Medical Emergency While Cruising

So now you're suggersing I trade in my wife?

How about someone running a boat singlehanded? And what's this about buying a car in the parking lot?

Let me paint this picture again:

My wife and I are anchored for the night on a little creek off the ICW in Georgia. We had planned to anchor and continue our voyage the next day. Neither of us has any idea what marinas are close by because our plan was to anchor.

I'm too sick to get up and look through guide books or active captain to find a marina. Ther're all closed at 3:00 AM anyway.

My wife or I push the DSC emergency button on the VHF (after turning on the chart plotter) and make arrangements for the USCG or local water rescue to come get me and take me to a hospital.

What now? Will they take her to the hospital as well? Will they leave her at a boat ramp where they transfered me to an ambulance? There may not be taxi service in these remote locations.

My wife can eventually rent a car but my concern is getting my boat off the ICW and into a safe slip. Or even getting back to the boat if it doesn't get moved by someone.

Getting your boat safely tied up can be done by any assistance tower...not sure if they would charge or not or even if they would get your boat to a safe haven...before I believed any local tower, I would get it in writing from the national organization or from that particular franchise owner in whose area you were cruising.

I think they will assist, but will probably charge you for it.

I would check with my hull insurance company and see what they say and how much they would pay a towing company in this situation if they do cover towing.

I'm seriously thinking of either Boat/US or DAN emergency services. I'm going to definitely ask about limitations on getting your boat/wife to safety as rescue organizations can be hit or miss whether they will/can help your wife in those circumstances.

Well, I went ahead and contaced TowBoat US. Here is my e-mail to them:
Gentlemen;

I have been a member of TowBoatUS for several years and have the Unlimited Saltwater Package. I boat mostly on the AICW out of Charleston, SC. I have a question:

If I were on a cruise and anchored for the night in a remote spot on the ICW and woke up to discover my engine would not start or some other mechanical problem, I could call TowBoatUS and someone would come and tow my boat to a marina.

My question is; instead of the boat being disabled, suppose I (the captain) were to have a medical emergency and have to be removed in the middle of the night from the boat by Coast Guard or local Fire/ Rescue personnel, and taken to a hospital where I was admitted for a few days. Would my membership cover someone going to my boat and towing it to a marina where it would be safe and where I could get back on it once I was released from the hospital?

Thanks.

Here is their reply:


Thank you for taking the time to e-mail BoatU.S. Towing Services.

If it was a routine tow, BoatU.S. would pay for it under your BoatU.S. Membership. It could be a salvage in which case your hull insurance would pay for it.

Fair winds and following seas,

Chip Fardwell
Manager Towing Customer Relations
1-800-888-4869 ext. 3636

I just thought I would share the answer with everyone.

Run, Typical non committal answer which is about the same as no answer. This might be why many folks are moving over to Sea Tow, although I have no experience with them to say they are better or worse. It would be interesting to know what their answer would be. Chuck

Capn Chuck said:

Run, Typical non committal answer which is about the same as no answer. This might be why many folks are moving over to Sea Tow, although I have no experience with them to say they are better or worse. It would be interesting to know what their answer would be. Chuck

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Thought the same but didn't want to provoke....

Being in the tow business and knowing both company policies pretty well...it would be about the same.

That's why some posts ago I said that local franchise owners (the one in your area) usually have the flexibility to "bend" corporate policy...in other words tow your boat home and drop your spouse/crew off along the way if they didn't go with rescue. Some have pretty big hearts and others pretty big but empty wallets and want to fill them up.

That's why I also mentioned ask your insurance company because if you/crew left the boat unattended...the insurance company may deny any claim arising from the incident or it may reimburse a towing company to AVOID and issues...hard to say what each company may do.

Tow companies are really incentivized to call things a salvage any time they can...they get paid much more. Boat/US has a form on their site that everybody should carry that sets out the conditions of the tow, but in an emergency I guess anything goes.

Rwidman,as Capn Chuck effectively says, the answer is non responsive to the question. Perhaps they think it already happened, their response was bad, and they are getting set up.
What did you think? Were you comforted? Does it worry you they did not fully address the question? How about going back and asking them to answer the question?
Is Boat US franchised, as Seatow is in Australia? Different local operators may have different ideas.
I still think human decency side of any assistance service would kick in for an emergency(the exact nature of which can`t be predicted) and you and Mrs R would be looked after. Is that too trusting?

Hendo78 said:

Agreed 100%. It's common sense that at least two people ( the Cpt. any one other) knows how to operate the vessel and equipment and my admiral knows how to do both.

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In spite of my objections, my Admiral seems to be satisfied with knowing how to operate me and my equipment.

Seriously though, she says she's going to take some classes before we go full time cruising, and there's a women-only course available over on the Gulf Coast of Florida. As last year, they should be giving a walk-in seminar or two at the Ft. Lauderdale Trawlerfest later this week.

You call the local tower and ask them what their hourly rate is and ask them to go pick up your boat. Unless you left your boat some place where harm will come quickly it not much different then the average tow. Will be cheaper then medical bills. Do not give out any more details then needed. The company I work for would take the boat back to the company dock and look after it until payed if a credit card was not given prior to towing. BUI are handle that way while not a medical emergence captain cannot drive boat.

BruceK said:

...I still think human decency side of any assistance service would kick in for an emergency(the exact nature of which can`t be predicted)...

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This has been our experience.

BruceK said:

Rwidman,as Capn Chuck effectively says, the answer is non responsive to the question. Perhaps they think it already happened, their response was bad, and they are getting set up.
What did you think? Were you comforted? Does it worry you they did not fully address the question? How about going back and asking them to answer the question?
Is Boat US franchised, as Seatow is in Australia? Different local operators may have different ideas.
I still think human decency side of any assistance service would kick in for an emergency(the exact nature of which can`t be predicted) and you and Mrs R would be looked after. Is that too trusting?

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Absolutely or medical issues would all be free at the hospital too....

There are situations that often wind up where good hearts take care of almost everything...but counting on that part of human nature might let you down when you really need it. Having a few thousand extra in the emergency column in the cruising kitty is smart...just for those time when towing insurance and good hearts turn black.

If it was a routine tow, BoatU.S. would pay for it under your BoatU.S. Membership. It could be a salvage in which case your hull insurance would pay for it.

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Folks, I don't find their answer to be "non-responsive". I asked a question, they answered it. If the boat was still where I anchored it and all they had to do was bring up the anchor and tow it to a dock or marina, that would be a "routine tow". If my boat had broken loose and drifted onto a beach or rocks, that would probably be "salvage".

It's unrealistic to expect more from someone sitting in an office speculating about an incident that hasn't happened yet.

Frankly, I am a bit puzzled that so few boaters and especially cruisers who are often far from home haven't given the possibility of being incapacitated while cruising some serious thought.

...Frankly, I am a bit puzzled that so few boaters and especially cruisers who are often far from home haven't given the possibility of being incapacitated while cruising some serious thought...

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Lena and I have given it some thought. It's part of cruising. What do you do when you're 12 days from the nearest land? The best you can, short of activating the EPIRB, we are on our own. We have a medical library, med kit with sutures, ringers solution plus a better stocked pharmacy than some drug stores. We have taken medical classes and have practiced, on each other, inserting an IV.

I worry about a medical emergency about as much as our single engine dying which isn't very much.

Larry M said:

Lena and I have given it some thought. It's part of cruising. What do you do when you're 12 days from the nearest land? The best you can, short of activating the EPIRB, we are on our own. We have a medical library, med kit with sutures, ringers solution plus a better stocked pharmacy than some drug stores. We have taken medical classes and have practiced, on each other, inserting an IV.

I worry about a medical emergency about as much as our single engine dying which isn't very much.

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When we did a 14 day offshore passage on the sailboat, I first took a wilderness first aid course through NOLS to have some idea of how to deal with things "on my own" and we had a very extensive first aid kit that included sutures and morphine. No practice with IVs though. :Eek: My biggest concern was someone being seriously injured but luckily nothing happened. I don't think we even needed a band aid. But it never hurts to be prepared.

I think if we had to leave our boat anchored somewhere I'd call for a tow and hope for the best. Hopefully the non injured / non incapacitated person would be able to figure out the coordinates to give to the tow boat captain. Personally, I'd be able to get my boat to a dock by myself (might not be pretty) but if I had the option I'd rather go with my husband to the hospital. Actually, I say I could get my boat back, but if my husband had just been medievaced off our boat I'd probably be too freaked out to do anything! Which brings me back to the tow boat???

Ron I'm glad you've come out of your prior incidents ok.

rwidman said:

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Folks, I don't find their answer to be "non-responsive". I asked a question, they answered it. If the boat was still where I anchored it and all they had to do was bring up the anchor and tow it to a dock or marina, that would be a "routine tow". If my boat had broken loose and drifted onto a beach or rocks, that would probably be "salvage".

It's unrealistic to expect more from someone sitting in an office speculating about an incident that hasn't happened yet.

Frankly, I am a bit puzzled that so few boaters and especially cruisers who are often far from home haven't given the possibility of being incapacitated while cruising some serious thought.

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I'll pretty much guarantee that it's NOT a routine tow....the BOAT IS NOT DISABLED, not in need or fuel, a jum, ungrounding, parts, entangled prop, etc...etc...

Call your local franchise guy and see what he/she says and ask if they think ANY franchise owner would do it for free.

I'm pretty sure mine wouldn't.

If there's nobody on board, it's abandoned. I think that would make it subject to salvage.

Keith said:

If there's nobody on board, it's abandoned. I think that would make it subject to salvage.

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Following that logic, anyone who anchors their boat and takes a dinghy to shore has "abandoned" their boat. Same for leaving a boat on a mooring ball.

Keith said:

If there's nobody on board, it's abandoned. I think that would make it subject to salvage.

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Not true at all...the owner has to declare "abandonment" and that is good for up to a year or more based on salvage law..

The ony weay salvage would kick in is if the "salvor" could prove he/she was protecting the vessel from imminent danger.

Agreed short term. So what happens if a boat is anchored and left for a year or more, but the owner doesn't declare it abandoned? What about if it's afloat and washes up somewhere?

Keith said:

Agreed short term. So what happens if a boat is anchored and left for a year or more, but the owner doesn't declare it abandoned? What about if it's afloat and washes up somewhere?

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I wouldn't leave it there that long even if I was dead. If I couldn't do it myself, I would arrange to have it returned home.

Keith said:

Agreed short term. So what happens if a boat is anchored and left for a year or more, but the owner doesn't declare it abandoned? What about if it's afloat and washes up somewhere?

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It would be a matter for a maritime salvage claim in court.

Here's a partial definition of abandonment...salvage gets really complcated in certain ways and after decades of reading about it (like most law...I keep picking up tidbit hee and there)...

"Authorized abandonment refers to a condition wherein, at the time the Master decided to abandon ship, there was no hope or intention of returning to the stricken ship. There can be no suggestion that a mere temporary abandonment would dissolve the crew's contract of employment. "