Thanks Arild,
If your comments were generated by the cross section of power
squadron boaters you have associated with, then your comments
make more sense, and really relate more to your experience
than to what I have in mind.
I have no illusions about a radio summoning help in an
immediate emergency. Allow plenty of lead time. <G>
But if worse comes to worse, we like the capability of having
other MMSI radio equipped vessels able to be alerted
in the event of a need for help should the vessel be lost. We
like the idea of our own radio being able to allow us to help as well.
(I had a friend off Florida help in the rescue of three boaters
this January, who were saved thanks to the link of the radio
when the young boy was able to summon help... )
If you like to cruise along without radio communications on
board - and not communicate for another decade more, that
is your right. Different strokes for different folks I guess.
You express an exception to the way I see it Arild.
I'd prefer to take the precautions to minimize risks of having an
emergency on board. We will be ready to deal with whatever
comes. (note: I have dealt with a galley fire successfully due
to a defective stove twelve years ago, but I was not talking
about that. I presume that if I have an engine fire, in the
course of the halon deploying and my shutting down the
engine - and using other extinguishers one of us will take
the three seconds to activate our MMSI (which will
send out our LAT-LON to nearby vessels and the USCG.
The MMSI radios have saved lives before.
Arild: Oh yeah! The fire. Our guys put that out as well; No
big deal.
Like you I believe in being careful and being prepared
but I do not choose to limit my use of all tools on the assumption
"its no big deal".
ARILD: The best cruising grounds are far from such help.
Thinking help is on its way may very well instill a mental
perspective that as long as you can hold on a bit then
"professional help" will arrive. . . . I have come close to
losing a boat twice and I have also had to deal
with on-board fires a couple of times.
I am certain most of the folks in the fire claims files i have
seen did not plan to lose their boats to a fire that last day
they took their boat out on the water, & most did not have
them in the "best cruising grounds". Still catastrophes can
happen.
I believe in being self sufficient in any emergency, especially
so in a fire, so I hope we are the same in that respect.
If you should have an engine fire that gets rapidly out of
control on your boat, as you earlier advised can happen, then
you certainly are free to swim to shore, and I am hopeful your
planning to do so without using your MMSI radio
will make you a more determined firefighter. <G>
Ed
--oo0oo--
On Oct 1, 2008, at 12:40 AM, Arild Jensen wrote:
Ed Kelly wrote:
Arild,
I was puzzled and not so sure you understood what I was saying
in the quote you snipped. If you assumed I am recommending
"call the fire department". I am not. I am assuming a situation
where you are underway when the fire is discovered.
REPLY
I did read and understand your specific POV.
However, after teaching Power Squadron classes for 20 years with an
average of 20 students per class I think I can say I have seen a fair
cross section of the boating public.
As far as I am concerned a radio is not very helpful and in many cases
creates a false sense of security in the mind of boaters.
Especially those boaters with limited background or experience. They
seem to think a radio can summon instant help.
While it is true that in high density population areas there may be a
Jayhawk chopper on hot stand by, it is just as likely any coast guard
asset is already engaged elsewhere and for some reason is not able to
get you you in less than one hour; if not more.
My students were horrified to learn I sailed for over 10 years without
a radio on board. In fact I had absolutely no electronics aboard
whatsoever.
Never had a problem I could not deal with myself. But I was careful.
I am the idiot you might see sailing single handed with a safety harness
on, even in daylight.
One year our Squadron had a raft up overnight event. Someone had a
galley fire flare up at breakfast. Although the boat was less than 100
yards from the mainland shoreline, we were 15 miles from the nearest
possible road close enough to shore that a transfer to an ambulance
was possible. Flight time from nearest helo base was 2.5 hours.
Fortunately, among our members, we had a senior nurse and someone had
a fully equipped first aid kit. A fast boat was dispatched with the burn
victim but had to travel several miles before they reached a point
that was not blanketed by a radio shadow. Once in radio
communications they could make arrangement to meet an ambulance. But
truth to tell, at that point it would have been just as easy to go in a
different direction and travel directly to the town that had a
hospital. Oh yeah! The fire. Our guys put that out as well; No
big deal.
Self sufficiency is the ONLY answer.
Ed wrote:
There is no downside to pushing the red DISTRESS button on your radio so
that a rescue for those on board may be summoned while you are fighting
the fire, in case you cannot later summon help and have to go into the
water.
Otherwise, the boat owner may sadly learn the answer to the question:
"How long can you tread water?"
REPLY
The downside is thinking that pushing the RED button is really going
to fetch help in a timely manner.
The best cruising grounds are far from such help.
Thinking help is on its way may very well instill a mental
perspective that as long as you can hold on a bit then "professional
help" will arrive.
I have come close to losing a boat twice and I have also had to deal
with on-board fires a couple of times. Not necessarily same boats or
related.
None of the situations could have been improved by having summoned
help.
As for treading water. That's what survival suits are for.
If you end up in the water inside VHF range you can most likely reach
shore on your own.
If you are too far out for that, then its an EPIRB you need, not a
VHF on the burnt vessel. SAR assets need a continuing beacon to home
in on.
In any case, if you don't deal with an onboard fire by yourself, you
will be swimming or wading home. anyways.
So forget the damn VHF radio, concentrate on the fire aspect by being
prepared. And if you do that right, you won't need the radio in any
case.
Arild
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