Kathryn’s Voyage Blog

Publish Date: Thursday, May 7, 2009
Location: Hudson River Valley, New York
Coordinates: 41° 49.630′ N 73° 56.51′ W

David’s blog, Snag in the Plan, tells about our hiccup trying to leave New York Harbor. I wanted to add my two cents about working together as a team.

Dave mentions that it was cold and rainy with patchy fog (~1/2 mile visibility). He didn’t mention the tug and barge on our port side, who blew past us a few minutes earlier only to find out the dock he was heading to was occupied. So he was coming to an abrupt stop to wait while the barge at his dock prepared to leave (which was on our starboard side). Fortunately we were monitoring both VHF channels 16 and 13, which is where the commercial captains converse. Just as we were beginning to maneuver so as not be in the way of this barge exchange is when we hit the object in the water.

Also, there was a brisk current running down the Hudson in the lower harbor area. If your vessel is disabled, you are not just bobbing in place — you are being carried with the current. There is also plenty of other boat traffic zipping about with morning commuter ferries crisscrossing the river. Now you have the bigger picture of what was going on around us when all of sudden we heard the big thud, a clunking sound, and had no maneuverability. (These things never seem to happen in wide open spaces, with clear water and plenty of sunshine.)

I feel a big part of our successfully taking care of the problem was not flipping out, but just working the problem together. Dave is cool, and incredibly focused under pressure. There was no cursing or screaming — just an immediate assessment of our circumstances, followed by firing up of the wing engine within the first minute. My part was also not to panic but instead be our eyes and ears on the boat. Can we see what we hit out the stern? Are we taking on water? Where exactly is the sound coming from? If we can’t maneuver, and can’t get the boat stopped, we might need to drop the anchor as an emergency brake. So I hustled out the door and unlashed it so it was ready to deploy if needed.

Once the wing engine was started and we knew we had limited maneuverability (remember the wing engine is only 60hp with a folding propeller), it was time decide what to do next:
1. Closest option (~2 miles): Turn around and pick up a mooring ball at 79th Street Boat Basin. Downside is ability to assess and do repair work in the current, and no dock.
2. Go back to Newport Marina (~7 miles). Downside: more time on the water and cutting across the Hudson with limited maneuverability. No guarantee of finding someone to work on our boat there.
3. Try and find a boat yard (since we may need to be hauled), and head that direction. Downside is we have no idea where one is, or who is best in the area to work on our type of boat.

Decision: Get the boat (and crew) secured as quickly as possible. Then we can take our time assessing the situation and determine the correct course of action. Hence the decision to go to 79th Street Boat Basin. Dave’s blog takes you from there.

I hear too often from unhappy cruising couples that the husband screams commands, and talks down to his crew; or, the wife is indifferent, unwilling, or unable to help or learn. In these instances cruising isn’t fun, it’s a chore. An impasse exists, creating an underlying tension which only gets worse in a crisis. I would offer from my experience, it is all about teamwork, and respect for one another. Dave is currently a far more experienced captain than I am, and I have great respect for his knowledge and ability to handle our vessel. At the same time, Dave knows I have a desire and a determination to learn. He respects my problem solving abilities and the capabilities I have acquired. We work the problem together, no sniping or blame, just determination for a successful conclusion. It’s awesome!

One other thought: Often times when we are enjoying an easy cruise, we play out emergency scenarios about what we would do. Hopefully we’ll never be in those situations, but it does help to have an idea of what you would do ahead of time.

It is my sincere hope that more couples and families who have a dream of cruising together, just go and do it. Yes, there is a lot to learn. Yes, it is scary at times. But mostly, it is amazing!