Being designated as a "rescue" boat for Scows on Grand Lake is a significant responsibility. The purpose of this document, therefore, is to provide some guidance on the equipment required on a rescue boat and on the procedures to follow while on the race course. I. Equipment Required on Board a Rescue Powerboat 30-50 ft. Strong (1/2 inch diameter) Dacron tow line with a stout hook on one end. DO NOT USE POLYPROPYLENE SKI ROPES - THEY WILL SNAP, PUTTING YOU AND THE BOAT YOU ARE HELPING IN DANGER! Pliers and screwdrivers (Flathead and Phillips) Pocketknife Blanket and Towels First Aid Kit A cushion or safety ring with a line attached that you can throw to a person needing assistance in the water. VHF radio tuned to channel 11 for Race Committee announcements II. Your Responsibilities Before, During, and After the Yacht Race(s) Prior to the race, double check your equipment to ensure that all of it is in place and accessible. The tow rope should be attached, coiled, and ready. During the pre-start and start intervals, stay way away from the starting line so that you do not interfere with the Race committee or other yachts. Any communication (verbal or otherwise) after the 4 minute horn is a violation of the Yacht Racing Rules for "outside assistance". During the race, be sure to keep your wake down and at least 200 yards from the nearest yachts in the race. After the race completes for your yacht, stay way clear of the finish line and do not approach any yacht until it is at least 100 yards from the finish line. Do not cross the finish line or between the last mark and the finish line so that you do not interfere with yachts that are trying to finish. Monitor Channel 11 on your VHF radio for announcements from the Race Committee on abandonment or cancellation (e.g., due to lightning). Also, any cancellation or abandonment will be signaled via code flag and two horn blasts. Do not approach your designated yacht unless signaled to do so. In the event of a capsize or turtle, follow the instructions below. III. Actions to Assist a Yacht that has Capsized/Turtled In the event of a capsize, approach the yacht keeping clear of competitors that are racing. If you are signaled to assist, first check to see if anyone in the crew is in need of assistance. Your first responsibility is to ensure that you attend to people's safety first, then the yacht. If you do pick up a person, approach the person slowly, and upon pulling alongside, TURN OFF THE ENGINE OF THE POWERBOAT (many powerboats have propellers that continue to move, even with the engine in neutral!). Use the throw ring (or cushion) if necessary and make sure the person(s) you are assisting is in the powerboat safely before starting the engine. When starting the rescue boat or whenever you are in close proximity to a capsized or turtled yacht, remember that lines from the yacht (and/or sails) may be just below the waterline and therefore nearly invisible. This is especially true when the yacht has capsized while flying a spinnaker. In this case, you will need to get the spinnaker out of the water and unhooked from the halyard and sheets. Use extra precautions when anywhere near 25 feet from a capsized yacht that you watch for these underwater dangers - if you run over a line or a sail, your propeller will most likely be entangled, therefore compounding the original problems of the skipper and crew. If the yacht either swamps while on its side or goes "turtle" (i.e., with the mast sticking straight down), then approach the yacht from the "windward" side. If there is a putt-putt or other boat nearby have them hook onto the bow to pull it into the wind; if no other boats are available proceed as below. If you are alone in the Powerboat, you will need to get either a member of the crew or a person from another Powerboat. DO NOT TRY TO ASSIST A TURTLED OR CAPSIZED YACHT ALONE. Throw the rescue line to the skipper or crew, instructing them to attach the line to the sidestay at the deck level (chain plate). Once you have verified the line is attached, remind the skipper and crew to lay down on the side of the boat well away from the line. SLOWLY turn the boat until it is perpendicular to the boat and the line is taut. Gradually increase the throttle until you see the boat begin to turn sideways (with the hull vertical. Once the boat comes up halfway, ease off on the throttle, keeping the hull vertical (or perpendicular to the water). If a putt-putt or other chase boat is available, signal to them to grab the mast and hold it while the skipper and crew release the halyards for the main and jib. If the halyards cannot be released from the deck level, then the other rescue boat can use pliers to undo the shackles at the head of the sails. NOTE: YOU CANNOT RIGHT A TURTLE BOAT WITH THE SAILS UP PAST HALFWAY. Without the sails down, the boat will go over again, and you have to begin the process all over again. If there is no putt-putt or other rescue boat available to grab the mast, you will have to keep the boat halfway up (with the hull vertical) while the skipper and crew take down the sails. This requires a steady and deft touch on the throttle so that the boat stays turned sideways, but does not come up all the way. You will also have to maneuver so that the boat continues to be perpendicular to the wind. If, in any of these procedures, you allow the mast to be facing upwind as it comes up, the wind will catch the sail as it comes out of the water and put the boat over again (on top of your rope). This is why you must always be "upwind" of the yacht you are rescuing. If the boat gets out of position in any way while attempting to right the yacht, stop and try again. Once the sails are down and the skipper signals to do so, gently increase the throttle so that the yacht comes up all the way. Once it is up, put the engine in neutral and signal to the skipper and crew to unhook the rescue line from the sidestay. If there is another boat available, have them attach a line to the bow and tow the yacht to the place designated by the skipper and crew. If no other boat is available, then you will need to do this. When towing a yacht after righting from a turtled position, ask the skipper and crew to open all the bailers and knock out any transom tape so that water can flow out of the yacht as you tow it. Have the skipper and crew in the back of the boat so that the bow does not dig in. Tow the yacht at a rate of speed to get the water flowing out of the hull. Remember, when you slow down abruptly, a yacht that is full of water will quickly become unpredictable in its behavior. Therefore, slow down gradually when you need to do so. Please note: when a yacht is full of water, it is unwise to put the yacht on a sailboat rack. The weight of the water will most likely damage and/or break the rack.