaged in getting ready in order to minimize the impact of Murphy's Law. Avoidable emergencies often endanger not only the boater and h/er passengers, but the rescuers as well. Emergencies beyond one's control certainly justify a call for help, and no one would abandon a boater in an emergency situation no matter why it occurred, but a considerate boater will do everything in h/is power to prepare for anything to protect others as well as h/imself.

 

[Geof Tillotson]

Checklists, Manifests and responsibilities

I was fortunate as a kid to have a father who was in the navy, sailed off the coast of Maine most of his life and truley enjoyed blue water sailing along with racing.I got to go to sailing school, I took the power squadron course and I sailed competitively through high school.I also got a chance to crew aboard a 40 footer from Marion Ma to Nova Scotia a few times. And do some other cruising Down Maine and around New England and the Northeast.The lesson that I learned early, and it was when we were club racing, was that if you took the time before you raced to learn the layout of the boat and the water/conditions that you were going to be sailing in you were relatively well prepared for problems and issues as they arose. Also, because you were using other folks equipment, a careful look-see before racing often was important in the heat of the race.Since we sailed in small-craft advisories many times while racing we learned first hand what happened when equipment failed. We also learned how to deal with other problems, pitch-poling a sunfish is an interesting experience (once and your a novice, do it twice and your a pro - but that's a story for a different time). Righting a capsized Hobie cat is also a challange, along with being aboard (figuratively) a turtled O'Day 15 and having the mast stuck in the bottom.All of these experiences taught us valuable lessons, but the one that sticks with me today, and I'm somewhat of a nudge about it, is that when I'm on a boat, any boat, I insist on knowing where things are stored.On the 40 footer we were given an information package that contained an inventory and location of everything on board. It actually came in the mail a week or so before we were meant to leave. It also contained info about the crew, the course, the expected watch schedule, meds, crews experience, any recent changes to the boat, new electronics, running gear, expected weather, etc. To say that the doc was complete was an understatement. But the guy who owned the boat had A LOT OF CRUISING EXPERIENCE and over the years it had built up to quite a compendium of information.When we got ready to slip the mooring we needed to know where stuff was and how to find it, and most importantly, what was expected of us and when. The skipper would actually test us a little. He'd be on deck and turn to someone and ask them to get whatever it was that was needed, extra winch handle, marlin, fender, new headsail, radar reflector, fid, calculate how much fuel we needed to top up after 30 hours of diesel wind in imperial gallons, fly the courtesy flag of the host country, etc. and his expectation was that you knew exactly where it was and how it was stowed/or worked.As the crew changed aboard the boat he insisted on reviewing with everyone aboard how all the major systems worked. In effect sharing the responsibility of safety with everyone. Heck, there where times when out of the blue the skipper would review a MOB drill. Something to really think about when you are out of site of land and the rollers are 10-12 feet and you're moving along at 7 knots with a quartering sea, AT NIGHT. Review helps!This is something that I hope to carry over to my kids. They think I'm nuts when I review with them how to work the electronics, how to find where we are on the chart, how to use the running gear etc. Also, they don't yet truley understand why they need to know where the flares and spares are, but I hope we'll never need them, and if we do they will know where they are.So, being prepared is top of my list. Next would be not going out in conditions that are to "challanging" for the crews safety or comfort.

 

[Denny P.]

Maybe this might tell it all???

This is a true story!! One very hot day in July, about twelve years ago, I was working my assigned patrol area near Ft. Myers Beach in a local (county) patrol boat. After one of our frequent summer storms, winds to who can guess how high and about 4-6 ft. seas that followed, a distress call went out on VHF requesting the Coasties, the elderly female voice repeating we are going on the rocks!! The coasties answered with, are you in immediate danger of life?? The female voice answered hell yes and that was all. The C.G. 41 was already answering a call in the Naples area, and, after the C.G. had offered commercial assistance (which was denied) they requested me to go try to find the boat..I could go on with more details which might make you laugh or cry.. whatever.. but after an extended time of searching I found the 35 ft. sailing vessel indeed about to founder upon a breakwater (their engine had stopped) I,immediatly, upon arrival, advised them to deploy ground tackle to try to prevent the grounding. I had to talk them thru the deployment.. Later after boarding their boat, I primed and bled their diesel, got it running and the day, the beautiful thirty five footer (loaned or chartered, I can't remember)and maybe a life, was saved. Brings up a lot of questions and maybe answers a few?? All the best.....Denny P.

 

[Tom]

Denny P. that story is all too common

I am amazed by somethings that to me are common sense. Looking back at "thomas habanek of cleveland" story where 3 sailors lost their lives just outside the harbor after their above 35' sailboat was tossed on the breakwall because of a fouled prop !! I kept thinking to myself......where the HECK was their anchor !?! Why didn't they just throw it overboard and try and resolve the issues at hand.I go out all the time and feel I am very self reliant. I am always thinking about "WHAT IF".Like "What if" the weather turns really bad?..Do I have a harbor that I can easily slip into. "What if" my engine died right now....what would I do?....."What if" someone went overboard right now?......"What If" all my electronics went out........."What if" I had a leak below the water line.But I must say that it is so much more enjoyable having other very reliable and confident sailors on board when I cruise. It means that I can put my guard down a bit and relax and ENJOY the day.......sometimes I never really relax until I drop the hook.

 

[Gary Jensen]

Asking for help

Ask any time you think its "NECESSARY TO".... When peple are in over their head and need help, no one should discourage them from asking for assistance. Just show me someone with all the answers for every situation.

 

[George H260]

and the winner is

How can over 40% of the replies to the question be "only in an emergency...etc" What the heck are all of us doing on a web site for boating information? We are all asking questions and looking for answers! Sometimes I am ashamed to be associated with the "blue blazers".My thought on asking for help? Ask, hopefully you'll find a kind sailor that will share some of their knowledge - not a stuck up sailor.

 

[Guest]

Did you know?

Did you know if you need help @ sea and the person who offers it turns out to be a greedy person they can take upto 50% of your boat's current value. How do I know this? Because this unfortunate thing happened to my slip neighbour who owns an old Grand Banks. He had to give $50,000 of his money to the fisherman who towed him 3 miles to the harbour in a perfectly calm weather when he ran out of gas.

 

[Nick]

Salvage "this" . . .

Sorry, what B.S. Before anyone, greedy or not, can lay a salvage claim against your boat, the vessel must be in some degree of peril, and the operation must involve some amount of risk to the rescuer. Being towed on a sunny calm day after a fuel mismanagement problem won't entitle anyone to salvage. Nick

 

[larry w.]

Here's my formula; take a class, start small, read everything you can get your hands on, ask questions, prepare for the worst, but don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it.

 

[Michel Sanscartier]

If you did your homework.

Even if you are prepared, know your boat, and are aware of saftey practise (course), you can still get in trouble.... then by all means ask for help. Whoever is coming out to help will be able to see that you know what you are doing, are reasonably prepared, and simply ran into trouble. It can happen to anyone. However a number of boaters are not so well prepared, just got into it or do not bother with maintenance. At best they will require assistance for a questionable reason, annoying or bothering a good samaritain for their lack or preparedness. In the worst case they are endangering their safety or that of others. Boats are not cars.... you can get out and walk! Be prepared!

 

[Brian]

so much grey area

As a rule, you should be prepared for everything. In reality (excluding blue water sailors), this probably represents about 1% of boats on the water. Being prepared for most emergency situations most likely best describes most boats, but where do you draw that line? I would like to think that it is OK to ask for help any time you are actually in need of assitance to keep you out of dangerous situations. Of course, this would be after you have exhausted any and all available resources to remain self-reliant.

 

[SailboatOwners.com]

Final results

Final results for the Quick Quiz ending 4/14/2002:The following best expresses my opinion on asking for help: 25% A sailor should plan for total self-reliance before leaving the dock. 46% Only call for help when you have an emergency medical or boating crisis. 15% It's OK to call for help when you don't know where you are or how to do something. 14% Learn by doing. Others are there to help you. 871 owners responding