I probably should have posted this two weeks ago when it happened, but I never thought of it:

On a Saturday evening a few weeks ago, two of our sailors were returning back to our beach in Angola NY from one of the local beach bars. They were sailing seperately, so one did not know about the other and the weather was fairly clear. A gust came up and knocked them both over. Righting bars are new in this area and only about four of us have them; these two sailors did not.

One of the sailors had his cell phone and called the Coast Guard for assistance, who called the local Tow U.S. franchise. The rescue boat operator:

1) Actually found the second sailboat first on his way to the caller.
2) Really didn't know anything about these boats (unfortunately, these were not two of our most experienced sailors)so he wound up TOWING the boats instead of righting them so they could continue on their own.
3) Never discussed the charges for the assistance, but gave them EACH invoices for $1,000.00.

Now, I realize that our sailors made a mistake; I know that the rescuers deserve some adequate payment, but doesn't this sound like usury to you? It's just a very sad thing to take advantage of stranded people like that. I think that if this would ever happen to me (not likely; I have a Hobie Bob Float on top of my H-18 Magnum with a righting bar) I would ask ahead of time what the charges would be; it might make more sense to pull the drain plugs and sink the boat.

Wyatt

I think it's crazy to sail a tippy boat like a beach cat, knowing that you couldn't right it, unless its in an organised race and that situation is known up front.

Wyatt,

Unfortunately that's how it is. Most of us know that these companies will chop your head off if you are not a member and you happen to need their services. It's an expensive lesson, but the $150. or so yearly is probably making a lot more sense to them now.

I also HATE companies that take advantage of people in needy situations, (like the gas gougers) but I guess this also boils down to the basic supply and demand law - the sinking/capsized boater is in great demand for a rescue, and the tow company is the only one available to supply it.
They know it and charge accordingly.

I think beachcats are some of the most stable boats around. I went out in 18-22 knots yesterday (survival conditions for me) and we were able to keep the hulls down. In my old boat (Apollo 16) I would have spent the whole time standing on the centerboard trying to keep it from going turtle.
I do, however, think it is very unwise to go out solo in open water without being able to right the boat(even in relatively docile conditions). I know for a fact I could not right my boat solo, but I won't sail it solo in anything over 10 knots, and even then, I make sure I have someone around to help... besides SeaTow. I guess they can chalk it up as an expensive lesson. It's a shame it had to hurt so bad in the wallet, but at least they are safe.

-Rob V.
Panama City
Nacra 5.2

It's funny now but I needed a tow whis weekend off Emerald Isle NC with my Supercat - lost a pin and the mast came down 2 miles from shore with a strong sea breeze- I did a distress signal for less than a minute and a kind fisherman- boat name "WILD HAIR" towed me all the way to the surf zone. I asked him to just call the tow people but he said no they charge too much. Meanwhile the towing company came by and asked if we were OK, then ran to shore to check the surf conditions, came back and checked again as a coutresy- and followed us most of the way. I paddled from about 6' of water ashore and had minor damage- I wonder how I can find that fisherman- I should have memorized his registration # but I was working hard to keep the mast from dragging too much in the waves.

John R.

Hey Rob,
I'm wondering why you can't right your boat? And what you've tried. I haven't had to try it solo but I have a Power Righting Pole and I'm HOPING that would help me do it if I had to. I keep meaning to try it out (famous last words) but whenever I finally get to the launch site the wind and weather look so good I can't stand it and have to get right out there. Stupid, I know. The other problem with testing it out which I've not seen discussed is... How do you actually tip over your cat on purpose? Without risking damage to the boat or injury of course.... Any thoughts?
Greg

As owners of these types of boats we probably don't think about how to handle these kinds of situations. The usual advice for dealing with a tow company is to get the estimate up front before they start to do anything. At particular issue is whether the job is considered to be a simple tow or a salvage operation. The difference in costs and legal implications are huge between the two, and something you don't want to find out about after the fact if you can avoid it.

The one gripe we've had as a club was during last year's C-100 when they came to tow the I-20 with the injured sailor. One of the boats took the sailor aboard and was almost to the home port in Galesville when the operator informed the captain he had to turn around and go to the Eastern Shore instead. The injured sailor then had to endure the ride back across the Bay (in very rough conditions) and then take an ambulance ride back to the Westerm Shore to go to the hospital there. Very unnecessary...

Man that really sucks, how many hours did they assist you, if weather was clear and you were not in any danger, the fee should be $125-$150 an hour from the time they left their dock. If they did not tell you about the charges before hand maybe you can fight it. I would look for an attorney with marine knowledge.
Next, check out BoatUS.com, for a small fee you can have free towing, I also have trailer assist.
Good luck.

We have spent some time thinking about what to do if capsized or dismasted. We sail several distance races on the norwegian western coast each year, and if dismasted in a westerly wind we could only hope for hitting Iceland.. I think (hope) most catsailors have spent some time thinking about what to do, and rehearsed righting procedures.

We carry the standard righting line, which we have found to be sufficient for righting our boat (a Tornado). In addition, when we go out of our fjord and into the ocean we also carry orange smoke-markers, flares and some parachute-rockets. We also carry a set of paddles, but have found them to be ineffective if the conditions warrant a dismasting (at least for paddling into the wind, trust me!).

In addition to this gear, we would like a signal-mirror and a VHF. I think an Epirb is overkill, but I can see some situations where it would be a real lifesaver. We dont carry an VHF becouse the unit is quite expensive and so is the mandatory course (we have a good tradition for keeping safety equipment like airbags very expensive here).
In addition, we dress in drysuits. If it's cold, we use wool beneath..

Now, righting practice is something _everybody_ should do! If you dont have a powerboat to assist you, you can do it in very shallow water where a partner can hold the mast for you (do it on a quiet day, so the boat dont drift into rocks or something). Find a method that works for you, before going out again!
To capsize, just go out trapezeing and kick off with our legs (ready rudders, boards, sheet etc. before you jump off).

Knowing how to right your boat is very important for your and your crews safety..

Rob,

The PCCC is having a fun day and cookout at Carl Gray Park this Saturday and they've talked about hull flying and righting contests. I'm looking forward to learning how to right my 5.8 because West Bay can be a very lonely place.

Question for the group. Check out the attachment for a pic of my righting pole. It extends past my transoms and drags in the water. Is that excessive? Seems like it to me, but the PO did claim that he could pop the boat back on its feet solo without a problem.

Righting poles, bags, and easy-rights are great devices but everyone should understand the basics regarding how to right a catamaran using a simple line. The other fancy tools are necessary only if you find yourself underweight (sailing without crew or crew was separated) and in lightish air and should be considered convience items in addition to a righting line.

Steve, it looks like the doc is checking the temperature of your boat

As Jake says, it's usually not neccesary..

The combined times were about three hours in total; not bad, $680 per hour.

But, I like the idea of righting instructions...I practice on my boat as soon as the water gets above sixty degrees so I can make sure everything is working. I went out three weeks ago with another member in our Fleet who just installed a righting pole on his Hobie 18SX and wanted to be sure he could do it by himself; He did it easily.

Your right; we have to be proactive and take care of ourselves.

Wyatt

A little multi-colored tape mod and that Nacra's hot!

Does anyone remember a while back we had a conversation about a safety/survival pack that someone had sewn onto the bottom of the tramp? Pictures and contents were asked for but I don't recall seeing either. So I ask again, what items are absolutely mandatory to be carried on your cat and how do you carry them? Excluding beer (that's a given).

I'm going to be out of town this weekend. I wish I could attend, I really need someone to show/train me on the more efficient ways of righting. I have pulled my boat over on dry land and I needed to stand about 15 feet away from the boat to pull it back up. I haven't tried it in the water yet and I haven't installed a righting pole yet either. I have a friend who gave me a windsurfer mast to use but I haven't rigged it yet. Right now my focus is on fixing a crack in my daggerboard well. Next will come replacing the stays, then the righting pole.

-Rob V.
Panama City
Nacra 5.2

Rob,

There are a ton of threads on here with righting advice - but you can't always depend on what it felt like on shore to know. Did you have the sails hoisted when you tried? Was there a good breeze? The sails help tremendously when righting the boat as they will help lift like an airplane wing when the boat is oriented properly into the wind.

While this may come across like I'm being harsh, I don't mean to be anything more than simply serious.

The US Coast Gaurd (CG) is the gaurdian of our coasts and not a tow boat service. If you call for help from the CG, then they have one thing in mind: to get your butt to safety at almost any cost. And when they do it, I don't think that they try to bill you for the hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of time, fuel, wages, and equipment operating expense, in form of aquisition, and depreciation, that it all costs. In short, they sacrifice American tax dollars to save your life; even if you were the cause of the situation.

If, in the course of less than life threatening assistance, they can allow private enterprise a shot at not having to compete with them, they are obliged to allow those companies to perform their business. And if you are not in immediate danger, then I believe the C.G. has an obligation to keep themselves available for a real emergency that may crop up. They certainly are not allowed to take business away from U.S. citizens.

If you ask for help, and accept help, then you are obligated to compensate for that help. If the price is sky high, well then you can blame the law of supply and demand for that. Maybe you didn't do such a good job at bargaining at the time, too.

Toe Bote U.S. is in the business of capitalizing on our ability to find ourselves in need of a rare service. If they did not charge outrageous amounts, then they probably would not be there. If their price is too high, then other competitors would step up and offer similar help for less money. Your story will warn many of us what can happen if we use their services.

There are a lot of good samaritans on the water who will offer help and refuse compensation for their efforts. Almost any boater is one. When I hear the C.G. make a radio call about someone who needs assistance, they usually say "all mariners in the area are requested to keep a look out and offer assistance if needed."

If a commercial company arrives and does not offer free assistance, you can either say no thank you and wait for some possible free assistance, or you can take what you can get and pay the price.


I don't mean to diminish your surprise for how much money you had to pay. But in light of your, what some may call whining, I would like to present you with this question: Would you like for each and every tax paying citizen to pay the bill in lieu of you paying the bill? That is what would have happened if the C.G. would have done the job for you at no charge.

If you do want some free, government provided help, you should be calling lifegaurds, water police, or whatever other services are around in your area. If you simply want help from someone who won't accept payment, then you might want to do your boating at a time when there are a lot more good samaritans near you on the water. I am willing to jump in the water next to you and help you get that thing back on its paws.


I might also add that if you were in a life threatening emergency, Toe Boat Yo butt would have likely offered some free help as a good samaritan.

My bottom line has nothing to do with what I've just said, but here it is anyway. If you sail an unballasted sail boat that you can not uncapsize without outside assistance, then you should be ready to face the consequences of the inevitability that you will find yourself needing outside assistance. If you depend on outside assistance then you should have a full time plan for where that assistance will come from.

Please remember Sven and don't let his ultimitely expensive lesson to us all, be forgotten. He paid the big price, not you. Here is a link to the story of Sven:
The Story of Sven

[color:"red"]Congratulations on being able to call for help!![/color]

GARY

I look at it like this: before I leave shore, I have all of my safety equipment(except anchor)the first piece of equipment is my TOW BOAT US CARD or equivalent. With out it there is a large possibility that you are freaked, regardless of the weather. Equipment failure is (has been) the largest contribution to my being stranded. 1 pin, 1 ring ding, one shroud, etc.. you are out of business.

Just get and maintain a membership for $110.00 a year and you are set.

Flame on..

And for those of us in Fla. who get to use their boats all year long it's so cheap.