sailaboutvic
Well-known member
You know how we read posting here , people describing a boat they plain to buy , and how they plain to sail off into the distance, as we read the posting some are thinking , his having a laugh , other encourage them .
Well yesterday I looked out to see we 30 foot ketch anchor right on top of us , I mean his. Stern was a few meters from our chain ,
I give him half hour as quite often people just anchor for lunch and moved off and ask him if he plain to stay the night , he replied he was stay a few days waiting for a mate
So I told him he much to close and needed to move , he explained he had a bad leg he was on his only and could I help him ,
We finish lunch and when over , his leg was in a plastic cast , the cockpit was full of bits of the boat I hate to think what the inside was like .
I offered to sort the anchor while he took the helm as it look like he never make the bow with his cast .
First surprise was when I asked him where his control was and was told there three wires touch the red and black and it goes up , touch the red and Green and it goes down .OK , half way hauling the chain and I came across a shackle which meant it had to be taken of the winch till it pass the gypsy , there wasn't a mark on the rusty chain . I direct him to the best place to re anchor and ask how much water we was in , only to be told his depth gauge doesn't work . I ask how much chain he had and he said he think 30 mts , so I drop the lot , when back to the helm and set the anchor .
It turn out he was German, nothing wrong with that , age 60 sh his last boat he lost on the rock a two week ago in Malta when it dragged , that explain the plastic cast on his foot ,
he just brought this boat a few days ago , the first time out he anchored on the NE bay on Malta , and was caught out in the last thunderstorm we had on a lee shore when he tried to move found his battery was flat , lucky his anchor held and the next day someone passing by arrange for a new battery to be brought out to him .
I notices One turn buckle had rope pass through it , he couldn't explain what the rope was doing , I guess the thread gone and the rope was to hold it to gather ,
I kid you not his compass was broken he had no other navigation aid and his VHF was also broken , he waiting for a mate and they going to sail to Tunisia .
Where he could get a good deal .
He ask me if I could look out for him and I told him the weather is settle for the next week and he should be ok but I was happy to help him take his boat into the marina and advise him that would be best has he had bad foot , he didn't want to go into the marina as it too expensive, explained I know someone in the RMYC and maybe I could have a word and get a deal because of his injuries but he wasn't interested .
The story doesn't stop there , this afternoon my co skipper calls out , next door getting rescued , I look out to see the police rib boat between us and his boat , he now in his dinghy which is almost flat to the extent that water was coming over the side of the tubes, by the time I get into my dinghy to help three officers drag him on board ,
He shouted they where going to take him ashore and would I pick him up later and bring him back , I apologise and said I wouldn't ,
if he fell in there was no way I would be able to get him back out , one police officers move me to the front of the rib and ask if I knew him ,
I explain what happen the day before and suggestion he shouldn't be on board as he can't hardly move .
He agreed but said they couldn't stop him ,
but if wasn't willing to bring him back and they won't be as he not fit to be on a boat on his only , the problem was solved.
It's been a few hours we not seen him return for his sake I hope no one bring him back . It's really an accident waiting to happen .
So @ silver fox if you see a guy with a cast on his foot and he ask for a lift back to his boat , please say NO
Well yesterday I looked out to see we 30 foot ketch anchor right on top of us , I mean his. Stern was a few meters from our chain ,
I give him half hour as quite often people just anchor for lunch and moved off and ask him if he plain to stay the night , he replied he was stay a few days waiting for a mate
So I told him he much to close and needed to move , he explained he had a bad leg he was on his only and could I help him ,
We finish lunch and when over , his leg was in a plastic cast , the cockpit was full of bits of the boat I hate to think what the inside was like .
I offered to sort the anchor while he took the helm as it look like he never make the bow with his cast .
First surprise was when I asked him where his control was and was told there three wires touch the red and black and it goes up , touch the red and Green and it goes down .OK , half way hauling the chain and I came across a shackle which meant it had to be taken of the winch till it pass the gypsy , there wasn't a mark on the rusty chain . I direct him to the best place to re anchor and ask how much water we was in , only to be told his depth gauge doesn't work . I ask how much chain he had and he said he think 30 mts , so I drop the lot , when back to the helm and set the anchor .
It turn out he was German, nothing wrong with that , age 60 sh his last boat he lost on the rock a two week ago in Malta when it dragged , that explain the plastic cast on his foot ,
he just brought this boat a few days ago , the first time out he anchored on the NE bay on Malta , and was caught out in the last thunderstorm we had on a lee shore when he tried to move found his battery was flat , lucky his anchor held and the next day someone passing by arrange for a new battery to be brought out to him .
I notices One turn buckle had rope pass through it , he couldn't explain what the rope was doing , I guess the thread gone and the rope was to hold it to gather ,
I kid you not his compass was broken he had no other navigation aid and his VHF was also broken , he waiting for a mate and they going to sail to Tunisia .
Where he could get a good deal .
He ask me if I could look out for him and I told him the weather is settle for the next week and he should be ok but I was happy to help him take his boat into the marina and advise him that would be best has he had bad foot , he didn't want to go into the marina as it too expensive, explained I know someone in the RMYC and maybe I could have a word and get a deal because of his injuries but he wasn't interested .
The story doesn't stop there , this afternoon my co skipper calls out , next door getting rescued , I look out to see the police rib boat between us and his boat , he now in his dinghy which is almost flat to the extent that water was coming over the side of the tubes, by the time I get into my dinghy to help three officers drag him on board ,
He shouted they where going to take him ashore and would I pick him up later and bring him back , I apologise and said I wouldn't ,
if he fell in there was no way I would be able to get him back out , one police officers move me to the front of the rib and ask if I knew him ,
I explain what happen the day before and suggestion he shouldn't be on board as he can't hardly move .
He agreed but said they couldn't stop him ,
but if wasn't willing to bring him back and they won't be as he not fit to be on a boat on his only , the problem was solved.
It's been a few hours we not seen him return for his sake I hope no one bring him back . It's really an accident waiting to happen .
So @ silver fox if you see a guy with a cast on his foot and he ask for a lift back to his boat , please say NO
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