Spoiler Alert: This story describes what best could be said to be complacency perhaps minor incompetence – at worst negligence.
I know this is a long article – but hopefully someone can learn from my mistakes….
A couple of things have precipitated me to write this…an incident the last time I went out from Fremantle and an article in the ‘West’ on Saturday about a boating accident a couple of years ago. I have reproduced the article below without permission of the paper but I believe in the circumstances the author and paper would think it’s OK. Both things together have caused me to think some more about safety while boating.
A bit of scene setting…
I think I would be called an experienced skipper with over 30 years running my own boat with several different outboards. Last year I bought a brand new e-Tec. One of the best things about the new generation outboards how easily they start. Even when cold and not having started for 6 months – one turn of the key and the motor purrs away. No choke, no fast idle. Great! Also the spot we were fishing was fairly choppy with about 10 knot breeze – no white caps but a confused sea due to large swells breaking up of reefs. The sort of sea that if I anchored and I wasn’t catching fish – it wouldn’t take me long to add to the burley trail from my stomach (I have never claimed to be a great seaman).
So there we were – 30 meters away from the biggest most densely packed school of buff bream I have ever seen. Probably 20 meters across and really deep. But what might have been swimming around with them? So I cut the motor and slowly drifted down to them. Having no luck, I went to start the motor to give it another go……and nothing. The motor wouldn’t even turn over. Again and again I tried turning the key. Nothing…..
The heart rate went up quite a bit.
We were well away from any reef in the direction the boat was slowly headed. I wouldn’t have turned the motor off if I was close to the reef.
Then the ‘man overboard safety switch’ came off in my hand. The heart rate went up further.
I’m sure every skipper knows these switches – the idea is you attached it to the driver with a lanyard and if the person gets thrown out of the boat, the lanyard pulls out a ‘switch’ caused the motor to stop. Great idea if you have a boat with a low freeboard or if you are skippering by yourself. Both of these situations have never applied to me, so I have (with the last 3 motors) cut off the lanyard. The actual switch and the small plastic part that keeps the switch in a ‘ON’ position must be left behind. I could always attach the lanyard again if needed.
But in my repeated attempt to get the motor started, the part that is designed to pull out had become detached from the switch and I couldn’t quickly reattach it. On my motor it’s relatively easy to knock this switch cover off. Without my reading glasses, I couldn’t see very well up close.
So one thing I did do correctly was to tell Richard to throw out the anchor. We were well away from the reef – but I wanted to STAY well away from the reef. (Lesson 1 – always have an anchor ready for deployment with a suitable type of anchor)
I was still stuffing around with this fitting trying to work out how I could get it back onto the switch so I could restart the motor. I was starting to think about who was in the area that could tow us away from the area if the anchor didn’t hold. But there was no one around. Yes I did have a radio but it wasn’t that serious – YET. (Lesson 2 – if you have one of these switches, work out how it operates and have a go at taking it off and reattaching it. It can be bloody difficult when you’re in a rough sea and starting to get worried. Yes I would agree with you I was stupid/complacent/incompetent for not knowing exactly how to reattach it. That’s my lesson to you)
Heart rate was still increasing.
I ‘directed’ Steve to grab the motor operating manual out of the glove box and look up directions. (Lesson 3 – always have the manual accessible).
By the time Steve had opened the manual I had worked out how to reattach this safety switch cover myself. Yes it is easy – once you know how. But it’s not easy when you are unfamiliar and in a rocking boat.
Heart rate dropped a bit…
But the motor still wouldn’t respond.
After probably 10 seconds (seemed like a couple of minutes), I looked up to see where we were in relation to reefs. I’m not sure where I looked first – possibly the radio to wonder about calling up sea rescue (not needing it yet but I wanted to know my options). The radio wasn’t on. The sounder/GPS wasn’t on. Obviously we had a power problem. (Lesson 4 – if you get no response to trying to start the motor – check the power supply). A quick check to the battery switch, then the terminals on the battery, then (success) the terminals to the battery switch. One was slightly loose. I wobbled it a bit and the radio came to life and I tried the motor….it started.
Yes it all seems obvious when I say it now. But in a roughish sea, reefs close by, a part of the controls coming off in my hand and a rising heart rate meant that the obvious wasn’t so obvious.
I don’t think I was anywhere near panic (ask my crew) – but my logic was clouded and therefore I was slow to logically respond.
While the problem overall was a partially loose connection – I think this can happen to everyone. The point to this story really was my complacency over the operation of this safety switch. Hey I been skippering for years – I knew what I was doing!
This episode and the ‘West’ article has got me thinking of several other things. Maybe read this article before you read more of my posting. (you may have to double click each image to read it all or move the scroll bar at the bottom of the post).
Imagine if you were in the same position.
Something I think I do well is whenever I have a new crew member on board, I point out the locations of life jackets, EPIRB and flares. If you are a crew on a boat – you should ask. But (especially for inexperienced boating crew), up to now I haven’t ask them to try one on so they know how to get it on in an emergency. When was the last time you tried on your own life jacket. It’s only a very small thing to do. Yes daggy – but it could save someone’s life. Even your own. From now on if you come out on my boat – expect me to INSIST on trying on a life jacket.
Many years ago I moved my EPIRB out of a ‘protective plastic pipe’ that used to sit under my seat, to a much more accessible spot under the gunwale. I’m now going to move it to an even easier accessible spot. I’m not sure where yet – but in a place that is within arm’s reach that I could get to even if the boat is partially sunk.
I’m also going to look at more expensive life jackets that can be worn more as a normal article of clothing so I can wear it when I’m out in the boat. There is a huge range nowadays. I probably still wouldn’t do this when fishing up north (‘cause it’s too hot). The normal cheap inflatable jackets have too many ‘protruding’ parts to catch flylines – but I’m going to pay a bit more to get something that is suitable. Some club members already wear jackets whenever they are out in the boat. They are the smart ones! Members that are not boat owners but fish out of boats often should seriously think about buying their own jackets.
Also when it comes to crew…how well could they operate the boat if the skipper is incapacitated – injured or playing a fish. Especially for fly fishfishers, it would be all too simple to get a hook in the face, or be bitten releasing a fish etc etc. Worse still if the skipper is playing a fish of a lifetime and needs to follow the fish. I usually make sure at least one of my usual two crew knows how to skipper a boat. But I must admit, recently I have been complacent and looking back – I wonder if something would happen – could they start the motor to get away from a reef or to shore?
I know that several skippers are way in front of me with this sort of thinking. I will admit to being slow on the uptake and complacent. Also the technology (like life jacket design) has gone a long way recently.
I have learnt a couple of lessons here – I’m not too proud to admit it. I’m sure some of you can learn from others (my) mistakes.
