Towed some Folk

dingbat

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 20, 2001
Messages
16,067
Coast guard (and I assume other) regs require you to help a boat in distress I believe
There is no USCG law/reg that requires you to assist or tow a vessel unless the boat and crew is in imminent danger.

Federal regulations require a Captain to assist if the crew is in danger, as long as they don't put their boat and crew in serious danger. However, the Captain in under no obligation to salvage/ save personal property, ie the boat

Bear in mind, the minute you attach the rope to another vessel you becomes personally responsible for life and property of that boat. Good Samaritan status could be waived should it be determined that you failed to exercise "reasonable care".
 
Last edited:

racerone

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 28, 2013
Messages
37,814
Captain of the ANDERSON was asked to turn around and look for the FITZGERALD.-----Coast guard said that they were NOT ordering the ship to turn around.
 

dingbat

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 20, 2001
Messages
16,067
Anyone been towed from the safety of the shore line out to the middle of a river and set adrift?

Broke down on a friends’s boat one evening many moons ago. Ended up drifting ashore on the grounds of the Naval Academy.

Minutes later, two MPs show up and told us we had to leave. We explained the situation and asked them to call help. About 10 minutes later, two guys pull up in a skiff and asked to throw them our bow line.

No questions about what was going on or where we needed to go, nothing. Towed us out to the middle of the river and set us adrift.

Guessing they called Tow Boat because a 1/2 hour or so later they showed up and towed us back to the marina.
 

tphoyt

Lieutenant
Joined
Jun 10, 2010
Messages
1,255
Was out fishing alone on a fairly rough day on Lake Huron.-----Some folks on the only other boat out there waved at me.----So I waved back.----And 20 minutes later they waved again.-----Thinking that nobody is that friendly I trolled over in my capable boat.------They said " can you tow us to the harbor " ------I said " get a line ready " -----They asked me if I had rope.------So they tied 2 pieces of their "rope " together.-----Promptly broke when I tried to get the 20' boat moving.------Used my rope to tow them about 10 miles.----Let go of the boat when they reached their mooring spot.-----Tied my boat up in my regular spot visible to them and waited.-----Not one of them came over to say " thank you " ------And I don't think they realized that in the direction of the wind it was 100 miles before they could step on land again.----Have other good stories too.
Some people suck. What goes around comes around. They will get what’s coming to them
some day.
 

nola mike

Vice Admiral
Joined
Apr 22, 2009
Messages
5,362
And I swear to God, for the first time in 15 years I needed a tow in today. Rebuilt the carb on the skiff (POS Amazon special), and not a mile in it started leaking from every gasket. They all swelled up and 1 had a hole in it. Like they weren't made to actually touch gas. Unfixable on the water. Was close enough to row/swim back to shore but there were a few jet skis around and dude towed me in.
 

airshot

Vice Admiral
Joined
Jul 22, 2008
Messages
5,080
Went out boating this past Saturday by myself to do some on water carb tuning trying to get my engine running right (low rpm at wot issue) and also just to waste a day where I’d normally probably be sitting around on my phone. Better to do nothing in particular out on the water than on the couch I guess. I was crashed out on the back bench of my 16 ft Glaspar Avalon in late afternoon waiting to see the sunset and noticed some orange flashing maybe 150 yards away. I thought it was probably some putting on a life jacket but I kept seeing it flash so I figured I’d motor over there with it in the back of my mind it could be a distress flag but really doubting that’s what I was seeing (I’ve never seen anyone actually use one). Turns out it was indeed an old 80’s looking bow rider with a dead engine that was slowly taking on water with 3 people on board. When I was younger I always wanted to be in the coast guard so it was exciting to be able to lend a hand to a fellow boater. I tied my dock line onto my port stern cleat, through their trailering eye, and back to my starboard stern cleat to make a V around my outboard and slowly putted them back a mile or two to the Marina. I went back out after helping them tie up to the ramp dock and came back 4 hours later to see them just getting their boat out, not too sure what they were up to but they were nice people. Gave me 40 bucks but I lost it to the lake after I jumped in for a dip after dropping them off haha.

Fun little time, feels good to help. Boaters help boaters
Done that a few times over my 60 plus years of boating, lucky for me, never had to be towed !! Last summer I towed in a couple fellows out on there maiden voyage of their brand new boat ! Only owned it for three days, first outing and the new fancy 150 hp do all, new fangled, all electronic gizmo had to be towed in by a 1992 old two stroke....gave me a good chuckle but that new boat owner was not happy!!
 

wdirnbeck

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 5, 2022
Messages
42
And I swear to God, for the first time in 15 years I needed a tow in today. Rebuilt the carb on the skiff (POS Amazon special), and not a mile in it started leaking from every gasket. They all swelled up and 1 had a hole in it. Like they weren't made to actually touch gas. Unfixable on the water. Was close enough to row/swim back to shore but there were a few jet skis around and dude towed me in.
Ha! Some timing. You’re cashed out now bud better get back to helping people when you can.
 

kbreks

Seaman
Joined
Jun 6, 2023
Messages
53
one of my buddies got lucky this weekend. i just happened to be out when his boat stopped pumping water. had to tow him off lake erie 9 miles from shore. took a while but it was a nice day out.
 

tphoyt

Lieutenant
Joined
Jun 10, 2010
Messages
1,255
one of my buddies got lucky this weekend. i just happened to be out when his boat stopped pumping water. had to tow him off lake erie 9 miles from shore. took a while but it was a nice day out.
That makes you a true friend in my book.
I know guys that call each other friends but some of them wouldn’t have gone out of their way to help you out. Those are the guys that drive me nuts sometimes. They will only help out if there is something in it for them. I’m sure it will bite them in the ass someday.
 

kbreks

Seaman
Joined
Jun 6, 2023
Messages
53
That makes you a true friend in my book.
I know guys that call each other friends but some of them wouldn’t have gone out of their way to help you out. Those are the guys that drive me nuts sometimes. They will only help out if there is something in it for them. I’m sure it will bite them in the ass someday.
i owe this guy more favours than i could ever pay back. was more than happy to help him out.
 
Top