Good Samaritan Fishing Stories
To put some balance into some of the not so good stories (there'll always be some), I thought I start a thread on Good News stories - where the good will and generosity of our fellow humans has been experienced. 
Mine starts in Jurien, quite some years ago when I booked a hire boat and accomodation for a week and headed up with my wife (Sandra) and her (then) young son Tod. Our car at the time was a 280zx. We'd organised to rent a house with a plan for the owner to have a friend that lived up the road from the hired house leave the key under the door matt as the owner (a local living nearby) was going away for a couple of weeks.
This went wrong as soon as we got up there.
Firstly, we arrived at the house to find no key. We didn't know the friend and had no contact number for the owner, so we were a bit stumped what to do. We decided to go to the (then) only real estate agent in town as we figured they'd know the owner and the owner's friend. But no one was in at the real estate agents other than the receptionist, who didn't know anything.
So, to kill some time, we decided we would pick up the boat. Things go wrong #2! 
When we arrived, we found out that the 4.5m boat we'd hired had been booked out. So the guy offerred us a much bigger boat for the same price. A big plate ally job around 6.5-7m! (or thereabouts) 
. Anyone that knows 280zxs, knows they are VERY low to the ground and don't have the heaviest suspension. 
But; we hooked up the boat anyway and towed it back to the rental house.We were very concerned because to level of the already low car was much much lower. With the back wheels just clearing the arches. Not Good!
We dropped the boat off back at the rental house and headed back to the real estate agents. Fortunately, the agent was in and he knew the owner, her friend (that was suppossed to have dropped off the key) and the friends mobile number.
We were soon put in contact with the friend who met us back at the rental house. She took one look at the boat and (very low) car and said, with experience that we'd never be able to launch/retreive due to the angle of the Jurien ramp. Without us asking, she volunteered her Toyota HiAce 4 x 4
for the week, free of charge (refusing to take any money) as her boyfriend was in town for the week and they had his car.
Things were looking up!
We had a great time with easy launches and retreivals thanks to the Toyo. Whilst the owners friend absolutely refused to take any money, we made sure we gave her a good feed of fish each day and filled BOTH the normal and (previously empty) long range tank before we dropped off the car at the end of week. It was the least we could do.
If not for the great nature and generosity of the owner's friend, our holiday (and then bad planning) would have been ruined!
I hope she won Lotto the following week! 
Soon to be de "dreamweaver" ed!
Dreamweaver
Posts: 4688
Date Joined: 01/12/07
Also...
When you think of it, what started out as adverse situations actually created a lot of luck. IF the owner had of been there, we never would have met the friend, nor would we have met the friend if the key had been left. I must have had a positive balance in the 'kalma book'
Colin Molloy
(Colin 2 - Co-founding member of the prestigious Colin Club)
Soon to be de "dreamweaver" ed!
roberta
Posts: 2773
Date Joined: 08/07/08
Good story Colin 2
Our good story starts left CPBA had a fabulous day out catch squiding/whiting anyway, coming in just before the entrance of the groynes, I saw this boat and the two blokes waving & waving, said to Bob I think they are in trouble, he looked over Berty I think your right, went over, mean while the seebreeze decided to come in and the waves where getting a bit worrying smashing on the groyne, got there, his motor wouldn't start before they knew it hard on the groyne (klinker boat just restored). Apparently they'd waved & waved everybody kept motoring past waving at them. He was worried about his young son, so we put him on our boat, Bob got everything ready for the tow, bilge pumps working over time on the tow boat, thank god he had two, radioed in to our tower and the bosun was there waiting to help us and the tow. Well you can image trying to put a 18' boat nearly full of water on the trailer, but with everybodies many hands we got it done, and you should have seen the hole and water pouring out. Apparently it was his Dad's old boat, two sons did it up, new motor, new interior etc, took it out for a test run and trouble started. They were so thank full for the help, keep trying to give Bob some money, he just said hopefully one day if I'm in trouble somebody comes to my aid. But they insisted on going up to the Bar and buying him and everybody that helped a drink,
SPEWIE LEWIE
Ginger Tablets Rock
Dreamweaver
Posts: 4688
Date Joined: 01/12/07
Great Story Roberta!
Good on you for helping - by the sound of it, they didn't have a lot of experience. Wouldn't be too many timber laps around. That would be quiet a heavy boat, with the laps and bracing etc. Full of water, it would have been VERY heavy. Glad there was plenty around to lend a hand. I can't believe that so many people didn't offer a hand - it's the first 'law of the sea' as you no doubt know.
Colin Molloy
(Colin 2 - Co-founding member of the prestigious Colin Club)
Soon to be de "dreamweaver" ed!
Dreamweaver
Posts: 4688
Date Joined: 01/12/07
C'mon
Let's here some more?
Colin Molloy
(Colin 2 - Co-founding member of the prestigious Colin Club)
Soon to be de "dreamweaver" ed!
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18078
Date Joined: 11/03/08
good samaratins
we have encountered a few over the years when we have had boat trouble there names were
VOLONTEER SEA RESCUE
yes we have had our boat towed a few times in roco and jurien ,they are always there to help,we always show our appreciation with a kind donation
great story colin#2 it shows there is some generous people out there
RUSS
"A family that fishes together stays together"
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Dreamweaver
Posts: 4688
Date Joined: 01/12/07
VSR
Cheers Russ - yes, VSR do a fantastic job and it's great to be out there with the safety of knowing that if you do break down, they'll come and get you. Fortunately, my current boat is a LOT more dependable than my first one.
Colin Molloy
(Colin 2 - Co-founding member of the prestigious Colin Club)
Soon to be de "dreamweaver" ed!
carnarvonite
Posts: 8673
Date Joined: 24/07/07
VSR
Here in Carnarvon can never second guess what the next call may bring.We ahve had more than or share of serious callouts,the boat/barge collision [4 esteemed CVSR members died]the young boy who drowned in the river,the tourist who fell/sucked down the blowholes and the last on where a vessel sank near the Lady Joyce wreck where we go the callout at midnight and the crew spent 10 hours in 30knot winds searching untill they were spotted by one of the search aircraft[the Dornier from AUSAR with heat seeking equiptment on board].Of the 6 other private boats who diverted to the search only one continued to the search area due to the rough conditions,many thanks to him.Luckily all survived--only by a sheer fluke a visiting yachtie heard the call on the radio as he was going to turn it off and hop into bed.
Do not be afraid to volunteer to join a local rescue group,you may have some special talent the group may need,be it someone who can do bookwork,make lunches ,radio operators,boat maintenance crews,deckies,skippers,search co ordinators,fund raisers especially as all groups need money for new/replacement equiptment [we are saving madly for a replacement vessel hint-hint] you name it