What's the worst thing you forgot to do ?

[DougOut]

Many years ago I was helping out at Southampton Boat Show. On the pontoon opposite us a yacht was preparing to leave. What he hadn't noticed that a banner was strung between poles across the mooring. He went astern and his mast collided with the banner which gently stretched to then catapult the boat back into the mooring!

 

[Montemar]

We got so paranoid after forgetting the mains lead, one of the mooring ropes and so on that I made a checklist that is to hand whenever we leave.
I now need one for when we leave the boat so we don't forget to shut windows or leave a 'phone on the boat.

 

[Alicatt]

On smaller boats and a Jet Ski..... Set off with the bung out

On my dory it was the first thing you did when under way, you took out the bung to drain the boat... it was when you stopped and forgot to put it back in

The previous owner had fibre glassed over the elephant's trunks and left the bung as the sole means of draining the boat, which was a 6m ex Royal Marines Rigid Raider with maybe 30cm of freeboard and a 85hp Johnson on the back,

 

[Blue Sunray]

We got so paranoid after forgetting the mains lead, one of the mooring ropes and so on that I made a checklist that is to hand whenever we leave.
I now need one for when we leave the boat so we don't forget to shut windows or leave a 'phone on the boat.

A starter for 10:

• Check shower sumps and bilge
• Heater off (allow time to shut down before turning off at console)
• Strike ensign and burgee
• Front windscreen cover
• Put covers on instruments
• Bring in
  • VHF handset
  • Stern bench cushions
• Photograph log book
• Prop canopy
• Winter
  • Set up tube heaters
  • Set up and switch on de-humidifier (settings marked on top panel)
  • 500W heaters in galley and aft cabin (dial set to *)
• Summer – open 2 x mushroom vents in galley/dining
• Close all hatches and vents not required for ventilation
• Fill water
• Fill heater fuel, note in log if can is used up
• Turn off gas
• Open fridge
• Pack spare food, fruit and washing up
• Empty bins
• Check saloon cupboard
• Turn off bow thruster and charger
• Pump heads dry
• Close sea cocks
  • Heads (2 aft cabin, 3 fwd (inc holding tank)
  • 2 engine and 1 gen
• Ensure all internal doors open inc heads and clothing drawers and cupboards
• Switch off water pump in galley (winter - depressurise water system)
• Turn all breakers off on upper and lower boards at helm (excluding charger and ring main if using heaters)
• Switch inverter off
• Turn off all three battery master switches
• Check fenders and lines
• Don shore going footwear
• Lower saloon curtains
• Lock main door (leave bolt key in door)
• Covers zipped up
• Lock doors
• Keys to dock office

 

[Seastoke]

Put Brucek on ignore.

 

[BruceK]

A starter for 10:

• Check shower sumps and bilge
• Heater off (allow time to shut down before turning off at console)
• Strike ensign and burgee
• Front windscreen cover
• Put covers on instruments
• Bring in
  • VHF handset
  • Stern bench cushions
• Photograph log book
• Prop canopy
• Winter
  • Set up tube heaters
  • Set up and switch on de-humidifier (settings marked on top panel)
  • 500W heaters in galley and aft cabin (dial set to *)
• Summer – open 2 x mushroom vents in galley/dining
• Close all hatches and vents not required for ventilation
• Fill water
• Fill heater fuel, note in log if can is used up
• Turn off gas
• Open fridge
• Pack spare food, fruit and washing up
• Empty bins
• Check saloon cupboard
• Turn off bow thruster and charger
• Pump heads dry
• Close sea cocks
  • Heads (2 aft cabin, 3 fwd (inc holding tank)
  • 2 engine and 1 gen
• Ensure all internal doors open inc heads and clothing drawers and cupboards
• Switch off water pump in galley (winter - depressurise water system)
• Turn all breakers off on upper and lower boards at helm (excluding charger and ring main if using heaters)
• Switch inverter off
• Turn off all three battery master switches
• Check fenders and lines
• Don shore going footwear
• Lower saloon curtains
• Lock main door (leave bolt key in door)
• Covers zipped up
• Lock doors
• Keys to dock office

This explains so much ?

 

[mm42]

I forgot to allow for tides.

I was working on a small (24m) cruise ship out of Oban. The other crew were local, whereas mine is a 370 mile drive home, so Friday evening, between cruises, I'd stay on board, I'd have the ship to myself, pop ashore in the tender, grab a takeaway pizza (a respite from chef cooked fine dining all week) and sit on the aft deck on my own with my tunes on. It really was idyllic.

Went ashore one Friday, intending to pop and grab a carry out and head straight back, so popped the tender on the Oban Times jetty. Happened to bump into some rather delightful female friends, who insisted I came for dinner with them. Went into town, had a lovely evening, came out to find the tender sat high and dry, metres from the water. I had to roll up my trousers, take off my shoes and socks and drag it back across the beach to relaunch it before sheepishly heading to bed.

 

[DPH]

The lock in Port Solent has it's own lines, crew gave me the nod to leave after casting off everything except the stern rope. Shoved boat into gear at which point a member of this forum just happened to be sat watching on the lock side and helpfully pointed out my mistake so I had time to turn round and watch the inevitable twang. On it's own, not the worst mistake, but because it was witnessed by a formuite!!

 

[Montemar]

I like Blue Sunray's "Don shore going footwear". When I have remembered everything else that is one I always forget until I get home. Must add it to the list.

 

[superheat6k]

After much thought to Roy's original question, the answer is obvious ...

When motoring up in to the Hamble on a Sigma 36 sailing boat, at your peril ignore the advice of your then girlfriend (who then becomes SWMBO / WIfey), in regard to the rope she (as a novice sailor) has noticed hanging over the side, when said (ignored)(or possibly instructed !!!) rope proceeds to wrap the shaft to the extent it bends the shaft and rips the coupling out of the back of the gearbox, near causing the boat to sink !

It should not have taken that long to remember, however, as I seem to be reminded, say - well whenever the subject of boating arises ! Hey ho.

 

[Seastoke]

Went to the paper shop , got back to boat swimbo says , where is the ?. Oops

 

[Assassin]

Seastoke, don't tell Bruce I have just botttled 30 gallons of wine.

 

[BruceK]

Oh hello
?

 

[Farmer Piles]

Many years ago I was helping out at Southampton Boat Show. On the pontoon opposite us a yacht was preparing to leave. What he hadn't noticed that a banner was strung between poles across the mooring. He went astern and his mast collided with the banner which gently stretched to then catapult the boat back into the mooring!

Many years ago we had a Sussex beach boat, 18ft 10hp Honda, down here in darkest Cornwall. One summer we had taken friends out and did the usual trip up the river to see the big cargo ships moored up by the King Harry Ferry - several up there at that time. Did the routine going tight in under the bows with the ships towering above us, then thought I would have a bit of fun, and show off a bit and went in under the sterns of a pair of ships, under their mooring warps between them and.the mooring buoy. Completely forgot that father had put a little mizzen mast on the stern of our boat.
Went in at 6kts, shot backwards at the same speed, and before I could gather myself, did the same again. Not so clever but very funny at the time.

 

[dave1dpc]

Leaving the shore power connected as I put on that extra burst of power to leave the dock...

Zipped up the cover when leaving the boat while on the hard, Turned around but no ladder lost ballance{now older git

 

[dave1dpc]

Leaving the shore power connected as I put on that extra burst of power to leave the dock...

Leaving the Hamble on a fast ebb tide when suddenly my boat done a quick 180. My wife had only been standing on the bow down anchor switch.

 

[Alicatt]

Leave a sack of potatoes in the galley... last December, still not been able to get back and check on their growth

 

[SpottyDog5]

Leaving the Hamble on a fast ebb tide when suddenly my boat done a quick 180. My wife had only been standing on the bow down anchor switch.

That is a cracker

 

[ProDave]

Before we owned our own boat, we hired a Drascomb Lugger from Linhe Marine for a half day. We did a bit of sailing but there was not much wind so we were motoring back.

We passed inshore of some fish farm type structure floating in the bay and suddenly the OB kicked up. Puzzled we put it down again and carried on, only for it to kick up again a short distance later. There were some very slightly submerged mooring lines or pipes between the fish farm and the shore.

 

[dave1dpc]

Zipped up the cover when leaving the boat while on the hard, Turned around but no ladder lost ballance{now older git

Sorry this was my first post for a few years....should have read...…..lost balance and plunged down 9 ft onto the concrete. Spent the next 2 weeks in Southampton Gen. Hospital for open book surgery on my pelvis and a crocked right arm. This was only about a year after a replacement left shoulder. Moral of this storey....make sure you use the ladder.