T-BART FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ's as of 7-17-2003)

In a nutshell, what is T-BART and what does it do?
T-BART is short for Tellico Boaters Assistance Response Team. Its' job is to help stranded boaters on Tellico Lake in Loudon TN who are in a non-medical/non-emergency situation -- basically to tow them to safe harbor if their boat quits on them.

What are the major problems boaters have on the lake?
Running out of gas and dead batteries are the two big ones. New boaters, particularly, don’t realize how much gas boats take. There are also problems with starting and other mechanical things. We don’t attempt to fix the boat--we’re not mechanics--although we may bring them gas on occasion or give them a battery jump-start. But basically, we tow them to the nearest harbor or boat dock where they can get help.

What about accidents or injuries?
We don’t provide rescue. There are other agencies that do that. Our job is simply to assist boaters who can’t make it to shore. But we can provide a platform, upon request, to assist government agencies to reach an emergency or medical situation on the water.

What are your hours of operation?
We have a trained captain and crew on stand-by from 10 AM to sunset 365 days a year. We do not operate at night, but we do operate in the winter.

What type of training do T-BART people receive?
To qualify to be a captain or crew member for T-BART, the individual must undergo a day-long classroom and on-water training session, with an occasional refresher course during the year, have taken either the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Boating Safely course or U.S. Power Squadron Boat Smart course within the past 5 years, and work with a mentor practicing towing. Also, the captain’s boat has to pass a yearly Coast Guard vessel safety inspection and be equipped with equipment that may be needed, much of which we provide.

How many people are involved in these efforts?
Currently, we have about 100 people who have been trained to serve either as captains or crew. Most are from Tellico Village (which includes the Kahite neighborhood), and we also have people from the other lake communities of Rarity Bay and Foothills Point.

How long has T-BART been doing this?
This is our fourth year of operation in our present form. Prior to that, an informal group of boaters started offering assistance in 1998 following the tragic drowning of Pat Rigsby, who had already identified the need for such a service.

How many assists have you made?
In our first year, in 2000, we helped 16 boaters. In 2001, the number rose to 34, and last year, we assisted 48 boaters. The number of assists is growing each year as the number of boaters on our lake increases.

Do you charge for your services?
No. T-BART is strictly a volunteer, non-profit, community service organization -- people who are willing to help their neighbors when they get into trouble with their boats.
But you must have costs.

What are they?
Yes. It costs us about $10,000 a year to operate. Insurance, of course, is the biggest cost. Then we have to pay for pagers that 911 dispatchers use to contact us. There’s also equipment, supplies, gasoline, community education, and miscellaneous costs.

How do you cover your costs?
We depend on memberships, donations and fundraisers. All our active volunteers join T-BART for $10 a year. Then we have various categories of contributing memberships (non-active subscribers) who make donations from $10 a year and up. Several people and organizations have helped us by making very generous contributions.

If I get stuck on the lake, how do I contact T-BART?
There’s a couple of ways. If you have a VHF marine radio, use Channel 16 to call either Loudon or Monroe county 911-dispatch center and they will alert T-BART. Or you can use a cell phone to call the Loudon County dispatch center at 865-986-9081 or the Monroe County dispatch center at 423-442-4357. Dial 911 on your cell phone only in case of an emergency--not if you’ve simply run out of gas.
Here’s a suggestion to help you get in touch: Tape a T-BART business card which has the appropriate phone numbers in a handy place on your boat and acquire the newly released 2003 Tellico Lake Chart with has our business card displayed on both sides.

How can boaters help you if they get stuck?
The best way, of course, is to check their gas gauge and follow the one-third rule (1/3 of a tank to get to your destination, 1/3rd of your tank to return and the remaining 1/3rd as contingency). In other words, be prepared, and hopefully, you will not get stuck.
But if you do, there’s a couple of ways you can help us. First, let us know if you have solved the problem before we arrive by alerting 911. That way, we won’t drive around for an hour looking for your boat that’s no longer there. Another way is to be on the lookout for us and signal us when we are in sight. T-BART boats on an assist mission always will fly a special T-BART flag. We call it the Romeo flag. It is maroon with a yellow cross. Sometimes we have to spend a great deal of time searching for the distressed boat.