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First sail of 2018, and helped a unknown. Boat own

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cudamank
1st Mate

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USA
55 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/04/2018 : 18:52:59

Took my oldest out today on our first sail of 2018. 55 degrees and only light winds on millerton lake. He had a blast and quality time well spent. He is 21 and going to school for a career in welding and machine work.

We got about 2.5 hours of actual sailing in.

On the way down the dock aftewards, we noticed another newer Catalina 25 with a cockpit almost full to the threshold with water. I went over and was able to clean off the cockpit drains and stayed till it was empty. My scubbards go straight out the back. His or her drains go straight down and empty below water line.

Not sure of the proper etiquette to step aboard someone else's boat, but didn't want it to get any possible water damange. Will notify marina tomorrow.

1982 Catalina 25 SR FK
"Jenny"

Edited by - cudamank on 03/04/2018 18:56:06

BKPC25
1st Mate

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USA
74 Posts

Response Posted - 03/04/2018 : 20:00:51

Very nice of you, that is how all sailers should be. We all help each other out. "We are in the same boat."

1973 C22 #1803 "Baby Adalynne"
(1979 C25 #1389 "Adalynne")
Instagram: #sailingadalynne
https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCQCd-egRgoAJi6fUvgEvI_A
Lake Travis, Austin, TX

sethp001
Mainsheet C-25 Tech Editor

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814 Posts

Response Posted - 03/04/2018 : 21:51:55

Yeah - kudos!

Seth
"Outlier" 1987 Catalina 25 SR/SK/Traditional Interior #5541
"Zoo" 1977 Morgan Out Island 30
"Nomad" 1980 Prindle 16
"Lost" 1988 Catalina Capri 14.2 (sold - yay!)
"Marine Tex 1" Unknown Origin POS 8' Fiberglass Dinghy
https://whichsailboat.com/2014/07/27/catalina-25-review/

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3367 Posts

Response Posted - 03/05/2018 : 04:54:12

You are da hero !

But this does bring up a subject sort of for debate. During past years, I have done some simple good deeds such as replace a dock line that had frayed and allowed the boat to swing out - This on an adjacent boat. Another boat, where the owners were out-of-towners and only had visited the boat perhaps a couple of times during a 5-6 year period, their companionway way door had swung open and so I secured it closed.

But the issue is there is always a chance that some unfortunate thing happens while doing a good deed and can wind up backfiring on you...so anytime considering going onboard to alleviate a deficiency is a time to consider if better to just inform the marina and let them square it away. I have seen some sailboats that had their furling genoa slightly unravel in high winds and since this was not attended to in a timely manner, the sail was in shreds. I recall informing the marina and they secured it but not sufficiently - They also contacted the owner that then failed to come down in a timely manner. There is a boat aways from mine but on same main dock and the boat has no scuppers and no canvas cover to prevent rainwater filling the cockpit. Compounding this is that the cockpit only has about a 2" lip separating the cockpit from the cabin. Every time I pass by the sailboat, I can see that the water is oftentimes flirting with going over the lip and I know it has at one time or another since the boat sometimes has a list sloping down to the bow. When I started mentioning about it to the marina mgr, he interrupted me since he was well aware from others which boat was at issue.

I know this is not related to subject except it illustrates what can sometimes happen when doing a good deed - If you can call this a good deed .......Many, many years ago, I was on a long term field assignment and renting an apartment, 70 miles southwest of Chicago. I was part of large group of engineers assembling a piping re-inspection package for the soon to be licensed (at that time new), Braidwood Nuclear Power Station. During the last week of renting the apartment, the dinette overhead lamp fixture light bulb had to be replaced. I guess I could have called the owner to replace it....but it was just a light bulb ! I bought a new bulb and as I was replacing the old bulb, this old overhead lamp fixture broke. I informed the owner and then it was time for me to head home after about 9 months living in the apartment. Based on my lease, my security deposit would be returned to me about a month later...and so I was back home when I received the balance of my security minus the cost for a new fixture ! Just did not seem appropriate given this was a real old fixture. But the thing is, you never know who you are dealing with and what spin they put on things when things go South !

I am sure the owner of that sailboat has got to be appreciative of your efforts. Probably most would be...but I sometimes hesitate to assist directly, especially if I have to go onboard another vessel - Sometimes opt for just informing the marina mgr. (I still remember that light bulb fiasco !)

Larry
'89 Robin's Nest#5820, Potomac River/Quantico, Va
http://catalina25.homestead.com/olarryr.html

Edited by - OLarryR on 03/05/2018 04:56:57

hewebb
Admiral

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USA
761 Posts

Response Posted - 03/05/2018 : 06:09:28

There was a boat sinking at our marina that the owner hadn't visited in a few years. We opened it up and pumped it out twice in two years. The owner returned to town and found his boat companion way no longer locked and raised a real fuss-even after it was explained about the sinking and pump out. We no longer help owners not known to us personally. His boat is sinking as we speak. As most marinas, there are several boats that the owners rarely see and even more that never sail. Luckily I sail with a very active group and we look out for each others boats.

1988 WK/SR w/inboard diesel Joe Pool Lake
Hobie 18 Lake Worth

Life is not a dress rehearsal. You will not get another chance.

islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3992 Posts

Response Posted - 03/05/2018 : 12:19:16

Although it is was nice to help the guy out if it were me and I didn't know the person or the boat I would just tell the Marina office about it and let them handle the problem. You never know about some people and your well intended actions could come back and bite you in the a.s. My Marina has it written in the contract that they can take action and bill the owner.Its a good deterrent to those owners who park a boat and never take responsibility for maintaining it and instead rely on others to do it for them.

quote:
WHEN VESSEL IS IN DANGER: If the Vessel is in danger as defined below, the Owner hereby authorizes the Marina to take reasonable
and appropriate actions, at the Owners expense, to mitigate the danger. A Vessel shall be deemed to be in danger when it poses a threat
of sinking, burning, capsizing, causing a hazard to navigation, causing unlawful pollution, causing damage to Marina property or that of
other Marina customers, or if, in the Marina�s judgment, the Vessel poses any similar threat. The Owner agrees to be bound by the
Marina�s actions and shall be fully responsible for all related expenses incurred.

Scott-"IMPULSE"87'C25/SR/WK/Din.#5688
Sailing out of Glen Cove,L.I Sound

Edited by - islander on 03/05/2018 14:07:07

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5231 Posts

Response Posted - 03/05/2018 : 19:21:51

As the old saying goes, �No good deed goes unpunished !�
This is also a risk when you�re out sailing and you find someone in distress.
One day a few years back a summer rental guy and family also rented a 35 foot sailboat for the week. The beach they were on has a few private moorings and is about 10 foot of water at high tide. At low, the water is about 3 ft. This mooring is fine for a powerboat, but for a 4-5 ft draft sailboat, not so much.
So I sailed over just after he arrived and explained the physics to which he implied �thanks, go blow it out yer arse!� So I left and went for a sail. A few hours later wouldn�t you just know it? The rental boat was canted hard to port with the guy running around the deck with his hair on fire!
Just goes to show you what vintage film actor WC Fields once said, �never give a sucker an even break and never try and wise up a chump!� The latter portion is particularly apropos here.

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

Edited by - Voyager on 03/05/2018 19:25:38

sethp001
Mainsheet C-25 Tech Editor

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814 Posts

Response Posted - 03/06/2018 : 20:27:41

Jerks are everywhere. Don�t let an experience with a jerk prevent you from helping with a serious situation when the marina office is closed or no one else is around to help. Plenty of boaters are still decent folk and would appreciate assistance despite being embarrassed to need it.

dasreboot
Admiral

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803 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2018 : 04:59:18

I was on the other side of that. Normally I can almost sail shore to shore in aquia creek. The wing keel shallow draft and my knowledge of the creek is helpful. One afternoon I was sailing about 20 feet of a point that has a duck blind. It seems like you are WAY too close to the shore, but there is plenty of water there.
As I'm enjoying this nice leisurely sail, the only other watercraft , a jet ski, seems to be taking an undue interest in me. After a while he decides to zip on over. " Watch out it's real shallow over there!" he said. I thanked him (perhaps with a smug look on my face). That , however was not good enough. He continued " I had a sailboat before, and you are going to run aground over there!" . It's true that a 5 or 6 foot draft boat must stay near the center of the channel, but my 3 foot draft has no such restrictions. This went on for several more exchanges, he warned me, and I thanked him. I even went farther , trying to explain that I had a shallow draft. He would have none of it, and when I thought he might actually board me, he sped off in a huff , angry that I would not heed his advice. I guess the story of the stupid sailboater was the talk of his dinner table that evening.

Todd Lewis
Eowyn 87 TR/WK C25 #5656
ARWEN 84 TR/SK C25 #4031
www.mainsailsailingschool.com

cudamank
1st Mate

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USA
55 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2018 : 07:10:50

I guess it really comes down to the situation. I informed the marina, and they would keep an eye out. We haven't had any rain since, and probably wont for another week. He did tell me they just spent an hour pumping out a boat that is taking on water. The battery died, so the boats pump quit. absentee owner. Cant imagine all the things they deal with.

1982 Catalina 25 SR FK
"Jenny"

Erik Cornelison
Navigator

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USA
194 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2018 : 15:39:53

I always help another boat, I don't worry about the owner complaining about it later. Never had a problem.

Erik Cornelison
6th Generation Professional Sailor, First Gen Submarine Sailor.
1986 Standard Rig SW. #5234

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2018 : 18:38:14

As with most things it would depend. At our member owned club it goes without saying you would save the boat and possibly fix the boat. At some giant commercial marina telling the harbor Master / Bait Shop owner would probably be the best option.

Frank Hopper

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5851 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2018 : 20:41:47

I agree with Frank. It depends. I never mess with another person's boat unless it's at imminent risk of damage. If there's water in the cockpit, but it's not about to pour through the companionway hatch into the cabin, I leave it alone. I'm grateful if someone takes it upon himself to deal with an urgent problem with my boat, but if it's not an urgent problem, I'd rather deal with it myself. If the cockpit is dry when I get there, because someone emptied it, I might not even be aware that the scupper hoses are clogged.

I also wouldn't fix the gutter on my neighbor's house if it was hanging loose, but I'd turn a hose on his house if it was on fire.

Steve Milby J/24 "Captiva Wind"
previously C&C 35, Cal 25, C25 TR/FK, C22
Past Commodore

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