Boating – May 2018

“

danger of running an inlet in rough seas,
most people don’t. Traf ord estimates
he’s pulled more than 30 people out of
Shinnecock waters in his 19 years work-
ing with Sea Tow.
“It could happen to anybody,” says
Traf ord. “Stan got caught in shallow wa-
ter at just the wrong time. I’ve seen guys in
their 20-footers try to do the same thing.”

ROCKY SITUATION

L

ast Father’s Day, a dad and his
three sons hired a local charter
captain for a day of fi shing out-
side Masonboro Inlet, near Wrightsville
Beach, North Carolina. The captain had
them fi shing on the tip of the rock jet-
ty, using his trolling motor to keep his
22-foot center console safely away from
the rocks. But when the trolling motor
gave out, the captain couldn’t get his
outboard started in time, and the waves
quickly swept the boat into the jetty. An-
other angler, fi shing on foot from the jet-
ty, called for help over a VHF radio. Sea
Tow Capt. Ryan Saporito just happened
to be patrolling the inlet in his 26-foot

Twin Vee not 100 yards away from the

jetty and heard the call.

“I raced around the corner, and

they were already on the rocks,” recalls

Saporito of that day.

Just then, a set of 5-foot waves rolled

in, knocking the charter captain out of

the center console and pushing the boat

up onto the jetty at a 70-degree angle.

Saporito quickly heaved them a line,

hauled each of the four passengers to his

Twin Vee and pulled them out of the wa-

ter. The charter captain was able to swim

safely to another nearby vessel.

Thanks to Saporito’s decisive action,

the whole incident was over in about

three minutes.

“The captain had tried to start his en-

gine and drop his anchor, but it all hap-

pened so fast,” says Saporito. “If I hadn’t

gotten there in time, those four passen-

gers would have been in the water as 4-

to 5-foot waves pounded them against

the rocks. It would not have been good.”

PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK (CRASHING WAVE), COURTESY SEA TOW (2), COURTESY WEST MARINE (ANCHOR)

SEAMANSHIP LESSON Be prepared for

equipment failure and have a Plan B. If you lose

power, fi rst drop the anchor, then try to restart.

IF I HADN’T GOTTEN

THERE IN TIME, THOSE

FOUR PASSENGERS

WOULD HAVE BEEN IN

THE WATER AS 4

TO 5FOOT WAVES

POUNDED THEM

AGAINST THE ROCKS.”

Capt. Ryan Saporito

94 | BOATINGMAG.COM | MAY 2018