Small boats, big impact

Small boats have had a dramatic impact on our world and its history. The “miracle of Dunkirk” stands out. When the British Expeditionary Force, along with its French allies, was trapped on the beaches of northern France by the Germans, evacuating them was very difficult because of shallow water. Prime Minister Winston Churchill called the watermen of eastern England and 700 small boats responded. The smallest was a 15-foot rowboat, and the flotilla included sailboats, yachts, Thames river boats, fire boats, barges, paddle-wheel steamers, Scottish fishermen, Dutch coasters and oar-powered lifeboats. These experienced boat people went into the surf and rescued 338,226 British and Free French soldiers. They ferried the troops out to deeper water and transferred them to waiting ships. Two hundred and forty of these boats were lost to strafing German aircraft. The remnant of these boats is revered in England today.

More recently, the destruction of the Twin Towers on Manhattan Island on Sept. 11, 2001, provided another opportunity for boat owners and handlers to come to the rescue. All of the tunnels and bridges to Manhattan were closed, and the area was inundated with choking, hazardous dust and debris. The harbor boats responded. Water taxis, ferry boats, tugs, power barges and pleasure boats came to the rescue. They brought medical personnel and supplies to the island and evacuated more than 600,000 fleeing Americans, including the wounded. This mission was possible because the crews had training, radios and were part of the maritime traditions of “all hands on deck” and “away, all boats” during an emergency.

On a smaller scale, but with great significance, small and private boats have played a big role in many rescues, environmental catastrophes, searches and even warfare.

During our Revolutionary War, private boat captains called privateers were commissioned to wage warfare against the British. They raided British commerce and were rewarded with any booty they could capture. Small boats ran the blockades to get supplies to the American forces and moved spies. George Washington and his army used small private boats to cross the Delaware and attack the British.

During World War II, the U.S. Navy requisitioned hundreds of private boats for patrol duty. My family owned and lived on a 65-foot boat the Coast Guard had used for patrolling Puget Sound. During my years of winter exile to Juneau, I lived for 10 years on the historic and storied motor vessel Princeton Hall. This classic wooden yacht was built in Sitka before the war and was used for Presbyterian mission work. The Navy put a 20mm gun on the bow, depth charges on the stern and it was “Patrol Boat 1” in Southeast Alaska.

Currently in Alaska, small-boat crews are equipped and trained to respond to oil spills in Prince William Sound with oil containment booms and skimmers. Small boats are collecting tons of current-borne debris from our ocean shores. Virtually every water search and rescue effort involves private boats. I remember being anchored snuggled up to a high cliff south of Narrow Cape on the east side of Kodiak Island while I was running a small research vessel for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A nasty storm was blowing and there were vessels in trouble across a widespread area. Peggy Dyson (no relation) was the de facto rescue coordinator. She had been the North Pacific weather reporter for the National Weather Service, and she knew where virtually every vessel was, as well as who was closest to them and able to render aid. I listened to the marine radio as she vectored each vessel to where it was needed. She is considered the Patron Saint of the North Pacific for her work, and many seamen believed she saved their lives. May her memory and work live on to inspire us all.

Alaska may have the world’s finest boating waters. Enjoy them safely, and be alert to opportunities to render aid to boats in distress.

Fred Dyson is a member of the Anchorage Assembly and former state legislator. He contends that there is some research indicating that days spent at sea are not subtracted from your lifespan.

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