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Thread: Knowing when to ask for help

  1. #1
    Trapper Fraxinus's Avatar
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    Knowing when to ask for help

    On Saturday I met up with a good friend to spend the day on her boat in the Swale, an area of sea that has a number of creeks and rivers entering into it between the north kent coast and the Isle of Sheppey.
    The plan was to take photo's of the Thames Barges and Sailing Smacks that had gathered for the Swale Match, a series of races held annually, then to do a spot of fishing and foraging as the tide allowed for marsh samphire and oysters etc.
    The day was not to go to plan.
    The weather forecast was just right, the tides good and we set off in good spirits thinking of fish for lunch with samphire sides.
    Out of the creek and into the Swale in search of the boats we went and very soon found a smack that had gone aground at speed, later when the tide was out we could see it high on a sand bar that must be fairly recent in the making as we were not aware it was that high previously.
    Shortly after we past the stuck smack our engine stopped. After some persuasion my friend got it going again and we decided to head back, just in case.
    Five minutes later it stopped again, we employed the same tactics as before to no avail, then changed the spark plug, then cleaned the old one and tried again.
    I took up the oars, in order to row ashore as my friend worked on the engine. I managed to keep us into a now gathering chop, wind picking up and ebbing tide meant I could only maintain our position.
    It was obvious the plugs were okay and fuel starvation was not the issue, we agreed it must be electrical but with waves now breaking over the bow and soaking us stripping the engine down further could mean losing bits overboard.

    A call was made to her friend on the committee boat to ask for assistance but they had nothing available of shallow enough draft to reach us, as we were over the Whitstable Flats. We deployed the anchor so we could rest and went over our options.
    We were getting water over the bow regularly, the chop was getting bigger, we had no chance at fixing the engine in these conditions and if we stayed put till low tide the constant soaking may make us too cold to effect a fix or even cause hypothermia.

    I put a call into the Coastguard.

    Neither of us wanted to, it was better to make the call at that time than wait until we were in dire need of assistance, which may have compounded the amount of help we would have required.

    Over the handheld VHF we heard an "all stations" call go out to the boats in our area but there were none of shallow enough draft to assist, we had dropped a line to find we were in 6 to 8 feet and dropping of water. Whitstable inshore lifeboat responded after hearing no one closer could assist.
    They towed us to a fishing boat who kindly took us past the Faversham Spit Buoy and then by their tender up the creek to await high tide to enable us to get ashore.
    Our thanks to them all.

    The title says, "Knowing when to ask for help" but may well be about swallowing one's pride: the last thing we wanted to do was give in and make that call but common sense took over and we have an interesting story to tell rather than a possible obituary told by others. If you need assistance ask for it, the people that come to your aid do so willingly, you only look foolish if you fail to ask.

    atb
    Rob.

  2. #2
    Tribal Elder BJ's Avatar
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    The coastguard and inshore life boats do an outstanding job and would much rather effect a rescue than a recovery of bodies. Glad you are safe and did the right thing.
    “For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.”

  3. #3
    Natural Born Bushcrafter saxonaxe's Avatar
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    Good sensible decision Rob. A simple tow to safety rather than an all out rescue because you didn't make the call early enough.

  4. #4
    Ent FishyFolk's Avatar
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    I am islander. Not a family here who has not got a member who is breathing today because of the SAR rescue boats and helicopters...

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  5. #5
    Tribal Elder Kernowek Scouser's Avatar
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    I agree with the comments above. Asking for help is often the hardest thing to do and it is a decision that can be made harder, if in different circumstances you believe you could get yourself out difficulty.

    So I take my hat off to you sir, for making the call to the Coastguard and I follow that with a little bow, for having the courage to post your experience here (and it does take courage to do so).

    I am sure one of the several NB members who are also volunteers for RNLI/SAR/MR will add there thoughts in due course, but for me, making the call early, when you have determined there is little you can do to help yourself, is eminently preferable to making the call late, when conditions are dire and it is not only your life at risk, but the lives of those heading out to help you.

    A big to you for making a good call in a difficult situation and a big to all the volunteers out there, who give their time to help in such situations.

    Atb.

    Colin
    Ansum La

  6. #6
    Native beermaker's Avatar
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    sounds like you made an excellent decision based on sound seamanship there. Absolutely no point in hoping against hope, and as previously stated, the coastguard and other SAR teams would rather rescue people than bodies. You did all the right stuff (attempt to fix problem yourself, attempted other means, contacted nearby boats, dropped anchor to maintain position, evaluated the conditions and called the appropriate assistance in a timely manner) so all credit due.

    I've regularly provided powerboat patrol cover during racing and cruising events and some of the situations people get into through little more than pride can beggar belief, especially in racing. Sometimes we've had to intervene for everyones safety against their wishes so its pleasing to hear about people making good judgement calls.

  7. #7
    Trapper Fraxinus's Avatar
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    Thanks for your replies guys, I posted in the hope it would show there is no shame in asking for assistance and your replies have reinforced that fact.
    I hope that this thread will encourage readers to make a timely decision, if they ever have to, regardless of terrain.

    Rob.

  8. #8
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    Good call, made at the right time and you at least had alternative means of propulsion and the means to summon help in the first place.......and yes I'd much rather carry off a live person than a corpse anyday.
    [

  9. #9
    Tribal Elder Rasputin's Avatar
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    Its all been said, good call
    Ne te confundant illigitimi It is always a pleasure to see what you can make !, instead of buying it ready made. R Proenneke.

  10. #10
    Ranger OakAshandThorn's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fraxinus View Post
    The title says, "Knowing when to ask for help" but may well be about swallowing one's pride: the last thing we wanted to do was give in and make that call but common sense took over and we have an interesting story to tell rather than a possible obituary told by others. If you need assistance ask for it, the people that come to your aid do so willingly, you only look foolish if you fail to ask.
    +1 Better to put aside one's ego than have it be his/her downfall.
    Glad both of you are OK.
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