Do not allow any of your passengers to get overconfident in this situation. Life jackets save lives, and they are not overrated. If the boat is leaking, have everyone put on personal flotation devices immediately. If your boat is leaking oil, gas, or water, or if a passenger is injured, call for help. If you even just have a bad gut feeling, you can call or signal for some help getting your boat free from whatever you’re stuck on. There is no shame in admitting you’re stuck and calling for help. If You’re Stuck Or Leaking, Call For Help ASAP After all, you can’t clog up an oar with silt or jellyfish. Gently pushing off of whatever you’re stuck on is usually safer than using the engine in reverse. You can have some people get out and push, too, depending on where you’re grounded, but do not try that unless you’re sure it’s safe and everyone has life jackets. Once you’ve shifted some weight and you’re sure you’re not punctured, try gently pushing away from whatever you’re grounded on. If you’re in a larger boat, you can see if lightening the load helps instead.Ĭarefully Push Away From Whatever You’re Grounded On You could even have a few people go for a short swim if they have flotation devices. If the nose is stuck, make the heavy passengers move towards the back and see if you can push off. Once you’re confident that getting off the ground won’t make your boat sink, you can take the weight off the ground by shifting weight away from whatever is touching the bottom. This advice is specifically for smaller boats. Shift Weight Away From Whatever Is Touching The Ground If reversing the boat doesn’t free you immediately, raise the motor and shut it off to prevent it from getting damaged. Make sure everyone has flotation devices and stay on the boat unless there’s a serious danger.Įven if the motor isn’t in danger of grinding on rocks or coral, it can still suck up silt and grime from shallow water. Don’t risk causing more damage or endangering your passengers. Do so carefully, watching for hidden damage, but you can have a little more confidence. If the boat isn’t leaking and there isn’t major damage, you should probably be able to free the boat yourself. Have passengers help you to make sure nothing is taking water and that there are no cracks on the outside of the boat. Do you smell gasoline anywhere? Is anything dangerous leaking?Ĭheck out your boat at the same time. If someone is injured or you’re panicking, there’s no shame in calling for help! Just try to calm down while you wait.Īfter making sure nobody is bleeding, your next step should be to make sure the engine isn’t bleeding. Get your head better settled, then move on to the next step. Remember that you can’t help anyone if you’re panicking. We have an article explaining best place to store life jacket: Best Place To Put PFDs While You Are Out On Your Boat? This makes it possible to evacuate the boat in case of further emergency and to make sure everyone is safe if the boat jolts while you’re ungrounding it. This step is a great time to have everyone put on lifejackets if you’re not already wearing them. Perform emergency aid or ask another passenger to help. Are you hurt? Is anyone else on the boat hurt? Check for bleeding, whiplash, concussions, bruises, and if anyone fell off the boat. This is the first-aid and emergency response part of running your boat aground. Remember, grounding a boat isn’t uncommon! It’s actually one of the four most common types of accidents, and it can happen to the most experienced boaters. When your boat runs aground, there are a few basics that you should follow to make sure everyone stays safe.
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