Speaking of being prepared- about three months back I and the wife decided to travel to her sister and brother in law's home in Wrangell about 90 miles North of Ketchikan. I had removed the RIB some time prior as one of the Weaver pads on it had separated and was under repair. So the aft was clear of the RIB exposing the Honda Git A Home OB were it needed.
We departed in total fog to the water surface and remained so for the next four hours where we were abeam of Three Island just short of Meyers Chuck. I had noticed the water temp creeping up above the normal 170 degrees then fall back. As we neared the Three Island location, still in solid fog, I decided that to venture beyond Meyers Chuck into Earnest Sound would present a situation where there is no traffic at this time of year. The concern of having a serious development caused me to cancel and begin the trip back home. As the temperature rose towards 190 degrees, I would throttle back and the temp would come back down to the 170 + area and I would increase throttle till the temp again rose. I continued this program successfully till abeam of Camano Light where the temp was about pegged out between 190 and 200+. At this point I shut down and heard water rushing. inspection found the exhaust hose had blown off the fiberglass exit pipe and as the boat swayed in 2 1/2 swells allowed water to gush in. With the main beige pump working and the remainder on auto setting I proceeded to return the exhaust hose on with one of the two clamps and then put my attention on starting the Git a Home Honda. As stood on the swim step the thought hit me that were the RIB in place I would have to lower it and then release it to allow the OB to be rotated into place and dropped for running. Now comes the real deal. Were I to have dropped the RIB down, it would be attached to the swim step by the Weaver locks which on our boat require weight in the RIB to provide position to allow the slides to be moved and the RIB released. Please picture the occupant standing in the RIB with 2 1'2 foot swells moving up and over the swim step as the boat is dead in the water. One's balance is precarious at best and the thought of releasing the RIB, lousy balance and BINGO, you are loose from the mother ship even with the RIB tied off, a very precarious situation.
Having thought that out and planning for future voyages involving open water or anticipated weather, I am of the thought of releasing the RIB in calm waters anticipating the need, towing the RIB with its small OB for the duration of that segment of travel.
Back to the situation in hand, now I have swung the Git-A-Home Honda around and deployed it down and ready for start. Two pulls on the starter rope and the rope remained out!!! So now I am in deep tapioca and still in the fog.
With in minutes of all of this, the fog began to dissipate and out of it in direct line with us, was a gillnetter heading for Ketchikan, I was able to contact him and obtained a very well spent $100 bill as a thank you (No he did not as most, expect any payment)
On top of that, I almost felt like putting on water skies on the tow, He pulled our boat faster than we run!
All ended well, the thought we blew a head gasket that allowed for the over heating was nil, it was scale build up in the cast iron exhaust header that blocked off the overboard water hose, allowing the hose to blow off due heat expansion.
All ended up well and safe, but that RIB stowed on the swim step deserves a emergency plan for sure or the test of towing it when felt it should be. Time will tell.
Regards,
Al-Ketchikan
