June 14, 2006
Soaked, Battered & Hindered - Not In A RIB
It was the first real nice day of the season here, so I decided to head out on a RIBCRAFT 5.85. You could tell too by the number of SeaTow, Tow Boat/US and Harbormasters out responding to breakdowns - that for many this was the inaugural cruise of the season and the excitement of the moment didn’t magically put fuel in their tanks or fix their engine problems from last year.
It was a rough day with a strong westerly breeze that made for a wet rough ride for anyone not in a RIB. I am still amazed to see the area Harbormasters and towing companies struggle with their hard-sided boats in theses kind of conditions. As I sped comfortably by at 25 knots, it was a sad sight to see the harbormaster in his 25’ hard-sided center console with a T-Top and blue light flashing slowly flogging their way out of the harbor. Not making more than 10 knots, the two officers clinging to the top were soaked as the wind caught the spray and blew it into their faces – definitely obstructing their vision. I couldn’t tell if they were going slow because they couldn’t see where they were going or if it was just too uncomfortable to ride on a plane. Either way, neither of those would be an issue if they were in a RIB.
At another time in the day, I painfully watched as one of the tow companies struggled to come along side a stranded vessel. They were pitching back and forth in the 2 foot chop and the operator was concentrating more on keeping his finders over the side so as to not damage the two boats than focusing on driving. With a RIB, they could easily come along side the boat with a one-track focus of successfully securing the tow on a stable and predictable platform.
I almost felt guilty as I easily sped by the professionals, but all I could wonder is why they didn’t have a RIB. Each day, we see more and more safety professionals catching on to the benefits of a RIB. The departments that use RIBs today, can't imagine doing their job in any other kind of boat. It just amazes me that so many are resistant and slow to change.
Posted by ribcraftusa at June 14, 2006 04:33 PM
