A rescue story.
12-29-2019, 05:33 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
A rescue story.
date 09/19 1400 hrs.
weather: air 80 Deg. Water 72, wind +25kn
location: Great South Bay n.y.
vessel: 15’ Boston Whaler Sport
i call my neighbor and ask if he would like to go clamming. Sure let’s go. We pack a few beers, clam bucket and rakes. Off we go about 2 miles to the flats. Pickings were slow but we’ll get dinner. Waters cool , wind is howling and we both know we’ll get slammed in the face coming home. It didn’t matter air is warm and it’s sunny. We start heading back. We’re in the middle of the bay heading straight into the wind . It doesn’t matter we’re soaked anyway.
I look to my right and I see 2 kayaks drifting sideways to the wind in the middle of the bay. I comment they are never paddling back into this wind. As I pass I see one women in a kayak with a dog and another woman in the water with a swamped 2nd kayak. They have vests on and the water is only 5’ Deep . She’s standing but just. I pull up , they’re laughing .
Are you my knight in shining armor?
no, more like 2 wet old bald guys
Do you need help.
No we’re fine
well it’s blowing a bit , are you sure.
yes we’re ok . I can’t get back in the kayak so i’m Going to walk it to that land over there. I’ll call my brother to come get us
well that’s an Island 1/2 mile from here and in about 100 yards you will be over your head.
We’ll be fine.
Ok , last chance we’re heading home.
Still laughing they wave us good by. We take off . I look back and decide to go back to them. They now accept my offer to rescue them.
first order of business was get the woman out of the water. She’s a big girl. We didn’t know that since we only saw her head. Like an iceberg, there was a lot more under water. Engine off we drop the little stern ladder. She stands on the first step and the stern starts to go under. We both go to the bow to trim the boat while she make a second attempt. No luck. She can’t get out of the water without help. Now did you ever watch that Tuna show when they drag a giant on deck. Keep that thought in mind. My friend is 250 and strong, me 150 and not so much. We both can’t go to the stern the boat will flip. I can’t alone pull here over the stern. Her vest and giant fun bags were getting caught on the rub rail.
There’s no panic and way too much laughter. Plan 2 is to get a line around her. Hand the line to my friend at the bow and drag her in. That worked but now she is face down legs in the air and unable to roll overdue to the lack of space. Eventually she does it. All this time her sister is tied off the stern getting bounced around with the dog in the steady 2’ Chop. She hands off the dog. We get her along side and the 2 of us help her do an Eskimo roll into the boat. They must have been twins. We now have a very overloaded boat. Both kayaks are floating but swamped. We tie them off get organized, and start heading back. We couldn’t do more then 6kn so we had lots of time talk and laugh. The dog was shivering.
We get back to my dock , get then organized and they were able to paddle the rest of the way to their house.
3 days later, there’s a knock at the door. My wife answers. The 2 sisters were delivering a box of homemade rum cupcakes.
weather: air 80 Deg. Water 72, wind +25kn
location: Great South Bay n.y.
vessel: 15’ Boston Whaler Sport
i call my neighbor and ask if he would like to go clamming. Sure let’s go. We pack a few beers, clam bucket and rakes. Off we go about 2 miles to the flats. Pickings were slow but we’ll get dinner. Waters cool , wind is howling and we both know we’ll get slammed in the face coming home. It didn’t matter air is warm and it’s sunny. We start heading back. We’re in the middle of the bay heading straight into the wind . It doesn’t matter we’re soaked anyway.
I look to my right and I see 2 kayaks drifting sideways to the wind in the middle of the bay. I comment they are never paddling back into this wind. As I pass I see one women in a kayak with a dog and another woman in the water with a swamped 2nd kayak. They have vests on and the water is only 5’ Deep . She’s standing but just. I pull up , they’re laughing .
Are you my knight in shining armor?
no, more like 2 wet old bald guys
Do you need help.
No we’re fine
well it’s blowing a bit , are you sure.
yes we’re ok . I can’t get back in the kayak so i’m Going to walk it to that land over there. I’ll call my brother to come get us
well that’s an Island 1/2 mile from here and in about 100 yards you will be over your head.
We’ll be fine.
Ok , last chance we’re heading home.
Still laughing they wave us good by. We take off . I look back and decide to go back to them. They now accept my offer to rescue them.
first order of business was get the woman out of the water. She’s a big girl. We didn’t know that since we only saw her head. Like an iceberg, there was a lot more under water. Engine off we drop the little stern ladder. She stands on the first step and the stern starts to go under. We both go to the bow to trim the boat while she make a second attempt. No luck. She can’t get out of the water without help. Now did you ever watch that Tuna show when they drag a giant on deck. Keep that thought in mind. My friend is 250 and strong, me 150 and not so much. We both can’t go to the stern the boat will flip. I can’t alone pull here over the stern. Her vest and giant fun bags were getting caught on the rub rail.
There’s no panic and way too much laughter. Plan 2 is to get a line around her. Hand the line to my friend at the bow and drag her in. That worked but now she is face down legs in the air and unable to roll overdue to the lack of space. Eventually she does it. All this time her sister is tied off the stern getting bounced around with the dog in the steady 2’ Chop. She hands off the dog. We get her along side and the 2 of us help her do an Eskimo roll into the boat. They must have been twins. We now have a very overloaded boat. Both kayaks are floating but swamped. We tie them off get organized, and start heading back. We couldn’t do more then 6kn so we had lots of time talk and laugh. The dog was shivering.
We get back to my dock , get then organized and they were able to paddle the rest of the way to their house.
3 days later, there’s a knock at the door. My wife answers. The 2 sisters were delivering a box of homemade rum cupcakes.
12-29-2019, 05:41 PM
#2
Senior Member
Great story too bad you don't have a video!
12-29-2019, 05:50 PM
#3
Admirals Club 
The 2 sisters were delivering a box of homemade rum cupcakes. - I bet they were good .
They were in big trouble and didn't realize it .
Good Job Captain
They were in big trouble and didn't realize it .
Good Job Captain
12-29-2019, 05:52 PM
#4
Good end to a good deed
That’s a pretty well written story, well funny as all heck about the southern 🔔 s! (Icebergs) Good thing you went back for them, when things start to go wrong things start happening quickly. Good work and I am sure those cup cakes were excellent!
12-29-2019, 05:59 PM
#5
Admirals Club
After their plan to reach the island failed there's no telling what may have happened to them .
12-29-2019, 06:15 PM
#7
Senior Member
Ok,... have to admit I was laughing ( very well written), but you definitely did the right thing, and very well in a situation that could have gone wrong in so many ways.
Good for you!
Good for you!
12-29-2019, 06:29 PM
#8
Senior Member
It was great envisioning your narrative. Good laugh.
12-29-2019, 06:36 PM
#10
Senior Member
Originally Posted by fireisland1
date 09/19 1400 hrs.
weather: air 80 Deg. Water 72, wind +25kn
location: Great South Bay n.y.
vessel: 15’ Boston Whaler Sport
i call my neighbor and ask if he would like to go clamming. Sure let’s go. We pack a few beers, clam bucket and rakes. Off we go about 2 miles to the flats. Pickings were slow but we’ll get dinner. Waters cool , wind is howling and we both know we’ll get slammed in the face coming home. It didn’t matter air is warm and it’s sunny. We start heading back. We’re in the middle of the bay heading straight into the wind . It doesn’t matter we’re soaked anyway.
I look to my right and I see 2 kayaks drifting sideways to the wind in the middle of the bay. I comment they are never paddling back into this wind. As I pass I see one women in a kayak with a dog and another woman in the water with a swamped 2nd kayak. They have vests on and the water is only 5’ Deep . She’s standing but just. I pull up , they’re laughing .
Are you my knight in shining armor?
no, more like 2 wet old bald guys
Do you need help.
No we’re fine
well it’s blowing a bit , are you sure.
yes we’re ok . I can’t get back in the kayak so i’m Going to walk it to that land over there. I’ll call my brother to come get us
well that’s an Island 1/2 mile from here and in about 100 yards you will be over your head.
We’ll be fine.
Ok , last chance we’re heading home.
Still laughing they wave us good by. We take off . I look back and decide to go back to them. They now accept my offer to rescue them.
first order of business was get the woman out of the water. She’s a big girl. We didn’t know that since we only saw her head. Like an iceberg, there was a lot more under water. Engine off we drop the little stern ladder. She stands on the first step and the stern starts to go under. We both go to the bow to trim the boat while she make a second attempt. No luck. She can’t get out of the water without help. Now did you ever watch that Tuna show when they drag a giant on deck. Keep that thought in mind. My friend is 250 and strong, me 150 and not so much. We both can’t go to the stern the boat will flip. I can’t alone pull here over the stern. Her vest and giant fun bags were getting caught on the rub rail.
There’s no panic and way too much laughter. Plan 2 is to get a line around her. Hand the line to my friend at the bow and drag her in. That worked but now she is face down legs in the air and unable to roll overdue to the lack of space. Eventually she does it. All this time her sister is tied off the stern getting bounced around with the dog in the steady 2’ Chop. She hands off the dog. We get her along side and the 2 of us help her do an Eskimo roll into the boat. They must have been twins. We now have a very overloaded boat. Both kayaks are floating but swamped. We tie them off get organized, and start heading back. We couldn’t do more then 6kn so we had lots of time talk and laugh. The dog was shivering.
We get back to my dock , get then organized and they were able to paddle the rest of the way to their house.
3 days later, there’s a knock at the door. My wife answers. The 2 sisters were delivering a box of homemade rum cupcakes.
weather: air 80 Deg. Water 72, wind +25kn
location: Great South Bay n.y.
vessel: 15’ Boston Whaler Sport
i call my neighbor and ask if he would like to go clamming. Sure let’s go. We pack a few beers, clam bucket and rakes. Off we go about 2 miles to the flats. Pickings were slow but we’ll get dinner. Waters cool , wind is howling and we both know we’ll get slammed in the face coming home. It didn’t matter air is warm and it’s sunny. We start heading back. We’re in the middle of the bay heading straight into the wind . It doesn’t matter we’re soaked anyway.
I look to my right and I see 2 kayaks drifting sideways to the wind in the middle of the bay. I comment they are never paddling back into this wind. As I pass I see one women in a kayak with a dog and another woman in the water with a swamped 2nd kayak. They have vests on and the water is only 5’ Deep . She’s standing but just. I pull up , they’re laughing .
Are you my knight in shining armor?
no, more like 2 wet old bald guys
Do you need help.
No we’re fine
well it’s blowing a bit , are you sure.
yes we’re ok . I can’t get back in the kayak so i’m Going to walk it to that land over there. I’ll call my brother to come get us
well that’s an Island 1/2 mile from here and in about 100 yards you will be over your head.
We’ll be fine.
Ok , last chance we’re heading home.
Still laughing they wave us good by. We take off . I look back and decide to go back to them. They now accept my offer to rescue them.
first order of business was get the woman out of the water. She’s a big girl. We didn’t know that since we only saw her head. Like an iceberg, there was a lot more under water. Engine off we drop the little stern ladder. She stands on the first step and the stern starts to go under. We both go to the bow to trim the boat while she make a second attempt. No luck. She can’t get out of the water without help. Now did you ever watch that Tuna show when they drag a giant on deck. Keep that thought in mind. My friend is 250 and strong, me 150 and not so much. We both can’t go to the stern the boat will flip. I can’t alone pull here over the stern. Her vest and giant fun bags were getting caught on the rub rail.
There’s no panic and way too much laughter. Plan 2 is to get a line around her. Hand the line to my friend at the bow and drag her in. That worked but now she is face down legs in the air and unable to roll overdue to the lack of space. Eventually she does it. All this time her sister is tied off the stern getting bounced around with the dog in the steady 2’ Chop. She hands off the dog. We get her along side and the 2 of us help her do an Eskimo roll into the boat. They must have been twins. We now have a very overloaded boat. Both kayaks are floating but swamped. We tie them off get organized, and start heading back. We couldn’t do more then 6kn so we had lots of time talk and laugh. The dog was shivering.
We get back to my dock , get then organized and they were able to paddle the rest of the way to their house.
3 days later, there’s a knock at the door. My wife answers. The 2 sisters were delivering a box of homemade rum cupcakes.
12-29-2019, 07:21 PM
#13
Senior Member
That was definitely a "Laugh out Loud" story. Great job on the writing and the rescue. You have to hope those ladies realize just how close they may have been to death.
12-29-2019, 07:49 PM
#15
Admirals Club
I don't know the area, but I know how things go sideways in a hurry.
There's a chance that you saved a life, there's no way they're paddling anywhere, the best thing going for them was warm weather and they could survive exposure longer than most.
Well done. Good thing Whalers are unsinkable!
There's a chance that you saved a life, there's no way they're paddling anywhere, the best thing going for them was warm weather and they could survive exposure longer than most.
Well done. Good thing Whalers are unsinkable!
12-29-2019, 08:49 PM
#16
Senior Member
Poor dog .
12-30-2019, 04:21 AM
#18
Nice job. Local boaters up here know how crappy the bay can get quickly. Usually the morning run out is flatter than your first girlfriend. It's the return trip that make the day worth remembering.
12-30-2019, 07:52 AM
#20
Admirals Club
So you are telling us that a Boston Whaler can be cut in two and not sink, float a car so you can fish out the sunroof, survive the North Atlantic, but might go down due to "Giant Fun Bags"?
:
:
