G-Force

This weekend I was tied up to about 15 other boats (about 8 big cruisers, the rest smaller boats) when this moron in a 34' SeaRay motors in front and gets someones anchor line wrapped around his prop. I watch for about 30 minutes as the guy is just sitting there, his boat being held by 5 guys as the waves roll in, putting his boat in gear trying to "unwind" the rope.
Frikkin' asinine. I grab my very sharp knife and wander over. The anchor is still attached to the line, and the line is really wrapped around the shaft, just behind the prop - and it's wrapped up TIGHT. I tell them to cut the anchor off the rope, and then me and another guy spend the next 25 minutes diving under his boat taking turns trying to cut the rope free. Meanwhile this guy is blocking the entire line of boats, and his front end is swinging everywhere. Lucky for him a bunch of kids held on to the boat while we were working on it.
Long story short - we finally got the rope cut. The jag just kind of waves at us and leaves. WTF??!!
My rule of thumb on the water is that someday it might be me out there needing a hand - I've towed guys for 2 hours and refused any type of payment - I just tell them to help the next guy that is broke down.
But I swear if I see that guy out there again - he can just run aground and call for a tow.
So what's the nice thing YOU'VE done and gotten nothing but doggie doo-doo for your effort?

Waterfoul

Can't say I've ever got doggy doo for my effort. I've towed a LOT of people (and in turn, have been towed too). I've had people throw money in my boat and walk away because I wouldn't take it. Oh well. Paid for my slip that night I guess. But I never ask for money, and I always refuse it. Now, if they wanna give me a cold beer........LOL!!!!

Gary Anderson

Never forget:
No good deed goes unpunished.
Gary

Secret F233

A real Mariner has class enough to help & be helped.

Sounds like you got a newbee that day G

Laveyman

A few years back I was on a houseboat for a weekend-long bachelor party. On Sunday afternoon I was shuttling a group of guys from the houseboat to the marina so they could go home. Enroute, we ran into one of those huge summer monsoon t-storms.

We're making headway into 4-5' seas with 50 MPH+ winds when we see a POS rental pontoon boat blowing sideways across the lake. There's a single woman and about 4 kids on it. As we get closer, we see a second female in the water about 100 yards upwind from the pontoon, trying to catch up with the boat as the storm blew it away from her. When we were aboput 50 yards away, we now see the woman is drowning! We get to her as fast as possible. Two guys dive in and pulled her out, literally saving her life. The stupid biotch told us she jumped overboard to retrieve one of those styrofoam beer can coolies that blew over in the storm.

We try to meet up with the pontoon, but it just too rough so we tell the driver to meet us at shore and we'll pass the rescued lady there. As we near shore, the woman refused to jump out of my boat, even though we were in less than 10' of water and could see bottom. She kept asking me to get closer to shore. When I did...CLUNK, CLUNK, CLUNK. There goes my prop on a huge rock!!!

To make things worse, the bimbo then jumps out of my boat and SWIMS back out to the pontoon that is idling in about 50' of water, even though she wouldn't jump into less than 10' less than a minute earlier. She never said thank you, f$&k you, sc@#w you, can I pay for your prop...NOTHING AT ALL.

Hindsight being 20/20, we should've let Darwin's Theory take it's natural course on this skanked out desert wench!

Pure Energy

Boater etiquette, help those in need! If you do not get a proper show of appreciation then know that you are the better person. If they are stranded again, then

1. They probably deserve it because they are not concerned about operating a reliable vessel.

2. Do not offer assistance but call Sea Tow or the Coast Guard.

This still makes you the better person.

I have been stranded and very happy that someone would inconvenience themselves to help.

Wally

iTrader: (1)

the ONLY time i dont help people with their boats is at the launch ramp! Seams like evey person at the ramp knows what they are doing and they'll be damned if someone tells them what to do! Even if its the proper way or will save them some time! Case in point this weekend at Diversey harbor launching the Scarab. We sat inline for close to 45min while this joker of a kid tried his best to get peopel launched. He actually had a good idea of having one ramp striclty for jetskiis, one ramp for launching and one for retrievel. So for the most part things were ok till you get the occasional guy who "has been boating all his life" yet cant back a trailer down the ramp if his life was on the line! Or even better are the A$$holes who sit there in line waiting their turn only to pull up to the ramp and THEN start to get the boat ready!!! I was about to jump out of my skin i was so pissed!!! he didnt even have the straps taken off the transom and he's backing to the ramp!?!?! WTF??? I think we need a "review board" at the ramps standing around with bats to "teach" these guys how to do things properly!!! ARGHHH!!! whew....that venting did me some good!

Anyway back to helping people out on the water.......i Always stop to check on someone if they look like they need it. More then a few time people have offered money and i will always refuse the first time. But if they insist who am i to turn down money! I know i would offer it to someone if i was to be helped as well!

Chart

Rember, as boaters on the water, we have to help save someones life if they are in trouble. We DON'T have to help save their boat. That's a judgement call.

Playn

I have to say that everyone I have ever helped has been very grateful. I believe it is more the rule than the exception.

russ7r

I helped a guy this past holiday weekend (thurs) jump his boat while at the dock...he was just sitting there asking people to jump him. I didnt have my cables with me but I was kind enough to walk about a .5 mi to get them. I than connected them up for him and asked him to let it charge for a few min before he tried to start it. While waiting he stated that they are dead after two days, I said why dont you put a shut off switch in than. He stated the guy he bought it from said he shouldnt need one so he wasnt going to put one in. Anyway he waited about a min and tried several times to get it started and than after the fourth or fifth time I hear it start, all I hear next it the other end of the cables hitting the dock and him hammering it away from the dock. I look up and see one end of my cables just sparking away. On Sun I was coming in and this Jacka$$ was backing down the dock to put in and cant back to save his butt, my Dad was there just laughing watching him back up. I walked over to my truck and backed into the water, pulled out as he was just getting off the trailer. I than watched him ask people for a jump again as I dried off and put my straps on....I wanted to pull his drain plug so bad!