Chapter 18: Firefighting, Rescue and Assistance
Righting Capsized Boats Using Towline Fore and Aft of Boat's Keel Figure 18-24 Step 10 11
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Procedure Pay out enough slack in the towline to permit the boat to clear your stern when righting commences. Secure the towline. Gradually add power to your boat and increase speed, pulling on the bow of the capsized boat. This pull will be countered by the aft portion of the disabled boat, which is the heaviest part of the craft. As a result of these two forces, the boat will be righted. Tow the righted boat until you observe water being forced over the transom of the disabled boat. When water ceases to flow over the towed boat's transom, reduce speed gradually, ensuring that enough water has been forced out of the boat during the towing to allow it to float on its own.
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