More Food for Thought:

Small Boat Safety Offshore - Part II

In our last issue, we covered some initial points about offshore safety in small boats. Part 2 covers more critical topics.

Remember, this article is NOT a general safety article. It discusses issues we found important or unique to small boats offshore, and how we made the decisions for Toy Boat 2. For additional background reading, check out some of the articles mentioned in our sidebar article.

If you have any additions or corrections, please feel free to email us, or post something on our discussion forums.

OK...the reason we're out on the water is to catch fish, so let's start by talking about some fishing issues:

What's worse than not having a fish in the boat? It's having a fish in the the boat when you don't want one. Sharks, billfish, wahoo and various other fish have been known to join fishermen uninvited in the cockpit, sometimes with tragic results..

A great example of what can happen was described in the October 2005 issue of Marlin magazine. "Marlin Punch " by Charlie Levine describes the Levine family's close encounter with a black marlin at the Tropic Star Lodge in Panama. The fish went airborne near the boat and wound up crashing into the cockpit, injuring the angler. It was all caught on video; you can see the clip on the Marlin magazine website.

Skiffs are especially vulnerable to this problem, because they sit lower to the water and may not have protective railings. Not only is the crew in danger from the fish, it is entirely possible for the boat to capsize from the encounter.

What can you do to avoid being hurt by the fish? Here's a summary of recommendations we've gotten from various sources:

• Practice Catch-and-Release. Bad things are less likely to happen if you don't try to bring the fish into the boat.
  
  
• Keep away from a green fish. Don't rush the fight . However, a balance needs to be reached if you intend to release the fish, as an exhausted fish may not survive.
  
  
• Avoid positioning yourself in harms' way. Since fish can not swim backwards very well, come from the side or behind if possible. If you're in front of the fish, a flick of the fish's tail will  naturally drive the fish into you. Position the boat parallel or slightly behind the fish
  
  
• Beware of other things that can hurt you - not just teeth or a bill, but also rough skin, sharp gill rakers, dangerous tails, or the sheer physical impact of a fish slamming into you.

• Billfish have are an obvious threat on the end of their snouts. If you are going to release a billfish, you need to control the bill. One approach is to grab the bill with gloved hands, or to tie the bill off while unhooking the fish. Another approach that requires less nerve is to use a device called a "snooter" . As you can see from the picture, a snooter has a small cable loop at one end. The free end of the loop goes up through the handle, and out the other end.
  
  When a billfish is brought next to the boat, the loop is slid over the bill, and is moved as far down as possible, then drawn tight by pulling on the end of the cable.
  
  The cable loop does a good job of hanging on to the bill, and the stiff handle allows the mate to keep the bill at a safe distance.
  
  
• Along similar lines, release sticks allow the fisherman to remove the hook without having to get too close to the fish. It is also easier on the fish, as they don't have to be held out of the water to get the hook out.
  
  
• If you use a flying gaff, extreme care needs to be taken with the rope. Tying off on a corner cleat could be a disaster if the fish still has a lot of fight in it. There have been cases where the stern of a small boat was dragged under by a fish surging away while attached to a flying gaff.

Skiffs are crowded. When moving around the boat, you need to take extra care to avoid getting snagged, cut or impaled by your own gear.  There are obvious things, like protecting gaff points, but you also need to be very conscious of hooks on rigged rods.

One "trick" that we have started doing is this: when placing rods in the horizontal rod rack, we place the hooks on a guide frame, reel crossbar or the hood of the reel seat on the side of the rod that will be against the gunwhale. This uses the rod to naturally shield the hook (remember the 10th Law of Life Aboard a Skiff?). So for a spinning rod with the tip forward, on the starboard side of the boat, the hooks would be on the right side of the rod.

Also beware of cleats, levers or handles that can snag clothing at a bad time, throwing you off-balance.

Here are two things to think about:

• Large trolling lures can weigh half a pound or more, and are often rigged to slide up the leader. If the fish shakes its head violently close to the boat, the lure can be catapulted up the leader, possibly beaning the mate or the angler.
  
  
• If you fish outriggers with taglines, beware of the taglines snapping back and hitting someone after the strike. A light release clip on the tagline is less dangerous in this situation (Thanks to Capt. David Brackmann of the Caliente for this piece of advice).

Who would think that the little guys in the bait tank could be the key to your undoing? 

• 
  Plugged scuppers - skiffs usually don't have large scuppers. A fish like an anchovie or small sardine can get jammed in the scupper, rendering it unusable. Take on some water, and you could be in for trouble if you're down to 50% of your self-bailing capacity. Keep an eye on this and clear the scuppers ASAP.
  
  
• Slipping on bait on the deck  - This, and blood on the decks are why you should wash/hose down your decks regularily. With low cockpit depth, and low or no railing, a slip can put you over the side.
  
  
• Leaky bait tanks  - well, not caused by the anchovies (unless they sabotage the plumbing), but since livewell plumbing often goes under-deck, you may not see a problem until it is too late. Here is where a bilge alarm would be a good thing.

We hate to keep dwelling on this point, but staying in the boat should be a major priority.We've already talked a little bit about staying in the boat when the boat is running, or while casting. Once you're hooked up, what should you be watching out for?

Harness issues - If you use a stand-up harness, you need to exercise extreme care, especially with heavy tackle. If you slip and get pulled overboard, it's unlikely that you will be able to unclip and get out of the harness, or find a way to break the line. Several sources recommend carrying a release knife to make it easier for you to quickly cut the line or harness straps. The same thing applies to the person acting as mate. Another option is to use a specialized harness designed to be attached to the boat. Two commercially available tether-ready harnesses are the "MateSaver®" and "AnglrSavr®", both from Gameface Gear. Remember that even if you don't have a chair, you gain a lot of stability by leaning against something like a leaning post, or livewell. On larger boats you would normally lock your knees under a gunwhale combing, but that may not be an option on your skiff.

AnglrSavr® harness courtesy Gameface Gear

Don't back down on a fish! Trying to drive a skiff backwards in rough seas is a recipe for disaster. Besides, you are not nearly as mobile as when you are going forward.

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