We all know lots of weird nautical words - pintle, gudgeon, scuttlebutt, boatswain - and some of us (I) thought we knew all worth knowing. But yesterday the Coast Guard reported the allision of a Swedish Freighter with the dock at Pt Hueneme.
After consulting half a dozen online dictionaries and finding several conflicting definitions - I did find one that distinguishes a nautical collision - whacking your boat into another boat or moving object - from allision: whacking your boat into a fixed object.
So the next time your landing is a bit forceful and you bounce off the pier and people wince, just announce: No worries, another normal landing and a perfectly lovely allision.
Operation Dry Water - it’s not an oxymoron, but a contradiction in terms. It’s supposed to be cute, attention-getting. And it’s supposed to make you think twice about Boating Under the Influence.
NASBLA - NO, it’s not those guys, you of the filthy mind. It’s the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators who are behind the nationwide crackdown this coming weekend.
They’ve got all kinds of great don’t-drink-and-operate-a-boat announcements airing here and there, one by the captain from “Most Dangerous Catch,” one where a boat morphs into a coffin. But I think the video at the top, probably a homemade documentary underscores the message better than any number of earnest Smokey-Bear types.
If the video doesn’t do it for you, they’re taking the extra step of setting up BUI checkpoints just in case you don’t get the hint. So, if you’re headed to the Lookout after a hard day of fun on the water, you should think about walking. At least walking back.
According to the International Whaling Committee, the worldwide whale-watching industry enters about $2.1 billion in its collective ledger each year.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (Ifaw), which funded the report says countries that kill whales would be ahead if they switched to whale watching.
Iceland believes the watching and killing industries are compatible. I guess with their economy totally upside down, they feel justified in continuing the slaughter. Standby for confrontations on the high seas starting in April when the Icelandic whaling fleet heads out in search of Minke whales.
I wish that this picture told the whole story, or that the story published in Coast Guard news told the whole story. But they don’t.
The boat is grounded near Coho anchorage. That’s near Pt. Conception but generally out of the worst of the weather. I’ll try to find out more, but am not particularly hopeful that the Coast Guard can or will direct me to anyone who can shed light on the accident.
The Surgeon General wasn’t sure how to proceed. Is it the Pacific that is hazardous to your health or stupidity? If it’s stupidity, well, that sounds like a judgment on someone’s judgment and what politician would want to take a stand on someone’s right to be stupid?
So here you have Zebulon Tryon and Chris Reuter after their rescue, an effort that involved a C-130, two helicopters and, presumably a couple of boats and about a billion Pan, Pan, Pan calls. The search covered 2,200 square miles, give or take a bit.
According to an account in “Latitude 38,” Tryon admitted that they “didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into” when they spent their $2,000 savings on the boat and headed out to sea. Indeed, video shot onboard during the trip shows Tryon holding a copy of Sailing for Dummies.”
It’s really hard to pump up the irony on this one, especially when Team Irony USA seems to have recruited Zebulon’s mother and encouraged her to say to the Daily Breeze that “They were just toodling along up the coast.”
Toodling up the coast. Toodling up past Point Conception. Toodling indeed.
A couple of blogs ago, we discussed the possibility of licensing boaters to ensure that those who set to sea have at least a rudimentary knowledge of boat handling, navigation and emergency procedures.
We didn’t know then that the Pacific is considered a most excellent place to toodle.
You can’t license, control or restrict that right. It’s inalienable. It’s somewhere in the Bill of Rights, I’m pretty sure.
So here’s plan B: charge them for the search and rescue. Based on news reports, it seems the captain of this vessel was negligent in a variety of ways. Costs associated with mishaps that result from negligence can be recovered in some instances. Why not in these circumstances?
We’ve been moving towards pay-as-you-go rescue for a long time. Used to be, if you ran out of gas or your engine quit, or you were drifting toward the rocks and had no anchor, the Coast Guard would man-up and tow you in. You’d thank them and that would be that. But run out of gas now and call the Coast Guard and what do you get? “For Vessel Assist/Towboat US, hit 3.” And what’s the first thing they ask? “What’s your member number?” And if you’re not a member, they’ll give you an estimate of the cash price for the tow. If you’ve been listening in on these conversations, you know a 20 mile tow is pretty pricey. It’s more at night or if a Small Craft Advisory is posted. Think of what a multi-airplane 2200 square mile search would ring up on the cash register.
As it stands, Zebulon can buy a couple of life jackets, a fire extinguisher, a 6-pack of flares, a loud whistle, a life ring, check that his nav lights work and he’s legal to head for Japan.
It’s a free country and our Navy is charged with protecting our Freedom of Navigation. But Zebbie, I think you only get one free SAR and if I’m in the area the next time you’re in trouble, I’m going to own your boat. Actually, I wouldn’t want that Craig’s List POS. You’ll just have to Toodle on. Since you don’t have a VHF radio, I won’t have to listen to your whining.
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