Thoughts on a recent uneventful rescue - lessons learned

Last week I was crabbing in Trinidad with Big Buoy.  As we headed back in, we heard cries of help and saw a man in the water waiving a paddle over his head, next to Prisoner Rock on the northeast side.

As we got closer, I saw a second man was in the water.  Their WS tandem was upside down in the water next to them, very low in the water.  We assessed the situation.  They had neglected to put the drain plug in the boat.  They were appropriately dressed in immersion gear.  Drysuits, thermals, and PFDs.  They had a radio and a whistle, but for some reason didn't use either to get our attention.  It was the middle of the week, approaching noon and a fairly high tide, and there weren't too many other people out there.

Big Buoy was able to tow in the tandem and take one of the guys in on his kayak.  Without that kind of weight capacity, I towed the other guy in with him hanging on the back.  It was a slow ride in, taking nearly half an hour to cover maybe a quarter to a third of a mile while navigating kelp beds.  In the end, everyone was fine, the boat was saved, and lessons learned.

Which brings me to the point of this post - the lessons learned.

-Two guys on a tandem does not qualify as using the "buddy system".  If your boat ends up failing, you aren't much better off than if you had been alone.

-Carry a throw rope.  It was fortunate that we were crabbing, so we had rope with us. 

-Carry a spare plug.  Whether it is a tapered rubber bung, a wine cork, or some other stopper, a way to plug a drain hole would have allowed us to drain the tandem, float it, and get them back on their way.  I realized afterward that I probably could have fashioned one out of a plastic bag and a cut and formed piece of a pool noodle, which I have plenty of.

Happening so close to the launch in a relatively safe environment inside Trinidad head, this was a great learning opportunity.  I learned what items I'd have liked to have with me.  I learned how hard it is to tow someone in the water behind you, even for a short distance.  I was reminded that even the best prepared make dumb mistakes sometimes.  I learned that the buddy system should mean a companion boat, not just a companion person.

Some excellent observations, thanks for sharing that. I will be doing a couple upgrades on my included safety gear.

Spare drain plug AND bilge pump!

I always have my bige pump on the salt, and pool noodles for plugs.


Glad everything turned out for the better.

3 weekends ago my fishing buddy took this OK Malibu XL tandem out in Carmel.  I was on my Revo 13. After our fishing trip we had to do about 1.5 miles to get back to our launch site. 
A strong south wind was blowing us backwards and my buddy was making little progress. 

About half way he tells me he is exhausted and needed a tow.  We wanted to hold to my stern handle and tow him in.  I told him I will break out my tow line and pull him and asked him to keep paddling which he did.  It took us over an hour to cover 1.5 miles.

My point is never go out alone and make sure you have your safety gear with you.

Great reminder, crash.  Towing an AI loaded with crab gear, with the mast up, into a stiff wind, is not fun (but is a solid yet frustrating workout lol) 

People should know their limits, don't get greedy and overload your boats with 63 weighted pots, especially if you are physically deconditioned and out in nasty weather.

WTG, Doug.  Thanks for sharing this here.  Glad everyone was OK.

I almost always carry a wine cork. If anyone finds themselves without a drain plug, just give me a holler.

I almost always carry a wine cork. If anyone finds themselves without a drain plug, just give me a holler.

Noted and filed away for the future. I may start carrying a cork, too. I rarely ever take the drain plug out of my X-Factor, it doesn't get much water in it, I use a sponge mostly and once in awhile my bilge pump when I've dumped a bunch of wet gear in the hatch.

Nice job guys, you saved their asses!

We had a pump, radios, whistles, properly dressed ourselves, etc.  What we didn't have was the experience of having actually needed the stuff. 

This was about as good of this type of experience as anyone could hope for.

IT keeps the zinfandel from spilling out.

Great reminder, crash.  Towing an AI loaded with crab gear, with the mast up, into a stiff wind, is not fun (but is a solid yet frustrating workout lol) 

People should know their limits, don't get greedy and overload your boats with 63 weighted pots, especially if you are physically deconditioned and out in nasty weather.

What the hell. Did that dude not know how to sail or operate his AI? He should have been towing you in!

The buddy system is a great idea in theory, but for some reason I have a helluva time finding folks to get out so sometimes its not an option. So pump, breakdown paddle, radio flares and extra flotation like pool noodles seem vital.

I saw the Backwater Assault paddles at ORC this year. I'm going to get one in my stocking next month