Daft thing you've done ---- while sailing / on boat !

[Refueler]

Bought present boat - previous owner and I sailed her to new mooring at Tudor Club. Closed her up, Brian and I got in the dinghy ... started the Seagull and of we went to shore. We get to the slipway and both get out ...

I mention to Brian that the outboard bracket on my Avon is really in need of replacement ... just as I bend down to start removing the Seagull ... the bracket gave way and Seagull went into the water and mud !!
Brian, being a man of few words .. stood, looked at me and just said : "mmmmm you don't say ?"

 

[Praxinoscope]

Many years ago when I first started cruising four of us bought our first boat a Leisure 17, at the time we were all in our early 20's and always short of cash, so we ended up begging borrowing but never stealing outboard motors until we could eventually buy a decent one.
Our first was an old 4hp Clinton (never saw another one) this had the rather unsettling aspect in that it only had two throttle settings, stop or full ahead with no intermediate option, so coming alongside or picking up our mooring was always a matter of calculating when to cut the throttle. I lost count of the near misses or in-elegant landings we made, after a ew weeks we managed to acquire a replacement engine in the form of a 5hp Seagull it's clutch, this was a dream in comparison and goodby lots of embarrassment, for a while, then one fine day we took a whole load fo friends out for a sail, a bit like how many people can you fit in a telephone box, everything went fine, we dropped the hook off Hengistbury Head for lunch before going back into Muddeford where we moored, and it was here all of us 'owners' made the big mistake, on board one of our friends had over the years achieved the nickname 'Jonah' for very good reasons and he volunteered to start the engine, and we let him, great he started it perfectly, revved it up a few times to warm it up, and all was well, so with one of us ready to haul up the hook we told him to let in the clutch, unfortunately he felt that it was essential to have full revs when letting in the clutch, 'Bang' the suddenly torque applied managed to rip the whole outboard bracket off the stern, and we saw our lovely Seagull with outboard bracket which of course the engine was attached to complete with its lanyard sinking into 60' of water. What was Jonahs reaction? He just said 'Cor it was still running when it was at least 6' under' This was our first, but not last time, we had to get back to and pick up our mooring.
I sincerely doubt there are many of us on these forums that have not stepped into their tender to find it not there so Won't even go there.
Move on 30 of years, and having a great sail down from Barmouth back to Aberaeron, lovely sunny day, pleasant constant upper end force 3, and I feel the urge to was the decks down as we happily ploughed along at about 5 or 6 kts, now for the brain fade/stupid bit, get out the bucket on its length of rope leaned over the leeward side and dropped the ucket into the Britney to get some water, the sudden force of a full bucket of water trying to keep up with a boat travelling at 6kts is impossible to visualise, it was only by pure luck that the rope slid very quickly through my fingers otherwise would have followed it and the bucket. Red face, rope burns and one lost bucket fortunately were the only casualties. I still don't know what even possessed me to even think of doing this let alone even doing it.

 

[Hadenough]

Ok I’m bored so I’ll bite. Many years ago I had a 13’ dell quay dory with a 40hp outboard. I fitted it with a centre console in a T configuration with two seats in the middle and two ahead of the helm, port and starboard. Blasting across Torbay in a flat calm with me at the helm and two mates in the two side seats ahead. I thought I would be a laugh to jump overboard over the stern while still going to shock my mates. (no of course I didn’t have a killcord or a bouyancy aid, this was the 1970’s and I was a stupid 20 year old). Let me tell you water hurts at 20kts and as it was flat calm and my mates didn’t realise I’d gone for about 5mins it was a good job I am a strong swimmer.

 

[Refueler]

The bucket overside when moving is not so rare ... I've seen some pretty awful rope burns from that ...

Seagulls .... Love or Hate em ..... I think they have led to more 'stories' than any other engine ... except the dear old Stuart Turner of course !!

My first boat - Alacrity 19 ..... berthed Thornham Marina .... about halfway along the left most pontoon ... hemmed in of course ! Seagull 40 motor ... no clutch .... bow to pontoon ...

Have to try and get her out ... turned 90deg in basically her own length space to the boat on other side ....

Methinks - arhhhhh at idle - surely I can pull her along till clear then helm over and go ... YEh - well forget that one ... So stop engine ... hand her back till she's out and start her turning ... while wind on starter rope ... pull - away she goes ... before I can swing bow out .. she's pressing on the next boat ...
My mate gives an almighty shove and away we go ...

We had a fab day out in Chichester Hbr ... and a right mess getting back in again ...

That was when, despite having a great relationship with the couple who ran Thornham (before the London crowd took over) ... great sunday lunches ... I decided I needed a swinging mooring to stay clear of others !!

 

[KAM]

Single handing up the sound of Jura early in the season at night pre GPS. On a comfortable broad reach visibility was poor but I was comforted by the faint outline of the Jura coast and impressed that my navigation was keeping me at a constant comfortable distance offshore. After a few hours I took my glasses off to rub my tired eyes and give them a wipe. When I put my glasses back on the coast had disappeared. Turned out to be a grease smear on my glasses.

 

[Refueler]

Ok I’m bored so I’ll bite. Many years ago I had a 13’ dell quay dory with a 40hp outboard. I fitted it with a centre console in a T configuration with two seats in the middle and two ahead of the helm, port and starboard. Blasting across Torbay in a flat calm with me at the helm and two mates in the two side seats ahead. I thought I would be a laugh to jump overboard over the stern while still going to shock my mates. (no of course I didn’t have a killcord or a bouyancy aid, this was the 1970’s and I was a stupid 20 year old). Let me tell you water hurts at 20kts and as it was flat calm and my mates didn’t realise I’d gone for about 5mins it was a good job I am a strong swimmer.

Ok ... not a #mishap story' but you have reminded me of a job I did ...

Cotonou West Africa .... I'd been a regular there checking out ships for various clients. I arrived again .. stayed in my usual hotel ... next day agent picks me up to take launch out to ship. Usual was to go to commercial port and take a harbour launch out ... but not this time. As we enter the port gates - car swings left into the military section.
Just a minute Agent - whats this ? Clearance not done yet ?
No Sir ... we use military boat now because of the pirates ...

OK ... so we get cleared by Military for the launch ... I look at quay wall and there's a large ex Chinese Gunboat ... about 100ft long ... Not THAT I ask ... ???

No Sir ... our launch is outboard of that alongside.

So bags and gear across deck of the Gunboat .. and there's what can best be described as similar to an Atlantic 21 RIB .. with humping great 250HP Yammies on the back.
I climb down in ... and told to sit ...
Marine arrives ... this guy is ENORMOUS ... I mean BIIIIIIGGGGG !! Gets in ...

I ask - is that it ?

No Sir .. another is coming ... At that an even BIGGER Marine arrives carrying a 50 cal ... which he promptly slots onto the post that I have been using as a hand hold.

We depart ... nice and easy ... breeze clearing the Guinness from me ... everythings real nice ....

BRRRRR .... BRRRRR ... blimey my ears feel like they've been stuffed into Concordes engines !! Guy has just tested the 50 cal !
He THEN gives me a set of ear defenders !

As we proceed the full force of 500HP up the chuff of this RIB is let loose ...... how my teeth survived I will never know ... as we slow down on approach to ship - I ask the 50 cal guy ... have you met any pirates out here ...

He smiles ... immaculate white teeth in his african face and says : Maybe - but they were never seen again ... and looks down into the water winking an eye !

 

[RJJ]

Last year, first Channel trip in our lovely new-to-us boat with 2.3m draft. We went to st Vaas, where charted depth is 2.3m, on advice from this forum. We entered and moored at HW-2 and spent a happy couple of days with the kids on the beach. No contact with the ground at LW.

When it was time to leave on a rising tide, I had forgotten to check the actual depth, which (it turns out) had only just reached the maintained depth. And we had put about 200kg of liquids (obviously) on the boat. Cast off lines and bumpity-bumpity-bump.

 

[Refueler]

Single handing up the sound of Jura early in the season at night pre GPS. On a comfortable broad reach visibility was poor but I was comforted by the faint outline of the Jura coast and impressed that my navigation was keeping me at a constant comfortable distance offshore. After a few hours I took my glasses off to rub my tired eyes and give them a wipe. When I put my glasses back on the coast had disappeared. Turned out to be a grease smear on my glasses.

Jura .. Mull .... really enjoyed taking small coasters up through there ... careful study of tides of course !!

 

[Refueler]

mmmm Bumpity Bumpity Bump ...

People didn't believe that my bilge keeler could plough through about 20cms of mud ..... till I started to photo LW ...

Hayling Yacht Co :







Newport IoW .. I had left leaving tramlines to meet Jim in his Centaur at Folly ... idea was to go round to Newtown ... but he reckoned weather was not so good - so we both went back up to Newport Quay ... where he was introduced to Superannes 'overland' ability !!

 

[oldmanofthehills]

First trip to Brittany, and we need to pass down Chanel de Sien. Tide running like a good one so very fast over the ground maybe 9kts. We follow the buoyage and then see lighthouse like structure perched on rocks with more sharp looking rocks to port. (La Vielle)

Knowing it is strange ground we follow another largish boat ahead of us and pass between rocks and lighthouse. Navigator comments that channel looks very narrow and though not shallow not as deep as she had thought. On passing through we realise lighthouse was lateral marker not an isolated hazard and the real safe channel was the other side. Shit!!! (never ever assume someone else knows what they are doing)

More recently at the end of last year a potential buyer wanted to view our boat. Now our trot is not very accessible so we said we would bring boat to club staging. The mooring apart from being hard to get to has become less workable as the river bed has shifted in the last 30 years so that to keep boat from resting on rocky stream bed the risers have moved up the bank such that boat only floats about 1.5hrs before high tide and there is great risk of blowing up the bank when arriving or departing if there is any brisk westerly wind blowing. And it was westerly f5 gusting f6. Never mind its my mooring and I want to sell boat.

So we get welcome line moved and everything free, get engine slow and cast off and then flat out before we get swept into bank. Except the wheel wont move correctly and moves only about 10 degrees (rudder thus moves under 5). Shit!!

Happily going down river prop walk keep us turning from the leeward bank, but I cant turn round and return, dont dare stop and investigate for trapped branches as then would go straight up bank etc. I warn Navigator to grab passing boat with rope if I give command. Then still shitting myself I realise that if i slow down I move to starboard and staging is to starboard 2 cables ahead, and thus we sort of ferry glide in. In the end they didnt think they wanted the boat anyway.

However on investigating in their absence I realised I had for a change previously tied the wheel myself on a fixing in the footwell to stop me leaving it crooked and the rudder vulnerable to debris or mooring ropes. I told Navigator I had sorted obstruction and she being used to my mechanical ability never asked how I did it. What an idiot, I let my concern with buyer and weather distract me from basic control surface check before departure

 

[johnalison]

1. Bought a boat

2. Ten years ago, when I should have known better, I let the boat gybe in boisterous conditions while entering the Dovetief into Norderney. That was just careless, but for some reason I can't understand I put my hand up to grab the mainsheet, which did my hand no good at all. In fact, I got away fairly lightly with just bruising, though I couldn't use the hand for the rest of the approach. My Casio watch was torn off my wrist but landed at my feet. The pin holding the strap was missing, and was later spotted by my wife later in the year, sitting happily in the scuppers and undamaged, hence re-used.

 

[Dan Tribe]

I planned to catch the ebb down the Orwell from a Royal Harwich mooring to Harwich Harbour. It was just before dawn on a beautiful morning with a very light Northerly wind. Wife & 2 kids still asleep, I got the sails up without waking them and slipped the mooring. Of course, as soon as the tide took us the apparent wind was zero. Never mind, it's a perfect morning & I had just enough steerage to stay in the channel.
I wonder what that red light is up high? Ooh look there's a green one as well.
It's a container ship coming up river filling the channel! A Stuart Turner so no chance of a quick engine start. Luckiliy I had just enough steerage way to duck out of the way.
Very shaken but a valuable lesson learned, even the most benign idyllic times can hide a disaster waiting.

 

[fisherman]

0300, trundling along about ten miles off the Dodman, trawling. Kept rubbing my eyes...it's some bloody stupid yachtsman with no lights (this was 1974, before better electrics days) shining a torch up into his mainsail.....full of wind and not going anywhere.....

...no it's the moon.

..and my biggest mistake, apart from going two handed with Mad Mitch in the first place: you stand your watch, then you gut your watch and turn in. He was a very impatient character, had it up after two hours, so he was cleared up really quickly and disappeared below at midnight....."Give it five hours".
My mistake was to cut the corner of the tow and clip a wreck, picking up 65 stone of lovely stinky pouting, which I was still gutting when we got in.

His next project after trawling was Land Rover services then bringing Campbell's Bluebird motor yacht back from the US.

 

[Biggles Wader]

A few years ago when I was a teenager I used to crew on a couple of boats. My classic schoolboy error was to slip a mooring warp as we did a perfect spring off a tight berth in reverse. Sadly I slipped the end with the eye in it which predictably snagged on the pontoon cleat. To compound the error I had securely attached the warp to the boat and we stopped abruptly exactly where we didnt want to be. The plus point is that I have never done it again

 

[eilerts]

My fine yacht does not have a windlass, not even a roller, so it is a p.i.t.a. to retrieve the anchor. Once I got the brilliant idea to take line from a buoy at the surface through a block attached to lower end of the anchor shank and back to the boat. The idea was that I could lift the anchor out of the clay by hauling the line. With a confident smile on my face I left the boat to spend the night ashore. The wind picked up, but I knew there was a very good hold in this bay, so that did not ring a bell.
Just before midnight my neighbor came banging on the door. She looked out the window as she brushed her teeth and saw a sailboat heading up the bay at good speed. Mine was the only sailboat around, so there was no reason to grab the camera and walk down to see who the brainless boater was.
I must have had a weak moment when I rigged my system and put out too little line. Either did the tide lift the buoy or the line became tight as the increasing wind stretched the rode. Luckily the anchor hooked on to some dinghy lines as the boat approached the shore slope - at high tide. That was close.

I tested the system again with lots of slack. Since boat had rotated some rounds during the night it was a mess to get it in again.
Now I have a roller. I expect to use it a lot this summer, if boating becomes legal, as I expect to be greeted by a angry crowd with pitchforks in every corona free harbour.

 

[BabaYaga]

We left Copenhagen by late morning on a fine, somewhat hazy summers day, and started gently tacking our way northwards along the Sealand coast in a light north easterly breeze.
Quite undemanding conditions and no particular plans for where to spend the next night – plenty of choice in the area.
After just a few hours the idea came up: Why not call in at Rungsted and go and visit the Karen Blixen museum? Neither of us had been there.
Said and done.
Rungsted harbour was by now just a mile away on our port side, we could see the masts behind the harbour wall. As we approached we took the sails down and followed another boat motoring in.
We soon found a vacant berth, tied up and had a cup of coffee in the cockpit before stepping ashore. I noticed that quite a few of the other moored boats were from neighbouring Vedbaek – well, people move around a lot at the height of summer, I thought.
According to the guide book the museum was located very close to the harbour, on the other side of the main road. Just a few minutes walk away. So off we went, crossed the road... but nothing looking like a museum was to be seen. Not even a sign. Odd.
After walking up and down a few streets we finally asked a local woman for directions.
"The Karen Blixen museum? Yeah, that's in Rungsted. You can take the bus over there".
"But isn't this Rungsted? Where are we?
"You don't know where your are? This is Vedbaek.
Curtain.

Note: Rungsted and Vedbaek are two villages, each with a walled harbour, situated approximately 2 nm from one another.

 

[johnalison]

We left Copenhagen by late morning on a fine, somewhat hazy summers day, and started gently tacking our way northwards along the Sealand coast in a light north easterly breeze.
Quite undemanding conditions and no particular plans for where to spend the next night – plenty of choice in the area.
After just a few hours the idea came up: Why not call in at Rungsted and go and visit the Karen Blixen museum? Neither of us had been there.
Said and done.
Rungsted harbour was by now just a mile away on our port side, we could see the masts behind the harbour wall. As we approached we took the sails down and followed another boat motoring in.
We soon found a vacant berth, tied up and had a cup of coffee in the cockpit before stepping ashore. I noticed that quite a few of the other moored boats where from neighbouring Vedbaek – well, people move around a lot at the height of summer, I thought.
According to the guide book the museum was located very close to the harbour, on the other side of the main road. Just a few minutes walk away. So off we went, crossed the road... but nothing looking like a museum was to be seen. Not even a sign. Odd.
After walking up and down a few streets we finally asked a local woman for directions.
"The Karen Blixen museum? Yeah, that's in Rungsted. You can take the bus over there".
"But isn't this Rungsted? Where are we?
"You don't know where your are? This is Vedbaek.
Curtain.

Note: Rungsted and Vedbaek are two villages, each with a walled harbour, situated approximately 2 nm from one another.

We have been to Rungsted a couple of times. The first occasion was probably for fuel but the second was memorable. We had intended to overnight in Ven in Kyrkbacken with two friends as guests. We had a lovely day there and a pleasant evening, at least until the middle of the night when it blew up from the west. It was so uncomfortable that we upped sticks and motored over to Rungsted, arriving at about 4 am.

Our male guest woke early and decided to make himself useful by cleaning our stern. He knew perfectly well that the boarding ladder was not tied up, for safety reasons, but the inevitable happened and we heard a prolonged groan, followed by a splash. His chief concern was his return air tickets in his jacket pocket, but fortunately they were saved.

 

[peter bush]

Heading for Poole, sighted “Water tower (conspic) A few minutes later “Where’s that water tower?” Later.. There it is! Later “ Its gone! Tethered balloon giving rides.

 

[weaver_fish]

Dried my boat out against the quay to measure the prop shaft a new anode... after successful measuring and refloat realised I could have measured it from the engine bay

 

[Tomahawk]

There was a navigation buoy that came off worse.