Wake Responsibility

boatbum

boatbum

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Ok, we've been to this well many times. Here is a new slant.
We are traveling South on the ICW at the average leisurely pace of 8 knots. Ok? Eight Freaking Lowly Going No Freaking Any Where Knots.
So today we hear a call on 16 about a boat out in front of us that is out of fuel. A tow eventually responds on the ICW and blows by us. Ok, we are twenty tons and he's in a twin outboard. I'd still like to be contacted on 16 for overtaking arrangements. It was tight where he passed us. Most other boats of a non professional nature contact us.
So sure enough we eventually encounter the situation and the "Hip" tow is in progress to a distant marina instead of the one located right off their location.
Ok? They are going to run the ICW and continue to another site instead of the closest marina to fill up because he is a member? I don't understand why the tow did not go to the nearest fuel dock perhaps several hundred feet away. Instead their final destination of the day was chosen?
NO ANNOUNCEMENTS are made. Ok? No one knows a tow is in progress. All anyone knows is that someone ran out of fuel. No one knows if it was a diesel that needs to have the injectors blead or whatever. Ok? No "security announcements". I've heard a number of these for tows along the way.
Knowing what is going on when we approach the area, we proceed to the far side of the channel and pull the boat back to 5 from 8 knots. Then we IDLE past in neutral. While we are idling past a third boat blasts through in between us and rocks the crap out of us all.
Guess who the tow decides to go after? At the fuel dock (we happened to pull in before them) the tow is writing down our port of call and I ask him why, and he says we are responsible for our wake. He could not get the numbers from the other boat so he is going after the big boat. So I dragged the local police into this to get statements from everyone.
This implies (to me) that we are about to be attacked one way or the other because the tow has failed to properly fend off the tow for circumstances regularly encountered on the ICW.
Did the tow get the numbers of the reckless boat passing a tow? No. Did he request a slow pass which I have found to be the norm? No. Did the tow stay to the side of the channel? No. He steered into the wakes of the boat and took them on the beam thus setting the stage for damage. Did he broadcast a request for assistance because of a boat not recognizing a tow and blowing by? No. He went for the easy mark.

Fortunately enough witnesses came forward and the police that responded gathered information that led to an apology by the owner of the tow operation. Yup he had to drive up here and talk to me.

I look at it this way. Everyone wants to make a buck. If they are towing a member on a distant call it probably is a losing proposition that means they have to find ways to mitigate the expense.

Watch your butt and take photos in these situations. I suspect you may find yourself being blindsided by an unscrupulous vendor that thinks "I could not get his numbers so I am going after you" is a legitimate business practice. He said that to us in front of my wife and believe me if there was a means to go after the company for this, we'd do it.

Even if you practice caution you can be back doored by operators that are not properly prepared to fend off a hip-tow. Six inch fenders don't cut it on the ICW.

I'm really getting fed up with the boating industry. If it wasn't for some of the hard working vendors we have dealt with along the way we'd be out.

I don't like dragging the authorities into crap like this. But the insurance company recommended it so as to get a more official record and perhaps another witness.

It's insane out there.
 
Crap, Dan, sorry to hear you had to deal with that. It sure sounds like you were operating your vessel very much responsibly. At your tonnage, your wake at 8 knots is probably quite small. Which tow boat company was it? If it's the one in cahoots with the big boating organization, I'd give them a call tomorrow and go on the offensive.

Just remember, soon you'll be back in the Bahamas where lawsuits rarely occur!

BTW, if you see a 35' Island Packet by the name of "Morning Wind" (yeah, I know, not a good choice!), they're friends of mine on their way south too. Also, a 40' Sea Ray sedan bridge by the name of Seaquel.
 
Sorry to hear your troubles Dan. I agree with Kurt. Both TowBoatUS and SeaTow are franchises. If it were me I think I'd also file a report with the corporate office and send them a copy of the police report just in case something comes of it later. Also let them know the kind of jerk their franchisee has working for them.

It's bad enough to have stuff like that happen coming from a regular knucklehead but when a "Pro" does something like that it just makes it all the more difficult to take.

FWIW, on the trip I just returned from, we had very few vessels of any size make any sort of contact when overtaking. They just blasted on by.

Anyway, I hope the rest of your trip goes a lot smoother. Where are you now? (you need a Spot or a helm cam so we can keep up with you)

Bob
 
Just for point of reference, when I traveled up the ICW in my 26 ft boat from Fl to NC, I tried to contact all vessels for passing info. I received no return calls except from the comercial tug pushing a bunch of barges. He actually requested I wait until we got around the next bend for more room. The sailboats in formation were the worst. I passed several several that had Jimmy Buffet blasting loud enough to hear across the ditch. Eventually I gave up calling and just passed when I had wide berth.
 
What happened with the traditional horn signaling technique prior to overtaking? Did you tried that?
 
Crazy story Dan. You'd think that the pros would be above that. I always like to carry a camera to document the cool moments and sights of being on the water but you bring up a good point - you can use it to record crud like that as you cover your butt. Something to think about - thanks!
 
Sorry to read your story.

Running out of fuel is no emergency, unless there is a risk of being blown onshore. Anchor your boat & wait.

Towing 'on the hip' in a busy area over a long distance is just asking for trouble. Tow inline then go on the hip for docking.

I'm not sure how one overtakes another "at idle" but surely they would have noticed who created the real wake.
 
Go after the guy who has money...
Although a great many of the tow boat guys are professionals, some of them dont even know what the word means...
 
You almost have to have a video camera at the ready to try to defend yourself these days.

Such a shame that people are a-holes.
 
In this neck of the woods if you contacted a boat about a pass the doctor would be the next call. You would give everybody a heart attach.

In the 32 odd years I have been boating I have never heard a single passing call.

George
 
quote:
Originally posted by Cpt. Harold

What happened with the traditional horn signaling technique prior to overtaking? Did you tried that?

Click to expand...


Last time I tried that all I got was an extended middle digit.

Bob
 
one honk means your mad
two honks means your twice as mad
5 honks means get the heck out of the way
one long and two shorts means the horn button is failing
 
Aways make the radio call for a passing on the CORRECT frequency and always make the horn/light signal. If the other guy doesn't comply, then that is his mistake. Make the radio call, you never know who is listening/recording. Most commercial boats have a black box that records radio calls, radar output, vessel heading, vessel speed, vessel position, rudder angle, engine rpm's and shaft direction. The USCG records traffic on channel 16, 22 and other channels as needed.
 
incredible story.

as to passing signals, they are mandatory and set by the colregs.... now indeed if you're going to use them, on VHF or horn for instance on a busy sunday on the ICW in ft Liquordale, good luck! most boats have weak horns you can't hear 30' away although here on Charmer it's the other way around, everybody withing 300' jumps up and spills their drinks when i press the horn button!

a majority of the boats traveling on the ICW reply when asked for a pass, even sailboats. Among those who don't are week end / local boaters when you run on week ends.

in a case when someone wakes you and operates recklessly, a securite call naming the offending vessel can work wonder, and CYA in case like yours.

a few months ago, we were waked on the hook by a towboatUS speeding to reach an out of fuel boater before SeaTow. he passed within 50' half on plane (not a rib but a 30' inboard), rocking up and other nearby boats. his "defense" was that his lights were on... I also called him on 16... he arrived on scene, 1/2 mile away after the yellow boat and didn't get the job. so he comes back, slowly, and start cussing at us... his final argument was "if you ever need a tow, dont' call me".
 
Guys as I learn more from the insurance company who has promised to relate input from all parties, I will publish what they report to me and what they allow me to make public. All I know at this point is that the owner of the franchise publicly apologised for accusations made by the captain. He scared the crap out of my wife. He made our lives miserable for several hours. The stress level was quite high.

As far as the damage involved I cannot say. I have no idea when it occured. I have photos of it as pointed out by the owner of the boat, and photos of the boats involved in the tow. The owner of that damaged boat claimed the tow was responsible and that he had 50+ years of boating.

Normally in ugly passing situations we take photos. I have some from today. A Bertram blew by us at 15 knots while we were idling.

The purpose of this thread is to alert people to the practice of operators to seek any means of compensation they can to mitigate the overhead of doing business. As said earlier having video of these cases is appropriate. You never know when you are going to be blind sided.

So even though they park in the middle of a channel to collect data, insurance carriers, identification, and member numbers you are at risk of responsibility. Even though you are passing slowly, cirumstances may occur that make you the victim. Be aware and be cautious.

Defend yourself.

I know we have a good insurance company. I have great faith in them for a number or reasons. What I totally dispise is someone who attempts to abuse them for the sake of their business and (IMHO) lack of preparation for the job they take on. This is what makes our policies expensive.
 
quote:
Originally posted by PascalG

a few months ago, we were waked on the hook by a towboatUS speeding to reach an out of fuel boater before SeaTow. he passed within 50' half on plane (not a rib but a 30' inboard), rocking up and other nearby boats. his "defense" was that his lights were on... I also called him on 16... he arrived on scene, 1/2 mile away after the yellow boat and didn't get the job. so he comes back, slowly, and start cussing at us... his final argument was "if you ever need a tow, dont' call me".

Click to expand...


Wow, Pascal, that's pretty interesting too. A true professional, not! It's amazing what sorts of people there are out there. Good thing this guy doesn't carry a badge (hopefully).
 
No, actually, if you ever need a tow, DO call him. No, better yet call his boss. AFTER you call a different tow company. Remind them of why they lost the job.
 
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