Towing disabled boats?

[ezmarc]

The discussions on getting 4 wheelers towed off the ice has brought to mind a question I've had about pulling disabled boats off the water. In 18 years of boating on Erie, I have pulled 4 boats in that were under distress, I never really gave it much thought and never asked for or received money for it (one guy did buy me a beer and burger when we got in). I just always thought that I would like to have someone do the same for me sometime, if I needed help. I've got towing insurance with Boat US just in case, though.

I bought a new boat last year and have been told by a couple of people that towing another boat is a big mistake and that I would be liable if something happened or that I would ruin my boat doing it. What are some of your thoughts about towing? Do I just radio for help and give coordinates or what? Would I hurt my boat doing this?

Have boat will travel

[cisco]

In situations of fairly flat lake conditions, I've towed several boats back to harbor on Lake Michigan. It is, however, a terrific strain on the boat -- plus, it's beastly hard to position the disabled vessel once in harbor. I guess if I had to do it again, I'd call the Coast Guard and simply stay near the disabled vessel until help arrived. I don't know about the legal issue you raise, but folks do get sued for almost anything these days.

But you're right -- it is nice to know that someone would help in a tough situation.

[phil]

I believe (in accordance with Ohio boating laws) you are required to aid a vessel in distress as long as the aid does not endanger your vessel or passengers.

You are also protected and indemnified by Ohio Law from liability when providing aid to a distressed vessel. (Good Samaritain Law).

I'm not 100% sure of the language, but I'm sure I've got the intent correct. Most other state boating laws are similar (if not the same) to the above.

Can't say anything concerning the impact on your vessel by providing a tow, but I'm sure that it does cause a strain on you boat.

Your local DNR, Coast Guard or Power Squadron could provide you with a more exact and definitive answer.

Hope this helps,
Phil

[bob oh]

You are required to aid a boat but that does not mean you have to tow it. It is too bad things are like they are now days, but I would only tow a close friend or relative - too many things can go wrong and even if you are not liable, you might have to defend yourself in court. I think you should contact the Coast Guard or a towing service, whichever the person in need wants. On Lake Erie the CG will not tow unless there is a danger of loss of life. Otherwise, they will contact a commercial towing service. I think anyone who ventures out on the Great Lakes should have towing insurance - about $50 for $500 insurance - or be prepared to pay a big towing bill when needed.
Bob

[redog692]

what if there is no coast guard on the lake or river?

[Greg P.]

Great question!!

I would also have questions regarding boat towing and offering assistance. Specifically in Minnesota.

I too have assisted several boats. I have never even considered the legality of it. I do not fish lakes like Erie, mostly small to medium Minnesota lakes, and Rainy. I would be interested to know what legal responsibility exists in Minnesota, for both helping and if anything happens during the tow.

I will offer this: I keep a waterski tow setup on my boat expressly for the purpose of towing another boat. I use the kind that hook to the transom on both sides of the boat, the rope has a wheel and a float to help distribute the load where the two sides of the v become one rope, and the float keeps the rope out of the prop. It can be difficult to steer either boat without some sort of centering device on the towing boat.

I do not mind helping out someone drifting helplessly because once upon a time someone did it for me and prevented a possibly fatal situation. I am forever grateful.

Anyway, my specific questions: Does anybody know what the legal obligations for offering assistance in Minnesota on smaller inland lakes?

What liabilities do I incur during the tow, and should I have insurance specifically for this or will it be included in my boat policy?

Personally, I am not too concerned about the strain on my boat, or motor, I usually do not tow that far. And besides, it’s an Alumacraft. (Couldn’t help it).

Thanks to all who offer opinions.
Greg P.

[cisco]

My concern is far greater on Lake Michigan than on inland lakes in Wis, Minn, or elsewhere. I've called the Coast Guard on two occasions to come to other boats' assistance, because just about any difficulty on Lake Michigan can be life threatening.

The worst storm I've ever witnessed on the water was on Leech Lake. Yes, I got back to the resort where I was staying, but it was a beast of a ride. Nonetheless, unlike Lake Michigan, the worst situation facing me was to perhaps swamp and go to shore on Bear Island where I'd have spent a miserable night. On Lake Michigan you don't survive the water if you are in it very long -- even in summer months.

[EyeBoy]

Cisco;
What does the water temperature on Michigan usually avg. during the summer? How did you handle your boat, during that heavy weather trip? Thanks.
ON-PLANE!!!TOM

[cisco]

Eyeboy -- It's not uncommon to get surface temps in the high 40s on Lake Michigan in mid-July. Wind is a factor, as consistent winds from one direction will cause upwellings. Three days of west wind will bring 40s temps to the shoreline along Waukegan to Kewaunee. Even mid-lake temps are cold enough to assure hypothermia before help arrives.

The Leech trip I'll never forget -- I had a 19.5 ft Cruisers Inc with 115 Merc. We had windshear (some said 75 to 80 mph) out of NW. I was just leaving Portage Bay when it hit -- but I had to go to SE (Brevik) shore anyway. I kept one hand on the wheel, one on the throttle. My buddy sat watching the huge trailing waves -- he'd say "hit it" and I'd throttle up before a wave could crash over the stern. We sped up and slowed to avoid (1) taking a wave over the stern, or (2) submarining into a wave ahead. Before the wind let up we also got hit with torrential rains, and I had both bilge pumps running the whole time. We got past Bear Island (lots of shallow stuff on that side) and were able to go south to the resort just past Partridge Point.

It was a windshear storm in late fall that caught noted guide Al Maas' sons in an open boat (duck hunting). In that tragedy, Al lost both his boys. At that time, the water would have been very cold.

[Boatnut]

I think Phil and Bob/OH covered things for you pretty well regarding lake erie. If you venture out there with no tow insurance, be prepared to give forth your first born in order to pay the bill! The coast guard will NOT tow you in, they will only call a towing service.
Ohio, like most states, has a "good samaritin" law which protects you to a degreee from any liability incurred while rendering assitance. Like Bob said, "rendering assitance" does not necessarily mean towing someone in. It can mean that you just stay with the disabled boat until professional assitance arrives.
Towing another vessel in on lake erie can be dangerous as well as hard on your own boat. The famous chop on the lake can cause a lot of stress on your cleats and deck hardware. If you do decide to tow, a stout line, preferablly one that floats like polypropylene is best. nylon sinks and can get tangled in your prop when it slacks. Also,since nylon stretches, it can be like a giant rubber band and if a cleat should pull out while under load, watch out! A bridle is best also and if possible should be fastened to your amidship cleats. this will allow the towing vessel to manuever easier when approaching the dock
Mike(boatnut)

[Hawgeye]

Personally, I could care less about liabilities if I find a stranded boater that I could help, I will. I have been the stranded person before and had to troll for about 2 miles to get home. Batteries were all nearly dead when I finally got home. Boats flew by and noone would stop to see if things were ok.

As for being hard on boats, that depends on what is being towed. If the boat is full of water, big problem. If it is a smaller boat about the same size with a dead motor, just take it slow and if the waves are bad, call the coast guard. I will tow any boat on calm water that needs it...

[Hans]

Presuming the distressed boat is simply disabled (not filling with water) there is no particular stress or danger to your boat to tow them in, unless they outweigh you 5:1 or something.

I keep a towing harness in my boat which is two lines spliced together in a "Y" shape. Each of the three ends of the line has a snap hook. The "top" of the Y is a 10' peice of line which attaches to the two transom tie-down eyes, and the "leg" of the Y is a 35' line which goes back to the bow-eye of the boat under tow.

Some simple precautions and discussion will make this a simple task.

1. Try to leave just one person in the towed boat, without overloading the towing vessel.

2. Put "movable" weight toward the stern of the towed boat, to get a "bow-high" trim.

3. Unless there is a very long dock, you will not be able to pull the boat alongside the dock. You should plan ahead to finish the tow in a direction that will put the towed boat in a position to drift into the dock slowly, or end the tow in open water where they can use their electic motor or paddles to reach the dock. If you are going to let them drift into the dock, discuss ahead of time that you will slow down putting slack in the tow rope, which they should disconnect at their bow, then you will "peel off" and let them drift on in.

4. Slow and easy does it, and it will be nothing more than an interuption of your day, not anything to get excited about.

Hans







Hans
--

[EyeBoy]

Cisco;
Big water is very unforgiving, esp when it's cold. I didn't know that the lake stay'd that cold, through the summer. Nasty!
Sounds like you and your pard had all of the fun you needed that day. Didn't know about the Maas tragedy, very bad.
Much appricate the info.
ON-PLANE!!!TOM

[Fishfoote]

If the storm you're describing was this past summer, I was in it too. My brother-in-law and I were out about 3 miles from Muskegon and never saw it coming. We just started hearing people on the radio say "cut and run". Didn't know what they were talking about until we looked north and saw a wall of white heading out way. I wound up just cutting the last couple lines the taking about 45 minutes to run back to the channel. We were in an 18 foot Targa with a 115hp. I had one hand one the wheel and the other trying to get the lifevests out!

[TJ]

Cisco:

Sounds like my ride back from Sturgeaon Bay on Day 2 of the RCL. Never felt so good to get my feet back on dry land.

[bob oh]

No one said anything about leaving someone on the lake. I have assisted a lot of broken down boats. If they are friends and we are not out 10 - 20 miles, I'll tow them home. If I don't know them I'll stand by, contact the Coast Guard or towers and make sure they are not in any danger. I would not leave a fellow boater in trouble. I would not expect another boater to treat me any differently that is why I carry towing insurance. For $50 I don't have to worry about a tow. But, you are talking about a totally different situation than that faced on Lake Erie - you said you had to troll 2 miles in while many times we are talking about towing someone 10 or more miles to shore and almost always in a chop. And the boats are generally bigger boats - the majority are 20 to 30 footers. Unless you have unlimited funds or professional towing insurance you had better think about liability - the court will.
Bob

[ezmarc]

I'm with you Bob oh, The boats I have towed have all been (by Erie standards) relatively short 2-3 mile pulls in less than 2 foot wave conditions. Friends will get the whole pull no matter where they are, depending on waves. Takes a long time to go that far by the way! Came in 7 miles one time on my kicker, when no one else was out. I'll probably continue doing it, but will rig my boat a little better to handle it. One of the boats I towed threw me a tow rope which snapped and it whipped back a gave a right nice welt to one of the other boats passengers.
Someone with a 25-30 footer will just have to be happy with me hanging around though.

God, I wish this ice would disappear!

Have boat will travel

[FYI]

The storm on Leech Lake that the Maas brothers died in was in late October 1984.

[Hawgeye]

The circumstances were not clearly defined. I do not fish the waters of Erie so I cannot relate to that situation. I am an 18 footer and even on Lake of the Woods, seldom see boats above the 25 foot size. If you pay attention to my post, I did say on calm water. As for distance, it is all relative as for what the conditions are. I will still say that I have been the one in bad situations before and appreciate the one trying to help. If it is a life threatening situation, I will do my best to help regardless of whether or not I have insurance...

[cisco]

I towed an old wooden Thompson 25 footer with a 21 SportCraft I/O about 2 miles. It was not easy.

Incidentally, I know of no instance when Coast Guard Station Kenosha declined to assist when called. However, lots of boaters do not want to call the CG because they know it will mean a full vessel inspection. I was always happy to know the Coast Guard was there, altho I'm not so happy with the shut down of Air Chicago for the lower basin of Lake Michigan.

Budget considerations pale quickly in comparison with human life.

[Frank from TBay]

I will always help. The waters we fish on do not have a lot of traffic. Most of the lakes are smaller but things can still happen. A lot of guys push the envelope on the night bite and if they have problems they would have to spend the night on the lake. My next door neighbour out at the lake always knows when I'm out and likewise and also where. This is always a nice comfortable feeling. I have never accepted anything for helping a guy out. I have a beer with the man and call it a day. However this is a little different from the other posts. I think I would take a Power Squadron Course if I boated on the big water to learn all the angles. There are a lot of safety issues involved in towing and rendering assistance.
Stay Safe: Frank

[Paul]

Been in all situations. Towed a sailboat in and the idiot just watched had a fight with his old lady while the kid watched and didn't even try to steer his rudder. Never tow again unless it's a buddy. Also called for a tow for another idiot who didn't have any money and the towing service had me stay till they got there. Lost an hour of fishing. Althogh the towing service did give me a years worth of free towing got a card in the mail within a week.Have been towed in also they were very professional and effeiciant cost a small fortune.I now have towing insurance from boat us and glad to say haven't had to use it.

[Boatnut]

Frank,
Safe boating classes will benefit you whether you boat on small, inland waters or the "big water".
A sorry statistic is that only about 10% of boaters have ever taken a safe boating course. Kinda scary to think that 90% of the boats out there are being operated by people without any formal training!
Also, it will help reduce your insurance rates.

Mike(boatnut)

[Hans]

What-EVER!!!!!!

If you feel uncomfortable with your seamanship abilities, don't do it, but nobody has yet sued me for doing them a favor.

On average it seems I end up towing 1 or 2 boats every summer, most under 5 miles, but one tow last summer was about 14 miles on Superior.

Hans

[drb]

This is an interesting topic. I have towed in a few boats and question if I'll do it again. The first time I towed a guy and his 10 y\o son in at Erie. It was late March and getting dark and he was asking for help and nobody would give it to him. I only had a 17' Lund with a 60 hp outboard but agreed to help. I assumed he launched were I did, right at Marblehead, but to my suprise he was a couple miles away. Needless to say it was a long tow.In hindsight I'm glad that I could help but my cold, dark, wavy ride back to the launch was #####. The next incident that comes to mind was at my cottage in northern WI. I had my same Lund with my three young neices and saw a family disabled in the middle of a 2500 acre lake. They asked for a tow and stated that it was "just in the bay" which was very close. Well they needed to get much further than I anticipated. I towed them nice and slow, was thanked and began to leave when my outboard shutdown. Now I was dead in the water with three little girls. Luckily my bowmount was able to limp me back to my dock. Both of these instances were caused by the owners of the diabled boats laziness and stupidity ( out of fuel and dead battery). My outboard only had overheated but I was concerned that I damaged ny motor to help these people. From now on I'll give a ride to shore or call for help for them.

[bob oh]

Hans, I'll match my seamanship abilities against yours any day, but I will never try to match your sarcastic replies or nasty disposition.
Have a nice day,
Bob

[cisco]

My Power Squadron certificate gives me a 10% discount with State Farm. In spite of that, it's a great course. I would go even further and endorse the notion of licenses for boat operators. I know, I'll hear cries about "freedom" and "rights," but in my opinion it is as important as motor vehicles on the roadways.

[Frank from TBay]

Thanks for the info guys. The power squadron course sound like it would be extremely informative.OOpps my partners here....Gone Fishing!!!!
LOL