Thanx now my friggen head hurts! So right now the best thing going for the bigger boats(as wide or wider than 8'6") is the solo-right style under the tramp poles . I've been out a few times and seen boats that were having trouble do to the lack of crew or the fact that they are taking on water and I have been solo.Not wanting to get off my boat I would sail back and get somebody or hopefully somone else with crew would come to there aid. I suppose I could tie my boat off to the cat in need and then help but sometimes the two boats end up colliding in rough water and the rescuers boat can get blown over cause they are not on it.There are few options.Would it be possible to sail to the mast tip and pick it up maybe with loop of rope or a something ring shaped to help get it going. Justing thinking again,Uh oh ! We had a situation the other day, a boat far offshor and drifting north went over to Sea Tows delight (sort of) to the tune of 400.00 schakles
the P15 had a P16 rig on it and was taking on water the skipper could'nt right it and it was becoming heavier to the point when assistance finally showed up the boat would not stay righted until it was successfully under way by a bigger Sea tow vessel. Sea Tow brought the boat in but only to the outside break about 150 yards off shore.Now the rescue boat was an inflatible and the swells were manageable and he had enough line to get it in and get back away from the beach but would'nt for whatever reason. Which left a very tippy p15 trying to sail into an onshore wind. At this point we rounded up all the rope possible and grabbed an abandoned windsurfer board(which I recommend highly to have sitting around loose if possible for these instances) and swam the line as far as it would go .Which was'nt enough apparently to the cat and somone on shore ready to give it a tug .I tied the line up to the bridle and a paddled into swells which was as far as I could go and used wave power to pull the boat in until I could comfortably stand. In retrospect they probably should have dropped the rig but think there thought was that the skipper was going to still sail the boat into the beach.We pulled the boat in sail up and all and righted it on the beach parked it and hav'nt seen the skipper since.The End...........Bob G.
