Emergency Gear

kamloops · 08-26-2003, 12:13 PM

Was wandering after reading The Miss B. post on
her gear box problem.
Mel's boat has twin engines, true she could have limped home on one engine. The odds of loosing both engines are remote. And Yes, the Minaki and CD'S boat could have offered assistance had Mel needed us.
We pulled gear at 3:00pm 35miles off Tillamook Head. We pulled into the basin at 6:00pm, but on the way in we towed a nice 20' sled up the Skipanon (kids ran out of gas).
My question is how many of you Tuna fishers also carry as gear a suitable tow line?, I carry 200' of 1" braided tow line and lanyard. I would like to carry larger rope but have limited storage for deck gear.
I would only offer my tow line in an extreme emergency, or if I knew my tow.
I am not licensed to tow and am unshure what my insurance would say if I had a incident that was due to my neglegence.
What I have been told is never offer my tow line, always request the broken down boat throw their line.
My point is that I would like to know if the boats that travel offshore have suitable tow lines on board. It might be worth everyone knowing who has this gear and how to use it.

Mr. Fisherman · 08-26-2003, 01:13 PM

My tow line is attached to my microphone. If I need a tow I'm calling the pros, Coast Guard Station, Coast Guard Station, If I am sinking I will take any ride possible to keep from feeding the sharks.

Beer Waggin · 08-26-2003, 04:19 PM

And Ray would make for a good meal for the sharks!

200' of 1" line is a lot of rope and I'm not sure everyone would have room for such baggage, but it's good that you can carry that much. [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

After experiencing the "tow" thing personally this year, I would offer another bit of advice. If your tow cleat, and I'm talking about your trailer cleat, sits to low, you may not be able to tie it off before being towed. I was hanging off the front end of boat with a gaff hook in one hand and the rope in another this year and it was displeasing at best. A simple short piece of rope attached to the cleat to start with would do the trick. Something short enough that it could be attached to an upper cleat, but not long enough that it could reach the motor.

kamloops · 08-27-2003, 07:28 AM

Thank You NorRivDave

You got my message.
I carry my tow line to save my butt.
It's always easier to to have another boat throw you their rescue line in an emergency, but if you are the boat in danger they may not have a suitable line to throw you. It's really all about yourself, passengers and property.
It's important for everyone/your crew to know how to rig a tow harness and line, at the very least for you Guys and Gals that travel offshore. More important is to know in an emergency how you are going to rig your vessel,are my cleats stout enough to carrry the stress of a tow line, and how can I safely reach my trailer tow hook in a nasty sea, etc.,etc. Don't get me wrong, I would Always be the 1st boat to help anyone in an emergency and I am sure everyone feels the same way.
I would also rather have a professonal tow my boat should I need help, but help is not always going to be in an instant. I have listened to Commercial boats offshore calling the Coast Guard for help, the C.G. is not always able to respond at the exact moment. If there is an emergency like a Fire or Flooding they will do everything in their power to get help dispatched but, if there is a non life threatning problem (mechanical breakdown) they are going to try to arrainge help/tow from the nearest suitable vessel, this may take several hours. Not to mention the time it would take for them to travel 60-80 miles to fetch your boat.
I think everyone who travels offshore to chase
Tuna or whatever know the dangers of not having
good working knowledge of what involved with a tow or towing someone else if needed.

8knots · 08-27-2003, 08:36 AM

Good post, Kamloops. I also carry 200 feet of line for just this purpose. But, to be truthful, it has been hanging out in my lazerette for a few years and in rough seas I might not have the luxury of playing around with making up a good towing bridle. I'll have to put that on my winter list of to - do's.

edsr · 08-27-2003, 10:59 AM

Towing on any occasion is a project that should be undertaken with a lot of caution. The usual idea of attaching a single line to a bow cleat or to the boat's trailer hold down eye might not always be the best solution. Some boats attached that way might tend to roll just like a plug cut herring given the right circumstances. It's a good idea to have a person on the helm and another close to the the rope with a knife until the stability of the tow becomes apparent. A close passing boat's wake can quickly upset the balance.

edsr

Zippy · 08-27-2003, 01:36 PM

Good topic and very timely. I have both experienced the tow thing(Coast Guard responded) and thought about the towing bridle for the very same reasons as far as the accessability of the trailer eye during the fastening of the tow line. You also need to be aware that if you tow you need a short piece of stout rope that you can fasten to some thing on both sides of the stern and center the tow rope over or behind the motor depending upon if it is I/O or OB. this rope should not be long enough however to foul your own prop in the process and should float when slacked and not sink.Two bridles might be the order of the day....