What Would Redford Do?

After buying my first keelboat many years ago, I picked up a little book that gave an overview of all the issues boaters should be concerned with. Chapter one was called Keeping the Water Out. I couldn’t help thinking about that cleverly simplistic title a few weeks ago while watching the highly acclaimed Robert Redford film All is Lost.

Apparently Redford’s character had never read that little boater’s guide, because when he awoke from a nap and discovered his sloop had been holed at the waterline, he walked right past the gaping hole on his way to the cockpit without making the slightest effort to slow the inflow of water. And while he did take steps later to patch the hole, he waited until the entire cabin was flooded before switching on his bilge pumps and thinking to put out a pan-pan via radio. (He was supposedly in the middle if the Indian Ocean.)

The sequence of actions Redford’s character performed left us screaming advice at the video screen. So we posed the question to ‘Lec Lat readers: In order, what five things would you do first? We got a flood of thoughtful responses. Jack Oldrin and many others thought as I did about step one: "Plug the hole!!!!!!!" Karl Wilber’s first response would be to "immediately change tacks to lift impacted area above waterline." (Redford’s character eventually did that.) Richard Byhre said, first, "Start the engine and get pumps running."

But safety expert Chuck Hawley would take other initial steps: 1) Ensure that the life raft is able to be launched (not compromised by the damage caused by the collision, on deck, tether attached). 2) Ensure that the ditch bag is attached to the raft or at least nearby, not in a quarter berth or inaccessible locker. 3) Attempt to broadcast a mayday. If unable, turn on EPIRB. 4) Attempt to stem the flow of water, either by getting the hole farther out of the water, or by cramming stuff into the hole from the inside, or by putting a collision mat on it from the outside. 5) Alternate between dewatering the boat and patching the hole.

If you haven’t seen the flick, we warn you that it might drive you crazy with frustration, as the sole character’s actions exhibit something less than brilliant seamanship. Still, it may be a worthwhile exercise, as it certainly forces you to confront the very real possibility of being holed by a shipping container in mid-ocean someday, and consider what first steps you would take on your own vessel — so your story won’t end as badly as Redford’s did.