Boating and Sailing.pdf - Moja ladja

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Part 5: Staying Safe Afloat
components, prop, shaft, and strut, and maybe allowing water to get in around the shaft
log. And even a pull forward over a shallow bar may damage the running gear. You may
have to wait for higher water.
There are times when even the most inventive efforts will not get a grounded boat free.
Waiting for the peak of an incoming tide then becomes necessary.
Secure a heavy tow line to
the bow eye of the towed
boat. Note the bridle or yoke
attached to the aft lifting
eyes of the tow boat, rather
than attaching the tow line
to one of the cleats.
(Photo credit: Frank Sargeant)
Sometimes, with big, heavy boats grounded on high tide in protected waters, the least
expensive thing to do is leave the boat there until the monthly tide cycles peak, as they do
every two weeks, bringing added water to the shoal and gently floating the hull free.
(Don’t try this as an excuse to extend your vacation a couple of weeks.) Secure the boat,
take the dingy ashore, and forget about your little indiscretion until the full moon erases
your mistake.
First Aid Afloat
Every boat should carry a basic first-aid kit for the cuts and scrapes that occasionally
occur. Those who take longer voyages many hours from medical help ashore need more
complete first-aid gear and the training in how to use it, but the following kit will do the
job for most weekend boaters: