No Direction Known
This past weekend, a friend of mine unexpectedly lost his steering ability on his small powerboat, a disconcerting experience at least and a potentially disastrous one at worst. Some lessons he learned included:
Perform a VHF radio check before exiting your home waterway to ensure you have access to responsive help if necessary – new equipment may have a different interface than replaced equipment, and emergencies are difficult times to get educated.
Check your anchor and line to confirm both are within reach and ready to be put to use quickly-anchor lines not used frequently can get kinks and snarls, even when stowed properly, which can cause deployment issues.
Be clear on the best way for you to reach out to get support, likely VHF or smartphone, and note any critical communication information, such as 1-800 phone numbers, in large legible print – small, illegible numbers while operating in direct sunlight can be difficult to read.
Many fellow boaters perceive someone waving their arms as a sign of friendliness, not distress, so know where an operational signaling horn is secured so you can alert folks to your predicament.
Have long strong lines and protective bumpers within reach to support rescue operations.- no sense in adding to the repair bill.
Finally, be as calm and patient as possible, and recognize that sometimes the wheels of progress, even in emergencies, turn slowly.
