The RNLI shows how to lasso a runaway boat.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) demonstrate their cowboy skills in this video with a lass rope to get a runaway boat under control.

In the Public Education Classes we make a big issue of why boaters should attach the kill switch lanyard to their person or lifejacket.  In this case the operator was preparing the boat for docking and slipped overboard bumping the throttle to full open when they went overboard.

The old saying of “One hand for you and one hand for the boat” is still good advice today, as is the advice to keep your weight low especially when moving around on small boats.

If you are single handing your boat, another good suggestion is to stop the boat and take it out of gear while setting the fenders and getting the dock lines ready.

Also REMEMBER TO WEAR A LIFEJACKET, Lifejackets float you don’t.  The survival time in Puget Sound is about 10 minutes without flotation on, and after a few minutes in the cold water you will loose the use of your hands, arms and legs.

From the YouTube notes on the RNLI video.

Published on May 16, 2014

A man who fell overboard from his speedboat knocked the throttle as he went, leaving the speedboat to spin out of control. He had been wearing a kill cord, but had taken it off to moor the boat when the accident happened. The volunteer crew of Teignmouth lifeboat raced to the scene and managed to stop the out of control boat. The man, who was wearing a lifejacket, was rescued and taken to hospital as a precaution.

A second video showing the Bull Dogging method for getting a runaway boat under control.

From the YouTube notes on another RNLI video.

Published on Oct 8, 2012

Volunteer lifeboat crew from Bude lifeboat rescued a fisherman who had fallen overboard in surf. His boat was still running at full speed – unmanned – in circles and, after a high-speed chase, the crew managed to put someone aboard and bring the boat under control.

The RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) is a charity registered in England, Wales and Scotland that provide search and rescue at sea.  In some respects similar to the the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, but judging from some of the videos I have seen a bit crazier.

Thanks for your interest in and support of boating safety.

– c / m –