Re: [Paddlewise] Mutual Assistance

From: Kirk Olsen <kolsen_at_imagelan.com>
Date: Tue, 8 Dec 1998 14:10:08 -0500 (EST)
On Tue, 8 Dec 1998, Dave Kruger wrote:

> I'd really like to know how others feel about this.  Maybe some scenarios
> will get the juices folowing out there in the collective Paddlewise craw.
> 
> 2. Or, how about this:  kinda sloppy day, and there's an open skiff off
> about a half mile, dead in the water, with a guy standing up, waving his
> shirt wildly.  Not your problem?  You're incapable of towing his craft, so
> you head on to the latte bar?

Towing isn't that hard, as Saul noted with his remarkable tow of a 40 foot
yacht.  

Several years ago we were sitting down to dinner, on the coast of Maine,
and someone at the table noticed someone offshore waving something.

I paddled out and found a 18 foot motor boat with 3 people and a dog aboard.
They said they had been adrift for 6 or 8 hours and attempts to signal other 
passing boats had failed, including boats that had passed within 30 yards
of them.  I towed them the half mile toward shore and they were most 
grateful, as without the tow they would have passed just outside of the 
closest island on their way into open water.  I got them close to shore 
just as it got dark.

While I was paddling out my relatives had called the coast guard.  As we
neared shore my uncle came down to the shore and said to leave the boat
adrift near shore.  Apparently once the boat touches land the coast guard
considers them rescued and won't tow the boat.  As long as they were 
still "adrift" they could get a tow back to the local harbor.

kirk
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Received on Tue Dec 08 1998 - 11:07:43 PST

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