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Last Friday (Feb 11, 2012) was absolutely outstanding weather so I took the boat out to San Diego Bay for the very first time.

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/b...102309.jpg

San Diego Bay is pretty huge and I have a 13ft Whaler and it occurred to me that I could be in big trouble if I have a dead battery etc. Indeed I made a big point of memorizing where the boat ramp was in case I could not locate it in the haze.

I know I can call Coast Guard for help. I am curious what other forms of help I might be able to call upon....good Samaritans, other boaters, private organizations etc. I am a very careful person...but prone to over thinking these things

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Do you Vessel Assist and a GPS? Those are two things I couldn't imagine going out in the ocean without.

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Some kind of towing insurance is a must. Sea Tow, BoatUS, some local company. It can cost literally a few grand, or just about the total value of my boat, to get towed back in to the ramp without towing insurance. Most companies charge around 100 bucks for the year.

Second to the GPS. And a compass. If you're unfarmiliar with the area, a waterproof chart is good too. I always have a charged cell phone in a real good zip lock bag with a keychain float. And a floating, submersible VHF handheld. That way I have two means to call the two company if something crapps out. Coast guard or MAYDAY as a last resort if i'm in real troubble.

If you're really super safe, look into a PLB or EPIRB.

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If you think you will ever be out of sight of land be it due to distance, darkness or weather You should have a compass. That will get you to some land and keep you from driving in a circle. A hand held gps is pretty cheap these days. A hand held vhf radio is pretty cheap too. Now if you have a cell phone or a vhf radio who you gonna call. as mentioned above the towing companies have good deals with membership.
Also remember an anchor. If your boat is disabled you will need to be able to hold your location rather than being blown out to sea. or into the path of another vessel.

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In San Diego bay I would think a distress flag would get you help. If not a distress smoke stick shurely would. your cell phone works out there until you drop it in the drink. There are alot of eyes on that body of water. But you will need to be able to signal something other wise you look like all the other boaters just out having fun. I have vessel assist for non life emergency and radio and gps when you need help fast. Like you I over think all of it but better safe than sorry. If you have to pay to get towed in you will wish you had some form of assist insurance. Up here in Long Beach/Los Angeles harbor there are so many patrols of various angencies that if you had a distress flag out I doubt you would be spending an uncomfortable night in a stranded boat. Just dont get blown out to sea. or have a failure at night then you shure would whish you had installed that radio.

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The Coast Guard will not help you unless there is imminent danger of loss of life. If your boat is on fire or sinking or you are being boarded by pirates, call the CG. If you are broke down and call them they will refer you to a towing service, I have a 13 footer but don't subscribe to a towing service. I have a battery powered trolling motor mounted on the stern, which I also can use to get myself back to the ramp in case of a breakdown. This motor will move the boat along at about 5mph for about 8 hours (40 miles) on two batterys. Also get another battery for the trolling motor.
Its a good idea to tell someone when you are leaving, where you are going, and when you expect to by back. I assume you are a newby, so take a boating course from the Coast Guard Aux.

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No offense, but if you are worried about getting lost and not being able to find your way back to the ramp in San Diego bay, I think you ought to look in to the USCG Auxiliary class that Binkie mentioned.
http://www.sandiegocgaux.org/educatio...cation.htm

I'll keep an eye out for you....

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I find that keeping a fully charged jump-box on board to be very reassuring. Even if the battery in your boat never meets an early demise you just might be able to save someone elses day by having it. On a 13' boat a jumb-box sufficient to start a small engine is a very small item and an excellent piece of mind to have around. It's my understanding that at least 3 means of signaling another boater is required. I keep flares, a signal mirror, air horn, hand-held VHF, cell phone, a small compass and a 300,000 candlepower flashlight on board.
Zap

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Thank you all for excellent advice. I need to buy flares, a distress flag and perhaps a VHF radio. I am also going to look into BoatUS insurance.

I take plenty of precaution regarding the battery and fuel...and boat only in Mission Bay and now maybe San Diego Bay on occasion. Still in the interest of safety and protection from the unexpected I think your guidance will be very helpful.

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Just one more consideration.
As a person who has had to call for assistance on two occasions I would advise you that an FM ban marine radio is your best tool. If you make the call, it is the harbor patrol that will come to your assistance. CH16. They will show up even if you call Vessel Asset!
That is as long as you are in or near the harbor. I have been towed three times. Twice by the harbor patrol once by the Sheriff. I would not go out in the ocean w/o Vessel Assist and a Marine band radio. That is one reason my whaler has only been on lakes, I only have coverage for my Skippy!

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one thing about San Diego Bay, or mission Bay for that matter a fact is if your boat stops running for whatever reason you're going to drift ashore somewhere. Now on the open ocean, that's a different story where you would end up. A word of caution here about using cell phones out of San Diego Bay. Point Loma points due South, therefore you're going to get Mexican operators and cell sites which I guess could connect you but I wouldn't depend cell phones anywhere close or outside of San Diego Bay.

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wait

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A pull cord!!!!!! Had an a electrical problem couple months ago. (didn't know it at the time, and couldn't see it, but it was just a stupid wire that had corroded off the solenoid) I was stuck on the eastern edge Biscayne Bay with my 8year old daughter. No tow insurance (does it really only cost about a hundred a year??) but I know exactly what the tow boats would want, way too much, more than value of the boat. Another problem is here the National Park service will severely fine you, rightly so, for derelict vessels. Anyhow I was getting pretty nervous till I remembered that the other day my buddy had thown in the boat this small rope. He said, you never know you might need it. It was just right size rap around the fly wheel. I thought it would be hard to pull start a 50 hp, Not at all. It started right up, and I actualy stayed back out there and made a day of it, and a snapper dinner evening . Find some small rope or strong cord and make yourself a pull cord, never worry about dead batteries again

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I think this is turning into a pretty good thread thanks to all of you.

So now the confession. In November thinking I did not want to ruin a whole tank of gas with moisture buildup (based on some other threads) I went out into Mission Bay with three gallons on the premise that my 40hp Yamaha rarely ever goes thru more than a gallon or two. Well I must have loitered around more than I realized and I ran out of gas.

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/b...011006.jpg
http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/b...011008.jpg

So I called harbor patrol with whom I had chatted barely 20 minutes earlier and they were the nicest folks I could imagine. I have thankfully had maybe only 4 or 5 events where I have had contact with law enforcement agencies over 30ish years and I am always amazed at how courteous and totally professional they have been (including the Arizona State trooper who gave me a speeding ticket in 1990).

Anyhow in this case Officer Menendez hooked up my boat and towed me into to South Shores ramp....took about 45 minutes at 5 mph. She was very very nice as were the dispatchers on the phone....no charge.

BTW, I now have all the suggested equipment, a pull cord, fresh spark plugs, a better than decent first aid kit, a warm jacket, a bottle of water and a head full of lessons.

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Our local public resources (FWC, Sheriff, Local PD, or CG) )will not tow. They will call whatever local tow service is next in line on their registered list at a premium cost to you.

In our area your best bet is the benevolence of another recreational boater. Just be careful when non-professionals are involved in towing. It can be very dangerous and easily cause damage to either vessel.

And for anyone that offers a tow to a disabled vessel, keep in mind you are accepting responsibility/liability for that vessel and all on board as soon as you tie up and are underway.

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Wow, Johnny! That last statement would almost scare us way from lending a helping hand or rope for that matter. If you are referring to legal ramifications would not most courts consider the "Good Samaritan clause" if someone is helping another in good faith.

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A disabled vessel doesn't necessarily mean a vessel in imminent danger. You may very well create the greatest danger taking a disabled vessel in tow. While on duty, I've pulled people from the water where the vessel under tow went down taking the tow vessel with it.

Think about the responsibility and liability you take on if you tow a disabled vehicle on a public street and something goes wrong.

I've towed plenty of folks back to the marina or ramp with my own boats. Anyone that chooses to do so just needs to be aware of the potential consequences if things don't go as expected.

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Johnny,
have to agree with you about being aware of the entire picture. I have towed a few, pulled a few out of the water, and called help for a few more.
Recently, the cost of raising a 22ft sailboat and the 18ft powerboat tied to it, from 125ft was several thousand dollars. Actually more than the sailboat and the powerboat engine were worth.
The outboard power boat operators, without a knife, "tied" the bow tow line of a sinking sailboat with a hole in its bow to the stern cleat. The 1200lb sinking boat did the rest.
The governing bodies said get them out of the lake.
No one got hurt so no real blame game.

Most folks out there are ok and are appreciative when helped; however, the more complicated the situation, the better to allow someone else do it.

Doc,
a Float Plan updated each trip, and a Ditch Bag to contain some of the recommended stuff would give you a head start on coming back on time. Letting those that matter know where to look will go a long way toward getting help in a timely manner. The convenience of one bag to grab as you load the boat helps.
Glad to hear you were out using your boat and enjoying it.

Even if it is just a puddle, boats are magic.

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Don't assume you can rope start a 4 stroke over 15hp. They won't start on a half a revolution of the flywheel like a 2 stroke, they need several revolutions.

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I like to call Vessel Assist and fish while I am waiting. It has only happened once but it was a nice day 60 miles offshore

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The posts by Binkie are spot on. If you have a small boat, a trolling motor and charged batteries will always get you to safety within sight of land as long as it is powerful enough for the conditions. If you have a larger boat with twins, keep in mind they are normally counter-rotating, and with just one of them running, steering is near impossible in heavy seas. I know this from experience, someday, I'll tell this story here. it may be awhile though; I am still traumatized by the experience, it's only been 22 years since I gained it!

Only one thing to add here, DON'T FORGET YOUR BRAIN! You have to understand the basics of the systems on your boat BEFORE you leave the dock. If you can't understand why you smell gas really strong but the engine won't start, or when you pump the fuel bulb it does not get hard, learn about these things before you leave. Don't plan on being able to get towed in, plan on what your going to do when things go awry. It doesn't matter how much towing insurance you have if you can't get a tow for 12-24 hrs. Spark plugs can't be installed without a spark plug wrench. You can't replace a fuel filter if you didn't remember to put the filter wrench on the boat before you left...or if you don't even have one on the boat, it's still in the garage on the bench where you left it, etc., etc.

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A single counter rotating engine isn't any harder to steer than any other single engine. The boat won't go as fast, but it still turns jut the same.

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I have a twin and it steers fine with one engine running. Matter of fact I ran the boat nearly the entire way from Florida to the Bahamas and then the rest of the week throughout the Bahamas on a single engine after losing one motor only an hour into the trip. No big deal.

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Perhaps either I or you two missed the point of my reply and to this thread entirely? Twin counter rotating 1980's era Johnson 240 HP engines do not steer well in heavy seas when attached to MY 28' Robalo CC when the left hand rotating engine is the only one running. As a matter of fact, the boat will turn circles if the wheel is not held. This does have a lot to do with the feedback steering controls, I assume, but what do I know? Let me rewrite my reply to conform to the two replys made to my reply instead of the thread. Please just disregard my original post here in this thread and use this one if it applys to you.

I am sorry I replied to this thread at all, obviously you people should by all means lose engines and continue to the Bahamas like nothing has happened and you really don't need 2. All new boaters should absolutely throw all caution to the wind, don't carry spare parts at all, and the less you know about your boat systems the better off you all will be. Hey, it's only your life that is at risk, just buy some insurance and anchors away!! Somebody will tow your ignorant butts in to a port nearby if you just have insurance, all you have to do is use your cell phone to call 'em when your 100 miles out of port at, say the Flower Gardens Reef in your swamped boat, and hey, a day or two later they will probobly find your dumb butt floating around SOMEWHERE, surely! Oh, mebbe not, I am sure at least 2 of you don't bother to carry life jackets, they take up ENTIRELY too much space.

By all means, just buy some insurance and don't worry about installing a trolling motor or charging your batteries in a smaller boat, just take off and go without considering anything except the current moment you are in, nothing at all will ever go wrong in your boat, I don't know what I was thinking! If you forget the plug in the boat and you stop and it starts filling with water, just make a call, the insurance will send a tow boat I'm sure, you don't need to actually know what to do in this instance, just pull off your pants and take a swim! You have the spare spark plugs, so who needs a wrench? Just call the boat tow service and they'll bring you one. Same with fuel filters. By all means DON'T THINK ABOUT ANYTHING GOING OR BEING WRONG IN YOUR BOAT! If anything goes wrong, and God forbid, you lose your life, it will leave a spot at the ramp that some other moron could use to forget to set the brake on their Escalade while launching their new boat worry and care-free! Just think of the entertainment value here for the locals looking on! Don't worry, be happy!

Or.....
you could just think about the serious hazards and situations you might face ahead of the actual occurence of them, and mebbe ask experienced boaters on a board such as this about these hazards, and do all you can to learn about all the systems that are on YOUR boat before you leave the dock, and be prepared in case of emergency.

Hmmm, that sounds like EXACTLY what the person who I was replying to in this thread ACTUALLY DID!

I raise my glass to the peanut gallery around here. You guys happy now?

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Don't get too upset. There are specialist's around here in the art of attempting to get your goat.

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lol, I'd say anyone that would take a vessel to sea that wont steer safely with only one of its two engine operating, has thrown caution to the wind. Those are the type of vessel operators I'm dispatched to rescue on a frequent basis.

As far as my Bahamas trip, I was with several other boaters the entire time. Most all of them professional mariners as am I. Traveling with others is information pertinent to this thread as it makes acquiring assistance easy though I understand not always practical.

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A little testy aren't we? Its not my fault somethings wrong with your boat or that your arms are too weak to steer it! :)

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Good thread, if you like jerks poking at an honest answer.

Silent, no issue with me. I would love (someday) to hear your tale, maybe even swap one of my own.

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I simply stated factual information in my response to the twin steering issue. Then the poster of that information got his feelings hurt and decided to make a personal attack because I posted my experience. Now members like gusgus are resorting to calling other members names.

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I also keep some cheap ponchos (double as solar stills), beef jerky, and extra water on board. My dad always said to stick with the boat if the worst happens. It is easier to spot a boat than a coconut, which is what your head looks like on the open ocean. Also nothing yellow-it attracts sharks more than any other color.

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Check with the CG re: what equipment is required on board for operation on the ocean. I'm concerned that you mentioned that you were going to purchase flares. Michigan law, and I believe the CG requires flares on vessels used on the Great Lakes - I'm sure flares are REQUIRED on San Diego Bay, but I could be mistaken.

Anyway - take those recommendations and DOUBLE your provisions. Handheld flares are fine, but the .12 ga aerial flares are better. Buy extra and keep handheld ones on board even after they expire (they may still be "good" on a practical basis, even if they don't meet the legal requirements.

More than a bottle of water is advisable - you'd be surprised how dehydrated you can get just with a full day of fishing on the water - I keep a 12 pack of water bottles on my boat at all times. I also agree with keeping high-energy/protein snacks/edibles on board the boat. My rule of thumb - "enough to live for a week" - For me, that means equivalent of one candy bar each day (several types of snacks are always in my cooler for any outing) and water - or a way to make water (the poncho works, but slowly!). Also in my boat bag: a pair of wool socks, a knit hat, an old sweatshirt and a cheap rain suit from Wal-Mart - I usually have my good foulies on board as well - but in a pinch, the PVC stuff will at least block the wind and help trap body heat.

You also need to look into a drift anchor or a drogue, or read up on ways to deploy a homemade one via your anchor in a pinch. You want that bow pointing into the wind/waves when you are without power - the Whaler hull tends to drift abreast the waves - my 25' Outrage Cuddy will drift with a slight stern-to attitude exposing the stern to oncoming breaking waves unless I tilt the motors out of the water or deploy a drogue.

On a 13' boat, it can be a challenge to find places to stow all that gear, but remember, you're in an open boat exposed to all the elements. You and your crew will be very happy you found room for that stuff if the worst happens...and you can be creative in how and where you stow it. On long trips, you can sometimes find my gear in a dry bag strapped to the bow rail OUTSIDE the hull to keep plenty of room in the boat....never had a problem with water if you use a good dry bag and pack your clothes in plastic.

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This has become a long thread. A 13 footer in San Diego Bay? I see advice on how to survive on your boat for a week but one of the very most important and basic things, nobody has even mentioned: oars and/or paddles.

Not all 13 footers are equipped with oar locks, but those that are, row quite well with a pair of oars.

A single paddle is an absolute requirement in any small Whaler but a pair of paddles will be much more efficient in moving the boat so long as two people are onboard.

But to return to the original question: What would you do is your 13 footer were stranded in San Diego Bay? Answer: Get somebody's attention. You might get help from somebody who just happens to see you in distress, but the chances are a thousandfold greater you will get help if you ask for it. Start by waving that paddle or oar.

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A distress flag. You can tie it to the paddle. Most boaters will recognize it. A large orange flag waving is pretty hard to miss!

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Though it has nothing to do with a 13 foot Whaler stranded in San Diego Bay, I feel compelled to point out this fact:

My 25 foot twin engine Whaler steers just fine operating on the counter rotation motor by itself. In fact it doesn't matter which motor is feathered, counter rotation or standard rotation, the steering and handling are just fine either way. It works a little harder to climb on plane but otherwise performs very well on a single 150 HP motor.

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I change my battery every year regardless. $70 goes a long way for peace of mind. I have a 93' 19' outrage with 150 Yamaha and I am absolutely fearless behind that wheel. I will go anywhere. Boat is in mint condition. I just don't worry about it.

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I was simply calling a spade a spade.

Experience is great, describing that experience welcome. However doing so by eliminating others experience is counter productive, it is just like calling me out did nothing worthwhile, except to make yourself the subject.
Good day.

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I'd plan on carrying a lot of water, a case of MREs and a large plastic jar of peanut butter if I were running very far offshore. I flew SAR in Alaska and thats what we carried in the aircraft. It's about the most space and weight efficient way of carrying lots of calories. And you don't have to worry about spoilage.

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I totally agree to what you have written here. I unfortunately also have some friend who do not care about their safety and I am of the opinion that this is stupid. I would never be that careless about my life and this of others. I have never been to the Flower Gardens Reef but I would love to visit it once. I love the name of the reef because I am totally into flowers and due to this I will now order fresh flowers with free delivery by serenata.