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Originally Posted by NightWing
BK, you are somewhat sidestepping the question/issue here. WHO towed you out of the way of traffic? Was it the MP? If it was, their obligation to you was completed after your boat was towed clear of traffic. If MP didn't tow you but another boater did, then help WAS available. Did the MP offer to call someone in your behalf? Did you refuse a call to a marina or boat dealer? Even though those places might have been closed, MP could have a list of emergency numbers for them and a tow might have been negotiated. Like it or not, MP is not the AAA of the water.
It is a shame your family had to endure that unpleasant event, but boating can be iffy at best. Preplanning can take some of the sting out of experiences like yours. Making sure all your gauges work and having them serviced if needed. Having your engine tuned and your drive unit serviced annually will help keep the tow boat away. Your fuel gauge didn't crap out that night, I am sure. If you had any time on the boat, you should have known how long the fuel would last and where the gauge should read after a given length of time.
A cell phone might have been a good thing to have, along with a VHF radio. Flares are worthwhile at night when all else fails. I hope you are better prepared now 10 years later.
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I was towed out of traffic by a guy in a 21ft Bayliner, he was affraid to go to close to the docks because he didn't know the area, it was night time so he set me a drift apporx 100 yrds from the nearest docs. Ran into him in Wolfboro the next summer, I bought a round of ice creams for his wife and kids. He should have applied for the Marine Patrol, because if he was one of them he probably would have given me a tow.
The Marine Patrol didn't offer to call any one, they told me that they had to stay where they were because of the traffic and it was not their responsibility to help when someone runs out of gas.
I didn't have a hand held cell phone at the time, if I did who was I going to call at 12:00 at night, what Marina is open until then. There was no Tow Boat service on the lake, they have only been around the last 5 years or so.
Why I ran out of gas had nothing to do with the condition of the boat, it was brand new. Turns out the gage was broken and needed to be replaced. Guess how I found that out, I RAN OUT OF GAS!
Lastly, Marine Patrol didn't do a thing! They left a boat full of kids and family to drift and fend for themselve's. What is it you don't get! IT WAS A TERRIBLE THING TO DO TO SOMEONE!