Assisting Other Boaters

Assisting Other Boaters...Be Polite.

Going to help another boater when they have problems on the water is the right thing to do. BUT YOU DO NOT WANT TROUBLE OUT OF IT EITHER. The first rule of thumb is you have to keep you and your boat safe also.  You do not want to damage your boat or their boat when you are trying to help.

First be friendly, ask if there is a problem. A VHF radio, cell phone or just yelling can get a lot of information.  Do this from a distance, if they are stuck on something you do not want to get stuck, or they may have someone in the water that you cannot see that your boat could injure. 

Find out if it is a life or limb emergency. If so call for the appropriate help.  Ask if there is anything you may do to help, like call for assistance or help or call for a tow. Take caution in offering advice to fix something or do something. They could come back on you for damaging their boat. You can always call for help for them. 

If they need a tow back to a dock and you are OK in doing that use their line for towing and if you have any concern on what the line goes to on their boat let them know.  Spreading the load out over two cleats is better than ripping a cleat or boat part off their boat. Let them know you will not be responsible for what they tie the line to on their boat. Tow at dead slow back to where they need to go. That is the easiest on both boats. If they do not like the speed, you can always call someone to tow them. Always be friendly about it. You are just trying to help them.

Do not lend them anything that you are not willing to have damaged or to lose. If you do call for help for them you may want to stay near till help arrives. You can keep them informed on when help will arrive. You want to be helpful but not liable. Just use common Sea Horse Sense to be helpful and be polite. Being polite goes a long way to help someone that is having a bad day.