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Keystone Cops
In our local harbour in Spain they have a form of local port police called the Vigilancia Portuaria, who’s main jobs seems to be to dissuade boats from speeding and also to assist visiting yachts find moorings. They also pick up any tenders that have come adrift and rescue the odd jet-ski. I think they are funded by the local council.
Last week we saw one attempting to rescue a small inflatable that had come adrift which set in motion a series of events which the directors of the keystone cops would have been justly proud of.
The Vigilancia got hold of the inflatable’s painter and made it fast. Having started to tow he then decided to adjust the towline whilst underway. Having taken the towline off his cleat he found that he was picking up speed. We were then entertained with the spectacle of the poor chap being slowly pulled away from his console towards the transom of his RIB. With the wheel and throttle by then out of reach and no kill cord attached he seemed to understand he was in a bit of a dilemma but was clearly unsure how to resolve it in a satisfactory way. Eventually I think the painter pulled through his hands and tender was picked up by a passing jet-ski.
Now you would have thought he would have learnt from this episode but you have guessed it….. He started all over again but this time a little more slowly.
However, on a more serious note, I am sure you will have noticed from the somewhat poor pictures attached there is a noted lack of safety equipment. In the UK we get in a lather over safety standards whilst in these warmer climates a slightly more laid back approach seems to prevail.
Sorry that the pitures which are out of order don't realy tell the story that well. We were watching not thinking of pictures.
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