They Were So Close...NOT: Rescuing a Stranded Zodiac From a Sandbar | 22ft Zodiac

I got a call from freedom boat club about a zodiac that ran aground. They were interested to see how far they were up on the sandbar because a zodiac doesn’t weigh much, so they thought they could’ve just pushed it off. Well, turns out, the zodiac in question was in the middle of the sandbar and about 500ft away from deeper with a tide that was still dropping out from under them. Can I tow it through 400ft of 6in water and get it free? Watch the video to find out!!!
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AI-Generated Description:
🚤 Set sail with me on this exciting towboat adventure as I respond to a distress call from Freedom Boat Club. They reported a stranded Zodiac, believing it was a simple push-off situation due to its lightweight. Little did we know, the Zodiac was firmly grounded in the middle of a sandbar, 500 feet away from deeper waters with the tide still dropping!
Join me as I assess the situation, strategize, and attempt a daring tow through 400 feet of 6-inch water to free the stranded Zodiac. Will I successfully navigate the shallow waters and rescue the boat? Find out by watching the video now!
🌊 Experience the challenges and thrills of towboat operations as we work against time and tide to bring this Zodiac back to open waters. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more gripping maritime adventures!
👍 If you enjoy maritime rescues, boat operations, and the unpredictable world of towing, this video is a must-watch! Hit that subscribe button and ring the notification bell to stay updated on future nautical escapades.
⚓️ Thank you for joining me on this towing journey - your support keeps the maritime community thriving. Share your thoughts in the comments below, and let's discuss the fascinating world of towboat operations together.
#TowboatRescue #MaritimeAdventure #BoatingCommunity #ZodiacStranded #ShallowWaterNavigation #TideChallenge #BoatRecovery

[@kennethhacker3014]

Your customer service is top shelf brother... great presentation

[@CaptKenO]

Thanks awesome named guy 😁 Happy new year 🎆

[@paulkersey2179]

I see your point about having all that line out, you could have day shapes, lights and a mariachi band playing "I'm towing" and some jackwagon would run over your line. Nice work.

[@CaptKenO]

My very first ungrounding I did (back when I worked in venice/englewood) was a similar situation except it was a bigger boat, so I was actively pulling on it full throttle...had 2 boats come within probably 10ft of it, and actually had a guy on a jetski come so close he had to put his hand out to keep his head from hitting the line

[@pokinatchapunkrawk]

A big "HELL YEAH BROTHER" on the shirt! Another great video as well.

[@jeffrobertson3030]

Good ol’Freedom Boat Club in Sarasota/Manatee…they’ve really made these waters a pain at times.

[@chrisclark6212]

That turned to ankle deep really fast! No gym needed for upper body work out and leg work out with calls like those! 😂

[@CaptKenO]

Lol 😂 I'd take the ankle deep over the knee deep any day! I have one that y'all won't see because it was the middle of the night and you can't see anything, but had every inch of towline out (so ~7-800ft) and had to trudge through knee deep water but the bottom was seagrass and mud so my water shoes kept getting stuck and trying to come off my feet. That was definitely the worst one I've ever had to do

[@chrisclark6212]

@CaptKenO For sure ankle deep. Oh wow that does sound like a good one! Hopefully those stay far and few between.

[@CaptKenO]

@@chrisclark6212 for sure! Most aren't anywhere that bad and much more similar to this one except not so far

[@chrisclark6212]

@@CaptKenO well that's a good deal

[@briancummings9122]

Ken, It's awesome to watch you,, thanks I very much enjoy your videos

[@PatrickHoodDaniel]

24 hour shifts? Holy crap!!

[@CaptKenO]

Haha. Yep. Not so bad now since I'm only on call 72hrs straight, but when I was working in Venice, I was on 120-144hrs straight.

[@daniels5408]

When I saw you in shorts I immediately thought “this is not over the past few weeks”. Have a great New Year.

[@CaptKenO]

Thanks Daniel! Happy new year to you too 🎇 Hahaha. Yeah. Definitely not ⛄

[@luckydubeinrc5165]

grandma's gonna have a story to tell, and the towboat had to come and get us ;)

[@CaptKenO]

Grandparents always have the best stories!

[@tomnorman2668]

Another great video by a true servant on the water!!! Thank you, sir.

[@CaptKenO]

Thanks Tom!

[@MikeyDee25]

Hey Ken, good video as usual! All the best to you in 2024! 🍾

[@CaptKenO]

Thanks Mikey! Happy new year 🎆

[@markkask4427]

Nice job, looks like the pontoons were not inflated proper before going out

[@CaptKenO]

Thanks Mark! They did look a bit under inflated, but not enough that it would've been a problem

[@brantLeeeee]

Iv been binging all your videos. Then I see a Cleetus shirt! I’m a fan too. Love the content

[@CaptKenO]

Hahaha! Thanks Brantlee!

[@seawench555]

The legend saves the qualified Captain again, HAPPY NEW YEAR Dufuss xx😲🤣

[@CaptKenO]

Thanks Karlene! Happy new year to you too 🎆

[@seawench555]

@@CaptKenO Thanks Mate, stay Safe, hava couple of cold ones for me too😙😎

[@chrishidalgo5998]

Good stuff 👍

[@stephentaylor8217]

Great job as usual

[@CaptKenO]

Thanks Stephen!

[@chrisclark6212]

Happy New Year! Best for a safe and prosperous new year🎆

[@CaptKenO]

Thanks Chris! Happy new year to you too 🎆

[@seashrimp2]

Awesome job Captain 👍👍

[@CaptKenO]

Thanks Sea Shrimp!

[@xrpspeedboat226]

Love watching your vids and especially this one. After getting back from the gym this morning, I watched this to get my 10,000 steps in😂 Happy New Year Capn'😊

[@CaptKenO]

Thanks XRP! Happy new year to you too 🎆

[@EdmondBradAshworth]

Love the tshirt! Hell yeah brother!

[@CaptKenO]

Absolutely! 😁 Love cleet and his boys!

[@sydneyharbourscenery1206]

Question for you Ken. If the boat were heavier and not able to be pulled like you did, and maybe deep water was closer than it was this time, are inflatable sausage shaped fenders under the keel of any use? I noticed a couple in your vessel.

[@CaptKenO]

Those fenders aren't designed to support the weight of the boat, plus, you'd need to get them underneath first... Which if you could do that, the boat would be able to be pulled across the sand. If you wanted to do that, they got lift bags designed for that. Slide them underneath while deflated, and then inflate them to lift the boat. For this though, I would've just waited for a higher tide if I couldn't pull it off at the time

[@russell3380]

Have a Happy "Un-aground' New Year.

[@CaptKenO]

Lol. Thanks Russell! Happy new year to you too 🎆

[@vancity2349]

Nice work Cap. Looks like he did a Full Send as he was quite high on the sand...really good job with so much line out. Any risk of Sharks in the area?

[@CaptKenO]

Haha. Thanks Vancity! I think it was more not paying attention than a full send...but who knows 😂 There are sharks in the area, but I'm not really worried about them

[@vancity2349]

@@CaptKenO Good to know and stay safe out there...

[@OceanTrvlr]

What material is the green towline made out of?

[@CaptKenO]

I'm not 100% sure, but I believe it's dyneema

[@AdventuresofHappyOurs]

Do you just keep driving into shallow water until your hull hits bottom and stops? Motors trimmed above chine of hull?

[@CaptKenO]

Pretty much so. That way I have the least distancto walk and I know it won't be too deep when I get off the boat

[@AdventuresofHappyOurs]

@@CaptKenO I’m always petrified about running aground. It appears it you go slow and just nudge into it, you can nudge off pretty easy too. Good to know.

[@CaptKenO]

@AdventuresofHappyOurs hahaha. Depends on the type of boat you have. Like the old boat with the inboard, I wasn't going to run that aground like I do these boats

[@Jim1971a]

24 hour shifts? I don’t think I could do that. Hopefully you have some slow periods overnight where you can relax for a few hours.

[@CaptKenO]

Thankfully, for the most part at least, we don't get new calls between 10pm-10am. Sometimes we do, but generally if we're out that late, it's because we're on a long tow that started earlier in the day. So even t9 we're technically on call 24hrs/day, we aren't really if that makes sense

[@thomaslamb8337]

I surprised you don't have a rc submarine to take the rope to the boats you can't get close to!.

[@CaptKenO]

an rc boat maybe...but anything big enough to tow the line would be expensive

[@totenvt]

theres more water on a wet sponge than there is on that bank

[@CaptKenO]

lol. pretty much 😂

[@Animalwon]

Your subtitles say you don't like having So much tow line out (600 feet) because another boat might run over it - Why isn't it nautical practice to have markers or floats tied to the tow line to make it visible to other boaters? I noticed even tugboats towing barges have nothing to warn other boaters of the presence of these tow lines, many which can be rendered invisible due to environmental factors. Surely this has led to accidents or fatalities? Btw - I enjoy watching your videos. It would help understand your thinking or thoughts if you used a post-video voivpce-over to explain clearly what is going on, in your mind as well as explaining the circumstances more clearly.

[@CaptKenO]

As with any safety measure, its benefit has to be balanced with the burden of implementing it. In this type of towing (commercial assist) we don't often have a lot of towline out, so it's not usually a big deal. In commercial (think tugboat) type towing, the tugs have day symbols and lights that tell other boaters that they have a tow behind them, but it even then it really comes down to other boaters paying attention and being aware of their surroundings

[@advancedusvsystems6255]

Commercial tugs (and this includes assistance towing) are supposed have special lights and day shapes depending on the length of tow. The boat or barge being towed also is supposed to display if practical. But even though it's in the Colregs rules of the road, most captains (the people running any boat from a canoe on up) have no idea about those rules.

[@jeffreymagyar3990]

Are you Is wearing a Cleatus shirt hell ya brother

[@CaptKenO]

Hell yeah brother!

[@johnnys8822]

How far was that?

[@CaptKenO]

How far was what?

[@johnnys8822]

@@CaptKenO Everything always looks so far away with those wide angle lenses. Would be nice to know on those big sand bars how far it is to the boat your pulling out. Your ropes are 400 ft.? Lake Michigan and Ill river boater here, Great videos.