Dead engine sailing

[Praxinoscope]

I have sailed on to my mooring, but have to admit that since the council have squeezed another mooring in on our row its getting a bit tight and I haven't tried it since, so would preferably whip round into the visitors berth and sort out getting to my mooring later.

 

[Kelpie]

While on the subject of mast climbing, I prefer to use an external halyard, so that I can pull myself up and the person on deck merely takes in the slack. It's nice to be in control of the whole operation.
Obviously I have a second line as a backup, and every few feet that gets hauled tight as well, so the maximum distance I could fall is minimised.

 

[geem]

While on the subject of mast climbing, I prefer to use an external halyard, so that I can pull myself up and the person on deck merely takes in the slack. It's nice to be in control of the whole operation.
Obviously I have a second line as a backup, and every few feet that gets hauled tight as well, so the maximum distance I could fall is minimised.

Buy yourself one of these. Makes life a little safer. Run it up on a separate line. You can haul your self up with it as well if you are being winched up

 

[zoidberg]

Geem's right- but you need to know what you are doing.

I have two 'originals', so I'm twice as confused!

 

[geem]

Geem's right- but you need to know what you are doing.

I have two 'originals', so I'm twice as confused!

Just fix a short line, maybe a metre long to the bottom hole on the ascender. The other end fixed to your harness. I spliced on a metre length of 10mm nylon 3 strand. Slide it up with you as you ascend. Slide it down as you descend. Couldn't be easier, assuming you are being winched up and down

 

[zoidberg]

Thank you, Geem.

I've known how to use 'Prussik loops' - of which the Ascendeur, or Jumar in its various incarnations, is example - for, oh, some 60 years or so. I didn't fall down any French crevasses - which is where the initial need arose - so didn't need to self-rescue, but the knowhow has come in handy at times.

 

[jlavery]

Back to the original topic (ahem).

Delivering an X-452 (I think) from Denmark in the 80's. Got a mooring line round the prop leaving the dock in Den Holder (?). Headsail out, sailed back towards the dock. Harbourmaster/military boat zooms over "You must not sail in the harbour!". Explained our predicament - "Oh, you're doing very well then!". Sailed her back onto the dock, and then yours truly had to dive over the side to hammer the shaft back into the gearbox - turns out we'd pulled the shaft out. It was February.

My favourite tale relates to my sadly late friend Tim, who was a consummate seaman. Tasked with taking a Sigma 38 back to Hamble single handed from Cowes after racing. Engine failed mid Solent. He hove to, sorted fenders, warps, springs etc, and waited for the tide to turn. After about 1.5 hours of waiting, sailed up the river under headsail. Sailed into the marina (can't remember which), popped her into the berth single handed. Similar to Den Helder - marina bod comes charging down the pontoon shouting "You aren't allowed to sail in here...! Huh, no engine? Bloody hell, that was good then!"

His other exploits included cruising an Albacore from Falmouth along the coast to the Solent, and taking his Shrimper to the Scillies with "breadboard and breadknife navigation" but limited Scillies charts. On arrival at the Scillies, hove to until a fishing boat came past, and followed it in. "Were you following us in? When are you leaving? Thursday? Well we're leaving at 0930 (wink)".

 

[johnalison]

A couple of local lads whose parents are friends sailed a local 15’ dinghy round from the Colne to the Solent, camping on the way. They arrived in Cowes in the early morning and a member of the RYS took pity on them and invited them in for breakfast. Both lads did well and one of them is now a senior naval officer and member of the RYS.

 

[capnsensible]

I once left the marina in that old fishdock in Grimsby under headsail.

The lock guy shouted 'You can't do that'.

I replied 'I am doing that'.

Which in retrospect was a bit rude. So if you are reading this, sorry.

 

[jlavery]

I once left the marina in that old fishdock in Grimsby under headsail.

The lock guy shouted 'You can't do that'.

I replied 'I am doing that'.

Which in retrospect was a bit rude. So if you are reading this, sorry.

I was shouted at by a German in a Greek anchorage for sailing off our anchor and through the anchored boats. "You can't sail in the harbour". Like you - "Yes I can, look! And it's not a Harbour, it's just an anchorage."

 

[Wansworth]

Left the lock In chichestermarina…….glided without touching the engine right into the berthdesignated by harbour master ….thought it quite neat….several turns I might add

 

[jlavery]

Left the lock In chichestermarina…….glided without touching the engine right into the berthdesignated by harbour master ….thought it quite neat….several turns I might add

You know the answer. "Do that again!"

 

[jlavery]

Does towing our SCOD through Birdham lock using our tender alongside count? A friend who was following in another boat had never seen towing alongside before. "Ooh, that's so cool!"

 

[Wansworth]

You know the answer. "Do that again!"

 

[Babylon]

My own exploits aren't the stuff of legend - or usually necessity - but include short-tacking down and then out the Beaulieu river in heavy rain, anchoring and later breaking out the anchor under sail in Newtown Creek, picking up a weighted-fender under sail, warping from one marina berth to another, etc. Then last summer, singlehanded, suffered an overheating engine on passage up the Western Solent, and had to work every last inch of weakening tide and fickle wind to make Cowes (where I could tie up on Trinity Landing to go below to clear the raw-water blockage, which was heavily-compressed 'blanket seaweed' including small twigs).

The minute the engine is removed from the equation, an entirely different mindset sets in!

 

[johnalison]

My exploits have been sufficient to enter the annals of sailing but on one memorable occasion on our then Sadler 29 we were anchored at the Rocks on the Deben and were able to weigh anchor and sail off, down to Bawdsey and over the bar, and then on up the Wallet to our mooring in Maylandsea creek to pick it up, all without starting the engine. This would have been a regular event at one time but the only time we managed it.

 

[capnsensible]

My own exploits aren't the stuff of legend - or usually necessity - but include short-tacking down and then out the Beaulieu river in heavy rain, anchoring and later breaking out the anchor under sail in Newtown Creek, picking up a weighted-fender under sail, warping from one marina berth to another, etc. Then last summer, singlehanded, suffered an overheating engine on passage up the Western Solent, and had to work every last inch of weakening tide and fickle wind to make Cowes (where I could tie up on Trinity Landing to go below to clear the raw-water blockage, which was heavily-compressed 'blanket seaweed' including small twigs).

The minute the engine is removed from the equation, an entirely different mindset sets in!

Agree. We are almost all conditioned to be operating to some kind of time limit or another. The 'freedom of sailing' becomes, I think, something else entirely when the engine wraps its hand in. It immediately brings a great deal of uncertainty to normally measured lives. Once you have no idea how long it's gonna take to reach a safe haven, people react in mixed ways and not always favourably......

 

[C08]

One thing I have learnt about seamanship, and other things, over the years is not to take advice from people who boast.

Many people think they are much better sailors than they really are. They just have good sailing boats!

 

[jlavery]

Many people think they are much better sailors than they really are. They just have good sailing boats!

And we like to remember the times we got it right, rather than when we got it wrong!

My briefing as a skipper/instructor to crew/pupils includes "Every cock-up you make, I've done too at some point." Well, almost.

 

[boomerangben]

I wonder if learning to sail in dinghies allows people to be more confident sailing bigger boats in confined areas than those who learn in something bigger.

Also it would be interesting if we were forced (hypothetically speaking) to go all electric, more people would become more confident in handling their vessels under sale.