When have you had to use Safety Equipment?

**wettek** · 07-01-2022, 05:45 PM

Originally Posted by dgscroggs

Almost lost our 67 whaler to a cigarette butt … had put a box of shoes/flip flops that we had picked up on the way home from the river in the boat and if You have ever closed a box with too much crap in it , it leaves a little square in the top, my wife flicked her cigarette out the window, wanna guess where it went ? Yup right in the 1” square hole …… fire extinguisher saved that boat . Luckily I saw the smoke rolling out of the boat in the mirror and put it out before it really damaged it. Lol we no longer smoke cigarettes!!

Sorry mate, but if you're the type of person that is happy to flick cigarette butts out the window rather than using an ashtray at least, you get what you deserve. Glad you stopped smoking though.

**JBS** · 07-02-2022, 06:13 AM

Originally Posted by rgsauger

Hooking a boat is a bitch. Hooked mine a few times learning to drive it. Thought it was possessed. Nah, it was just driver error getting off the throttle too fast without trimming down first. Now I know!

One of the times when the kill saved me was when I was in the Allison and coming back to the ramp. I was coming in too hot,let off too quick. The boat hooked and threw my ass out the seat,just that quick.That was very sobering.

**Lake X Kid** · 07-02-2022, 06:52 AM

So many life lessons learned on that day out on rough water.

Three generations of males out on a 14' john boat, Without life jackets on a Large body of water.
Don't go boating without life jackets, Even more so, if your so far out from land where you would not be able to swim back to shore.

TooStroked your 8 year old son Brandon, witnessed the heroics of his Dad that day. He will not forget how you took charge, and used your pilot skills to save lives in rough water. And then he watched the arrival and action of the paid professionals — USCG and Sheriff.

A story like that, is what our local city newspapers and TV stations want to, and like reporting about. Also, you should be on the yearly Christmas card-mailing-list from the mother & wife of the john boat occupants. TooStroked, I know you would be on my Mom's mailing list, if that was my Dad and me in the john boat.

Originally Posted by TooStroked

Years ago, when my son was about 8, we were out on the boat. We were in Irondequoit Bay which empties into Lake Ontario. It was way too rough (3' - 5's) on the big lake to go out, but my son wanted to see what it was like. So, I donned a PFD. (Brandon already had his on.) We then went out the channel and our intent was to go out about 50 yards, then turn around and go back into the safety of the bay.

Just as we were about to turn back in, the VHF crackled to life with a Mayday. It was from a cruiser less than a mile from us that had stumbled upon a 14' john boat with 3 people onboard - a father, his 4-year-old son and the grandfather. (Nobody had life jackets - including the cruiser.) The boat was rapidly taking on water and because it was so rough, the cruiser captain didn't want to try to take them onboard. Instead, he took them into tow and put out the distress call.

Since it would take the nearest Coast Guard or Police boat at least 15 minutes to get to the scene, we went out - carefully. We arrived within 5 minutes and things didn't look good. We established communications with the cruiser and the Coast Gurad, then dipped into my emergency supplies. Since it was so rough, we too had trouble getting too close to the john boat, but worked out a plan.

With the cruiser making very slow headway into the wind, we made several close passes by the john boat. On the first pass, we sent over 3 appropriately sized PFD's and had everybody put them on. On the next pass, we sent over a hand bilge pump and a 12 volt bilge pump and hose with alligator clips that I made up just for this kind of situation. Finally, since things were getting serious, we made a very close pass and took the child on board our boat where we wrapped him in warm beach towels. We then backed off just a bit and paralleled the john boat as the adults started pumping.

A few minutes later, the Calvery arrived in the form of three USCG and Monroe County Sheriff's boats. They took the adults on board and the john boat into tow. We followed them back into the bay where we transferred the child into their boat where it was safe. We told everyone to hang onto the PFD's and we'd pick them up from the MCSD office later - which we did.

Have I ever needed any of my emergency gear? Not me personally, but as you can see above, there's a reason I carry way more stuff than I'll ever need. Three other boaters are probably pretty happy that I do.