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I remember the very first towing job that I did. It was 1984 and I was driving our first version of the Safe/Sea Rescue, named the Kropp 2, which was our only small yacht towboat at the time and identical to our current version. Our industry really wasn't even an industry then, and my dad and I just figured towing boats would be a fun way to spend some time in the summer and earn a few dollars. In fact, back in 1984, you didn't have to have a Captain's License to captain a marine assistance vessel.
Anyway, the very first boat I ever towed was the Cap'n Peach Fuzz, a 19 foot runabout that was disabled close to Castle Island at the entrance to Bristol Harbor. Safe/Sea didn't exist, and there was no such thing as towing coverage or memberships. At the time, the charges were $65 per hour, including travel time. Boy, have times changed.
Last Saturday, I took my 10 year old son Will on his very first tow job. He's been out on our towboats for many rides and seal-watching trips, but had never come along for a real job before.
We got a call around 0830 Saturday morning from the M/V Fishin' Pole, a 21 foot center console, that was disabled about a mile outside Wickford Harbor. The Fishin' Pole needed a quick pull back into Wickford's Wilson Park Launching Ramp. Will and I grabbed our PFD's, and off we went!
As you can see, Will drove out of the harbor, handing the helm back to me once we cleared the breakwater and went throttle-up. It was a beautiful morning, a bit hazy, but absolutely flat calm. The tow home was quick and uneventful, and we had the Fishin' Pole tied up at the Wilson Park Ramp by 0915. As an added bonus, we got another that morning, right off Pomham Rocks in the Providence River. We towed that customer to the Bold Point Ramp in East Providence.
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