WATERFRONT
Wisdom from a Coast Guard commander; a Bimini rendezvous; the most stylish boat, and more.
WHAT IS THE MOST COMMON SAFETY MISTAKE BOATERS MAKE?
I was the search-and-rescue coxswain for one of the deadliest boating disasters in Miami-Dade County and it happened on July 4th last year. Unfortunately there were several folks that didn’t survive the accident. [A 32-foot Contender broadsided a Carrera and a Boston Whaler after a fireworks display. Alcohol was believed to be a factor in the crash that claimed four lives and left others severely injured.] When I got on one of the boats to assist, I saw life jackets packed underneath the seats. Two of the bodies we recovered the next day weren’t wearing life jackets. You want to know what my biggest pet peeve is? It’s seeing a life jacket tucked under a seat or still in the plastic wrapper. It’s the equivalent of planning to put your seat belt on after an accident. It’s a misconception when people say, “Oh I have a life jacket aboard, I’ll be safe.” I’ve seen too many incidents where people had the safety equipment on the boat but they weren’t using it or wearing it properly.
HOW CAN BOATERS PREPARE FOR AN EMERGENCY?
Often, when people have an emergency onboard, it’s a high stress time. And the first two questions we will ask is, “What is your position and nature of distress?” Getting that info passed clearly and in an understandable fashion is going to be pivotal in helping us orchestrate the recovery effort. If you say, “Help, help, I’m sinking,” and we ask your position and you say “offshore,” that’s a big offshore. Being able to tell us exactly where you are is the first key. The nature of your call is also crucially important. Someone who is out of gas is going to get a different rescue package than someone who is having chest pains and blurred vision.
BESIDES A PFD, WHAT IS A PIECE OF SAFETY GEAR EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE ABOARD?
One of the most important pieces of safety equipment isn’t on the boat; it’s a floatplan. Too many times we find out a day later that someone didn’t come home, and now they’ve been adrift for 12 to 16 hours. It makes it
very difficult to narrow down a search pattern and find a boater quickly. I have a success story though: Once we had a boater from West Palm Beach who filed a float plan and after an hour of missing his return time, his wife called the Coast Guard and we found him within two hours about 15 to 20 miles from where he said he would be because he’d drifted into the Gulf Stream. Had he not filed a floatplan he would have ended up in Jacksonville before we found him. It could have been days. Download a sample floatplan at www.pmymag.com/sept15.
WHAT MISTAKES DO BOATERS MAKE WHEN DEALING WITH ONBOARD EMERGENCIES?
People should not expect the kind of response time that they do on land. If you call 911 you’ll have an ambulance in 10 to 15 minutes. If you’re 20 miles offshore and you call, “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday,” getting a boat there in 15 minutes is not a realistic expectation. Boaters are always their first, best line of defense. Knowing first aid, having a first-aid kit, and knowing how to use it can save lives. [For more on this topic, turn to Tactics, page 50] The biggest mistake I see is people who think it will never happen to them. No one leaves the pier thinking they’re the next accident. Another common medical mistake is not having medication aboard. If someone is a diabetic and needs regular medicine, you better have it with you. Another mistake is not letting the crew know where the emergency supplies are, especially if the captain gets hurt. If, for example, a dad gets hurt and he’s the only one who knows how to drive the boat and use safety equipment, you might have a real problem.
IF YOU COULD TELL THE ENTIRE BOATING PUBLIC ONE THING, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Nobody leaves the pier thinking they’re going to be my next search and rescue. Of all my post-rescue interviews, the common theme is they didn’t think it could happen to them. I spend my life on the water. My motto is Semper Paratus [always prepared]. Theirs should be too.
For the full interview visit www.pmymag.com/sept15