Started reading this article & couldn't believe the errors in judgement.
Got to admire his optimism though.
www.gladstoneobserver.com.au/news/adventure-short-lived/2456360/
It's given me food for thought:
If my car ever breaks down or runs out of fuel, I'll try tying a moped to the back door.
You never know! 
Sounds like the 7P's were not adhered to religiously ........
Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents P1ss Poor Performance
He was taken to the Gladstone hospital for observation. I hope they did a drug, alcohol and mental check.
Justa Gypsy
30 minutes before taking her to Statue Bay to anchor.
Seazed engine , condition ..ready to dispose.
notice gunnel ripped on second pic.
Talked to the owner, advised him about basics before him and she is ready sail to Gladstone,
incluiding overnight stops.
It's obvious, didn't pay much attention.
This happens so often it is shameful.
Older guy with bugger all experience buys a dunger of a boat that he can barely afford and sets off into the wild blue yonder to live out youthful dreams, comes to grief and has to be rescued. They are lucky they live in Australia where the social safety net saves them.
One thing that has me buggered though is why do the Dad's Army guys who have boats with big grunt outboards that will push the rescue boat along at 40 knots try to tow displacement hulled vessels with hull speeds of 5m tp 7 knots at 20 knots????
Not sure what we are discussing here. If it's the old bloke buying a boat and not listening to advice it happens all the time. If it's Dads army towing the boat with the wrong sort of boat and not using a weight in the middle of the tow line then that's common too!
Justa Gipsy was a good buy though at $1700.
sure you nearly righ.
let me clarify
we always watching hull speed...don't recall single tow, not accomodate correct hull speed.
that video from my mobil....forward speed ....zero....guy is about to drop an anchor
we never use weight on tow line
I don't see why certain members on this forum give the volunteer rescue services such a hard time. Heaven forbid you may one day require their services one day.
Cisco/Ramona re. the three second video...
-Adding a weight in a tow line is not required, keeping appropriate line length and HP is. One less projectile.
-That boat is not being towed at 7knots or 20knots, it looks stationary or idling forward, thus the heavy action of the tow line in rough seas. I'd be getting the yacht to tow a drogue/sea anchor and then apply more horses to tension the line.
Select to expand quoteSirJman said..
I don't see why certain members on this forum give the volunteer rescue services such a hard time. Heaven forbid you may one day require their services one day.
Cisco/Ramona re. the three second video...
-Adding a weight in a tow line is not required, keeping appropriate line length and HP is. One less projectile.
-That boat is not being towed at 7knots or 20knots, it looks stationary or idling forward, thus the heavy action of the tow line in rough seas. I'd be getting the yacht to tow a drogue/sea anchor and then apply more horses to tension the line.
He was lucky he was not in NSW. Locally the rescue association rescue people not boats, they do not do salvage. In the cases where people have been taken off yachts wide offshore by the police boat [to far out for the rescue associations Steber 45] the boat is left to fend for itself. Yachts that come off moorings are rescued by the professional fishermen or the owners. Just recently they did tow a yacht back to a mooring but that is very rare here. Even the elderly gentleman who sailed his yacht into the beach at Shoalhaven heads earlier this year was towed off by one of the trawlers. He camped onboard for two days. The rescue association refused to help. Mate of mine swam ashore through the surf with a line then pulled a tow rope in and attached it. Trawler dragged her clear and back into a mooring. Rescue association where there in their uniforms and shiny Steber 45 taking photos!
I have towed home a few amateur boats years ago with my fishing vessel and having a weight on the tow rope gives more control and lessens the chance of snapping the tow line. Big slow revving propellers are far superior to outboards too.
I have even rescued and towed a water police sharkcat too!
Volunteer groups will not pull a boat from a grounding. If the hull is breached/damaged then they risk sinking the vessel and then in turn getting sued. It's sad, but it's the defensive attitude that has become the norm current day. There are also regulations about members entering water for safety and insurance reasons. At the end of the day volunteer rescue organizations primary goal is to ensure safety of people, they're not a salvage company. If you run your boat aground then you or your insurance company may be pulling their hand out of their pockets to pay a salvage company or someone with a big boat willing to take the risk. Probably a good point that everyone on the forum should take note of, if you see someone in trouble you have a duty of care for the person but not their vessel. Access the risks etc.
I agree that a big slow revving prop with lots of torque is good for a tow, however you also want to be able to get to the vessel/person as quick as possible. It's sometimes a time game for the rescue groups - hypothermia, fires, sinking vessels etc.
Well explained SJ
Its all about saving lives, the rest is insurance claim.
There are very different approach to rescue, in different parts of OZ.
Not because of Voluntee Rescue rules but Police involvement or non at all.
We don't get police involved unles one skipper punch a knife to the other.
Yes, we attempt to bring the beached boat, sinking jetski ...back.
Providing it's safe, the owner swim across to get tow line, common sense prevail.
Any boat log in departure is ask to report when they arrive to destination.
If they going beyond radio range, we inform them last reception area and channels for next loggings.
This is provided religiously with no exceptions. Same passing boats, just radio check.
That's OK too.
Because the most locals are Coast Guard marine assist subscribers, they always login,
for a few hours or few days trip.
Select to expand quotecisco said..
This happens so often it is shameful.
Older guy with bugger all experience buys a dunger of a boat that he can barely afford
Umm, "he bought the yacht for $1200 on October 27" says the news report.
I came down that way from Rocky a couple of weeks earlier and we got roughed up off Curtis and had to go around Facing to hide in Gladdy for a few days. With the wind and swell I reckon there would have been no chance of hip tying a tinny and pushing the boat in the right direction (in my case).
"They threw out a life ring, I jumped off the boat and the water was only up to my waist," he said. "If I knew that I could have walked around and used the life raft."
Well, even though I am a novice I have this bit sussed out. If you have run aground you aren't in real deep water. And, you can't call it shipwrecked for dramatic effect if you are in 4 foot of water.
I'm sure I wasn't as prepared as I could have been for my little trip down, but I work on the theory of prepare for the worst and pray for the best.
Good to see VMR helped him out safely.
I've been pulled off the bottom before by maritime and a stranger. I've also seen maritime towing boats in the harbour that stopped.
Get your facts straight!
