Your 40-foot auxiliary sailing vessel has just run aground on a bar. She has a relatively long, deep keel and the tide is falling. You have checked the bilges for damage and found none. Which is the most prudent action to take immediately?
• Grounding on a falling tide and risk of being left high and dry • Why knowing the direction of deeper water matters before attempting to free the vessel • Effects of a long, deep keel on how safely you can pivot, heel, or force the boat off
• Before you try to move the boat, what critical information about the surrounding water do you NOT have yet? • How could trying to power or sail off in the wrong direction make the situation worse for a long-keel sailboat on a falling tide? • Which action improves your knowledge and safety first, rather than committing to a potentially damaging maneuver?
• Verify which option focuses on gathering information about water depth and bottom contour before attempting to get off. • Check which choices might increase damage or drive you further aground if you guess the wrong direction. • Ask which immediate step would help you plan the safest later maneuver (sail, power, or kedge) rather than forcing the boat off blindly.
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