should start my own tow business...

[H20Rat]

So I firmly believe in helping people out on the water, ESPECIALLY if no one else seems to be interested in helping... I was busy this weekend!

1) Disabled standup jetski, floating in a very busy narrow channel on the river. The driver is trying to swim it over to the rocky shoreline, but has the look of a beaten, tired wet dog. Boats are speeding by close enough he is getting hit by their spray! I pulled up, quickly assessed what was up, figured out he needed a tow only maybe 500 yards or so, and tossed him a line.

2) Pontoon, meet sandbar. I don't like pulling a boat off a sandbar unless absolutely necessary, and in this case, it was! Older couple must have hit the sandbar at WOT. (it wasn't exposed, but only maybe an inch deep) Tried pushing by hand, wouldn't even budge. Ended up hooking onto both tubes and forming a V to connect to, and pulled the pontoon off.

3) Standup jetski #2. Completely different area, and unlike last time, not a boat in sight. Engine wouldn't start. Luckily I still had my rope handy from the first one! Another relatively short pull, 1/2 mile or so.


All that happened within 2 hours Sunday! I need to start my own SeaTow I think.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: should start my own tow business...

good for you. you will get your reward in heaven.

I will always stop and try to help. Unless I have some place to go, I don't mind doing some assisting. But I might help the stricken vessel find alternatives if it would mean me towing them for an hour, and they are stabilized out of danger.

 

[marlboro180]

Re: should start my own tow business...

Good on you Smokingcrater Your karmic circle is around you now, and next time I need a tow I will be sure to break down in your general vicinity.

 

[msojjo]

Re: should start my own tow business...

I agree, you should help thoes who are in trouble. I know that if i needed help while on the boat, i would pray some one stopped to help me. I just got my boat back from having it repowered, so i was doing some cruising on lake winnebago put in on southside in the morning cruised around, got lunch a drink and made a day of it. Came back to pull back out, and there was a boat in distress, arms flying and people jumping. Come to find out it was a family of 4 younger couple with two small kids sitting in a boat. Told me they were sitting there for over 5 hours without anyone stopping to help, that's rediculous. So i pulled them back to the boat launch at 8 at night. Pretty much the only time i have been avaliable to help someone out. I've been at the other end of the spectrum after that.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: should start my own tow business...

I always help, unless the operator is drunk. Then I help myself to a call to Wildlife & Fisheries, so they can help them and comemorate the occurance with a nice big fine, for operating under the influence.

I have a lot of patience for newb ignorance, the ocassional bad decision, etc., but I have no patience for those who operate a boat under the influence of booze of drugs.



???

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: should start my own tow business...

Always nice to help out. What goes around, comes around.

 

[jgoeden]

Re: should start my own tow business...

Man there's a special place in heaven for nice people like crate.

I've only owned my boat long enough to take it out 4 times. 2 of those times I was paddling my boat and loading by hand on the trailer. Both times no one even offered to help. Stories go:

1st time, had to paddle to shoreline and had to pull the boat about 1/3-1/2 mile along the shoreline in waste deep water. I'll be d***ed if I didn't bother the guy fishing. I could tell by the look on his face that it was a HUGE inconvenience to pull his lines in for the 3 minutes it took me to pass.

2nd time (this past sunday) we died in the channel, blowing fuses so couldn't start. luckily I had my dad to help me paddle, not a big deal maybe 1/4 mile. Just a few hundred hards. Then comes by nice shiny little bayliner boat throwing a small wake (in an idle zone). He's with his fat a** wife and 4-5 kids. He waves with a nice smile as he rolls on by as if I'm paddling my 19.5' bowrider for the exercise. so I kindly extend my middle finger to him and tell him a that throwing a line would've been nicer than throwing a wake. he was too far to hear me. anyways here's the irony. he's getting the trailer while his chunkalicious wife is trying to hold the boat and tie some lines at the same time her kids are jumping around rocking the boat. I ask her if she needs help, she says yes, I said, "hmm so did I back there paddling. karma's a ***** right?" Her husband about got in a fight with my dad and I.

People kill me. I wouldn't think twice to throw somebody a line if they were paddling a boat in the middle of the lake...to each their own I guess.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: should start my own tow business...

Love it.