Bailing out boaters

Problems onboard? Sea Tow, a commercial towing service, comes to the rescue.

[Times photo: Bill Serne]

Capt. Orlen Oakleaf secures the Sea Tow rescue boat he captains and keeps at Lighthouse Point Marina.

ST. PETERSBURG - One would suspect that beginning boaters get into the most trouble on the water. Not true, says Michele Burney, a captain with Sea Tow Tampa Bay.

"Statistically speaking, it is the experienced boater, men ages 35 to 50, with an average of 15 years experience, that make the most requests for on-the-water assistance," said Burney, who also serves on the board of the Marine Industries Association of Greater Tampa Bay.

The volume and duration of runs by experienced boaters produce more calls for assistance to Sea Tow, a commercial towing service. And Burney, who has been boating for more than 30 years, has seen it all. But there are four common problems that surface again and again:

BATTERY FAILURE: On a given weekend, Sea Tow will receive numerous calls from boaters wanting to jump-start their vessels because the battery is dead.

"Some of these boaters are at safe dock when they call, requesting assistance to leave safe dock and go out on the water," Burney said. "On-the-water assistance means helping a stranded boater get off the open water and back to safe dock. Not the reverse."

Boaters should never get a jump to leave safe port. There are several reasons that batteries go dead. It could be a charging system problem, faulty wiring or just a bad battery.

Burney recalled a recent case when a boater off Port Manatee got a jump-start after he pulled anchor and found his boat wouldn't start. Sea Tow responded and got it started, but instead of returning to port, the man kept fishing. Two hours later, he called for help again. This time he was drifting in the shipping channel near Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

"Never leave a safe port if you have battery problems," Burney said.

FORGOTTEN PLUG: This has happened to every boater at least once. You pull the drain plug from the transom to drain the boat but forget to put it back in.

"The water entering the boat from the drain plug may not be noticed as you prepare to leave the dock because many boats have a false floor," Burney said. "You may not notice the problem until you are well under way and far from shore or shallow water."

The best way to avoid sinking your boat is to get into a routine to replace the plug. Make it a regular habit to check the bilge area before leaving.

If you discover the plug is out when you are are out on the water, put a life jacket on. Then pull anchor or leave as quickly as possible, which will stop the flow of water into the bilge area.

On-the-water assistance or towing memberships do not cover saving a sinking boat or righting it after it is capsized or sunk. This is considered salvage and is covered by most boat insurance policies.

Burney recalled a recent case involving a 17-foot open fisherman that started sinking after the owner forgot to replace the plug.

"Cost to dewater and the tow the vessel to the nearest boat ramp: $850," Burney said. "Putting in the plug before leaving the dock - priceless."

NO BOATING KNOWLEDGE: Many boaters don't know the basics of boating, such as the names for different parts of their watercraft.

One boater recently received an expensive lesson in Boating 101 when he learned that the stainless piece of hardware on the bow is called a cleat.

Sea Tow received a call recently from a boater stranded in John's Pass. The captain threw a line to the disabled boat and instructed the owner to secure it to a cleat.

The captain started to tow the boat but realized the rope was dragging in the water and repeated his instructions.

The boater, realizing how close they were to the dangerous current and John's Pass Bridge, yelled to the captain in a panic: "What is a cleat?"

Note: Tow ropes usually are secured to the bow eye, but because the bow eye often is in the center of the bow and close to the waterline, it sometimes is not reachable in rough seas. Cleats are used to tie up at the dock and are normally not used for towing.

"The best thing you can ever do is take a safe boating class," Burney said. "Even old pros will pick up something new."

NO FUEL: Several times a week, Sea Tow responds to vessels that have run out fuel. This can be a dangerous and costly mistake.

Recently, a 34-foot center-console out of Sarasota was stranded offshore, and the owner requested 40-50 gallons of fuel to return to port. Sea Tow responded to the non-member call. Total charge: $628.75.

Fuel consumption rates on boats vary with sea conditions and the hours per gallon can change drastically. The amount of fuel you used on a trip last week may not be the same this week.

A word of advice: top off your tank. Fuel gauges can become corroded by saltwater. Keeping a log of hours traveled and fuel used also helps.

On the water assistance

Commercial

Sea Tow: 1-800-473-2869

Membership information: www.seatow.com

Boat U.S.: 1-800-391-4869

Membership information: www.boatus.com

Not for profit

Eckerd College Search and Recovery Team

AREA COVERED: Southern boundary - Longboat Pass; northern boundary - John's Pass; Tampa and Boca Ciega bays; about 10 miles into the Gulf of Mexico

ASSISTANCE PROVIDED: Search-and-rescue services, towing to nearest safe mooring; 24 hours a day, seven days a week; no charge

How to contact: VHF 16/68 or (727) 864-8256, through Coast Guard Group St. Petersburg (specify "Eckerd College Search and Rescue")

INFORMATION TO GIVE: Nature of distress, location, description of vessel, number on board, VHF channel or phone number for contact

MORE INFO: Eckerd College's Search and Rescue Team is supported through donations. To help, call Jennifer DeMik at (727) 864-8365 or write to EC-SAR, 4200 54th Ave. S, St. Petersburg, FL 33711-4744.