A close shave

[TiggerToo]

... with an anchor well.

Yesterday, I dropped the anchor and all its chain, so that I could clean out the anchor well.

Thing is, to reach the bottom I have to go down head first. It was a bit blowy on the water, so I was wearing a LJ. Said LJ got jammed and I found myself stuck, upside down, alone, in an anchor well.

I just about managed to wriggle out, but really just about.

Lessons learnt: 1) don't do the job when alone; 2) remove any items that might snag the edges of the well.

 

[awol]

Isn't that what children are for?

 

[Boathook]

Isn't that what children are for?

Thats an idea. I go to a local school and borrow a couple for working in the small lockers I have on board ...

 

[rogerthebodger]

Thats what bob a job week used to be for, but inflation has made that too expensive now.

 

[Corribee Boy]

Lucky you didn't trigger your lifejacket!!

 

[SimpleSailor]

... with an anchor well.

Yesterday, I dropped the anchor and all its chain, so that I could clean out the anchor well.

Thing is, to reach the bottom I have to go down head first. It was a bit blowy on the water, so I was wearing a LJ. Said LJ got jammed and I found myself stuck, upside down, alone, in an anchor well.

I just about managed to wriggle out, but really just about.

Lessons learnt: 1) don't do the job when alone; 2) remove any items that might snag the edges of the well.

That is why on ships carrying out boat drills, or indeed real life emergency, you don't don your LJ until on the upper deck then you don't get snagged and trapped.

 

[MontyMariner]

Obviously wearing the LJ was the problem, once you're laying on the deck, remove any encumbrances, but remember to secure them!

 

[colind3782]

Fish the chain out with a boathook next time?

 

[veshengro]

Fish the chain out with a boathook next time?

And as an extra precaution, learn to Semaphore S O S with your legs..

 

[DownWest]

Local friend was in the cockpit locker of his Ocean Lord. The locker lid came down, and latched.. No phone and alone. By feel, he eventually removed the panel for access to the engine (screwed in place) and just wriggled past the engine and out via the normal access hatch. Over an hour.

 

[vyv_cox]

A similar story was printed in one of the mags some years ago. I think it was a cockpit locker and the man was in there for some considerable time.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

Had a work colleague who was single handing off the coast of Australia, he stupidly climbed into one of the cockpit lockers (which was quite deep) armed with a few tools to fix something in the bowels of the boat .... the boat was on autopilot, it heeled a bit and the cockpit locker closed on top of him and latched. It took him a very concerning 10 mins to break the latch and escape.

So @TiggerToo ... it could have been worse

PS:3 posts on the same situation ... looking at the number of times times this has happened, it seems there are quite a few people who are unaware of their stupidity until it is too late.

 

[TiggerToo]

Lucky you didn't trigger your lifejacket!!

Funnily enough (not) that thought passed my mind seconds before I realised I was stuck

 

[Binnacle]

That is why on ships carrying out boat drills, or indeed real life emergency, you don't don your LJ until on the upper deck then you don't get snagged and trapped

That is why on ships carrying out boat drills, or indeed real life emergency, you don't don your LJ until on the upper deck then you don't get snagged and trapped.

Not always. On some cruise ships the muster point is not on "the" upper deck, but lower down. And in the interests of understanding emergency instructions, it is very very rare nowadays to see the word "don" used.

 

[dancrane]

Very alarming. It may be fuel for a joke or two, but let's all stay wide awake and make sure it's not us, next time.

I think my phone is invariably with me so I'd like to believe rescue would be within range. Getting trapped in a secure locker is a horrid thought.

I suppose one could batter one's way out of most enginerooms with a heavy spanner or even by ramming a lead-acid battery into a bulkhead. I daresay nothing is more important to keep in a pocket at all times, than a working torch.

It's a sound principle never to go into tight places head-first. I bet Tigger's chain-locker could have been cleaned better with a high-pressure hose.

Getting stuck upside down rather reminds me of the Nutty Putty Caves incident. From the name it too sounds light-hearted, but it's really dreadful.

 

[TiggerToo]

Very alarming. It may be fuel for a joke or two, but let's all stay wide awake and make sure it's not us, next time.

I think my phone is invariably with me so I'd like to believe rescue would be within range. Getting trapped in a secure locker is a horrid thought.
...

It's a sound principle never to go into tight places head-first. I bet Tigger's chain-locker could have been cleaned better with a high-pressure hose.

...

Alarming indeed. I had a phone, but I could definitely not have used it. It was in my trouser pockets and these were unreachable.
No, a high pressure hose would not have helped. I "just" needed to clear out lots of heavy bits and pieces (stones, shells, washers, pieces of monel wire and cable ties... ) and those needed to be scooped up by hand. Next time, simply do this in company. It was not an urgent job, really. It could have waited.

I think there is value in sharing "stupid things" that can lead to disaster.

 

[Stemar]

I think there is value in sharing "stupid things" that can lead to disaster.

Absolutely.

As the saying goes, smart people learn from their mistakes; smarter people learn from the mistakes of others. Sharing our cock-ups helps us all to become smarter.

 

[MisterBaxter]

I feel like a locker big enough to climb into ought to be set up to be easy to open from the inside, as with walk-in fridges. I wonder if there are replacement catch options available, or alterations to normal set-ups that could be made?

 

[Refueler]

I had a similar with an under cockpit bench 1/4 berth .... on my 5m weekender ,,,

I had to get to the rudder pintle fastenings and only way is to slide in head first - arms out ahead ... with tools in hand ...

Once right in .. turn so that arms can now get to centre of transom behind the cockpit base !!

I'm not exactly of athletic build ! and got stuck ... It took ages and extremely sore arse ... thighs .... shoulders etc extricating myself ..

As with OP - there would have been no way to use mobile phone ...

It was once I'd extricated myself - I decided to cut a panel out of the inner transom to give access to pintles ... it also allowed me to fit a square ventilation grill where I had cut the panel out ...

 

[onesea]

There are certain jobs I won’t do alone for similar reasons. Stern locker on this boat is one changing electric bilge pump is another. I don’t mind going up the mast alone, if stuck I will be seen, if I fall I am probably passed help anyway.