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13 Ways to Make Your Tow Less Stressful
- Thread starter BrentB
- Start date
gulfcoast john
New member
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2012
- Messages
- 1,062
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- 0
- C Dory Year
- 2010
- C Dory Model
- 255 Tomcat
- Vessel Name
- Cat O' Mine
I find it hard to disagree with any of those points, try as I might as a generally Disagreeable Person and proud of it. One glance at the bow eye and any tow captain can tell whether to use it. He towed us at over 9 MPH through chop.
My forum search skills are not in the top 50%, but it seems we're the only Brats to need SeaTow and post about it (in a TC255 Tom Cat, no less). Rescued by a SeaTow captain with a Twin Vee 24 cat and twin Suzuki 250's (the Shame!).
USCG requirements don't require boaters to have a marine VHF radio (as cheap as $78 for a Cobra handheld 5w) or even an anchor +line ($75 or less). If you can't afford a cheap VHF and a cheap anchor and know how to use both, then you can't afford a boat...any boat, and you shouldn't be on the water.
I always strive to be as Politically Incorrect as possible, but I still note that the article refers to ALL tow captains as males. I know there are some female Captains and boaters that could teach me a thing or 100, and I admit it.
Thanks for posting!
Happy Boating!
John
My forum search skills are not in the top 50%, but it seems we're the only Brats to need SeaTow and post about it (in a TC255 Tom Cat, no less). Rescued by a SeaTow captain with a Twin Vee 24 cat and twin Suzuki 250's (the Shame!).
USCG requirements don't require boaters to have a marine VHF radio (as cheap as $78 for a Cobra handheld 5w) or even an anchor +line ($75 or less). If you can't afford a cheap VHF and a cheap anchor and know how to use both, then you can't afford a boat...any boat, and you shouldn't be on the water.
I always strive to be as Politically Incorrect as possible, but I still note that the article refers to ALL tow captains as males. I know there are some female Captains and boaters that could teach me a thing or 100, and I admit it.
Thanks for posting!
Happy Boating!
John
thataway
Active member
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2003
- Messages
- 21,622
- Reaction score
- 14
- C Dory Year
- 2007
- C Dory Model
- 25 Cruiser
- Hull Identification Number
- DOR25652A707
- Vessel Name
- thataway
The major comment I would make about the article is the comment about giving Lat and Long:
I believe that we all came to the conclusion that Degrees, minutes/decimal minutes was the way that CG gave co-ordinates, and the way that many of our GPS units give GPS position.
If the Tow Boat operator cannot change decimal minutes to minutes and seconds-he does not belong in a tow boat! The person calling for rescue, needs to know what units he is giving.
Right now there is a 46 foot sailboat with 3 souls aboard missing for 11 days on route from Ft. Meyers to Dauphine Island--a distance of about. 415 nautical miles. This distance should be covered in a sailboat that size in less than 3 days.
There was a "ping" from one the cell phones aboard on a cell phone tower near Caravelle. We hope that they are found and safe. But that goes back to having proper communication gear: at the least a PLB--also a Delorme InReach--with texting ability, a Sat phone or some SSB radio--when out of V'HF and cell phone range.
. For your own good, you’re best off if you can provide an exact latitude and longitude expressed in degrees, minutes, and seconds rather than in the decimal lat/long format commonly used by some GPS receivers, chartplotters, and cellphone apps. It may not seem that difficult for towboat operators to convert from one to the other, but to them it’s a distraction.
I believe that we all came to the conclusion that Degrees, minutes/decimal minutes was the way that CG gave co-ordinates, and the way that many of our GPS units give GPS position.
If the Tow Boat operator cannot change decimal minutes to minutes and seconds-he does not belong in a tow boat! The person calling for rescue, needs to know what units he is giving.
Right now there is a 46 foot sailboat with 3 souls aboard missing for 11 days on route from Ft. Meyers to Dauphine Island--a distance of about. 415 nautical miles. This distance should be covered in a sailboat that size in less than 3 days.
There was a "ping" from one the cell phones aboard on a cell phone tower near Caravelle. We hope that they are found and safe. But that goes back to having proper communication gear: at the least a PLB--also a Delorme InReach--with texting ability, a Sat phone or some SSB radio--when out of V'HF and cell phone range.