My summer job

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
CaptG

CaptG

Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2007
Messages
2,686
Location
Otsego, Mi, USA.
Most of you know I am a charter fishing Captain on Lake Michigan in the summer. I also have a towing endorsement on my Captains license and work for Great Lakes Towing and Tow Boat U.S. on a 24/7 on call basis. Got the call yesterday morning, get to Burns Harbor, Indiana ASAP. Seems a man with his new boat made a wrong turn. Had to get air bags on the boat, a 33 foot Rinker, to keep it afloat after I pulled it off the rocks because the 3 foot by 5 foot hole in the bow let a lot of water in. The two that were on the boat got airlifted to a hospital. Boat was running about full speed when it hit the rocks. I am driving the towboat and you can not see me very well, with a fellow captain standing watch on the back of my tow-boat for me. The tow-boat is only a 22 footer, all welded aluminum, but with a 350 hp turbo-charged diesel, it will work hard. I got back home at 3:00 in the morning. Long day on the water.
 

Attachments

  • boat picture.jpg
    boat picture.jpg
    13.2 KB · Views: 319
  • boat tow.jpg
    boat tow.jpg
    40.9 KB · Views: 342
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
I gave it some thought, but did not think to pick up an Indiana fishing license and the boat next to the Coast Guard boat behind me is the Indiana DNR. Next time.
 
Call me crazy and blind in one eye and can't see outa the other...but that looks like an awfully big pile of rocks NOT to see and run into 8>)

Nice recovery..!!
 
that stuff happens around here a lot...autopilot not updated, captain not giving the attention on the action (or wrong action sometimes)

Good save. Hope they are ok and had the towing insurance
 
Akula said:
that stuff happens around here a lot...autopilot not updated, captain not giving the attention on the action (or wrong action sometimes)

Good save. Hope they are ok and had the towing insurance
Click to expand...

This was salvage, so towing insurance will not cover this. It is going to be very costly, boat is not repairable. Both occupants in the hospital, one with broken arm and leg, the other in critical condition.
 
Reminds me of a story a young friend told me about on Lake Sam Raborn down in Texas... he was on the shore in camp watching a boat that was screaming across the water... with another boat in hot pursuite....suddenly, a body bailed overboard, left the front boat running straight into shore... it hit the shore line jumped up into the trees and finally died... the chase boat slowed long enough to grab the woman that jumped overboard, drug her on board and then on after the runaway....
 
I used to see them AFTER the tow. This was when I would hear "my wife was driving the boat and...." That was one expensive tow.

As for the rocks, this is when people realize boats have NO brakes. See it all the time around here.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom