first rule at sea...

monkfish24

monkfish24

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whilst scrubbing the boom sail cover my mind started wandering as it does... Anyway, i came to the conclusion that the most important rule at sea that takes presidence over all overs is, that if it's not nailed, tied or secured down, the sea will take it, i've learnt this the hard way after even having many pairs of sunglasses, mugs and a phone claimed by davy jones! Anyone got any top rules?
 
boatmike said:
You can't drown when still in the cockpit....
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Depends how much positive buoyancy you've fitted: onboard is a great place to be... right up until onboard is disappearing below the waves.... :eek:

Reminds me: must fit buoyancy this winter! :D

Number One rule on my vessel: never assume the 4 year old is actually going to carry on paying attention when on the helm.... especially if she needs a pee.

One minute you can be pottering happily, drinking coffee on the foredeck whilst goosewinged... or stowing the sails whilst motoring gently up the river... and the next moment you're gybing towards the reads... or just motoring towards them at 5 knotts :eek:

Oh, the joys of being a daddy....
 
gregandginas said:
Number One rule on my vessel: never assume the 4 year old is actually going to carry on paying attention when on the helm....
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Your daughter is lucky to get on the helm, i've been sailing for nearly 10 years and i'll be damned the day my father says "you want the helm lad?" :)
 
Anything that I am not prepared to lose is clipped on to something. (cue the does the SWMBO use a harness jokes)

Seriously, specs and sunglasses on cords.
Boat knife one, attached to lanyard, attached to me.
Boat knife two, cable tied to Life Raft rack, the scabard, not the knife.
HH VHF clipped to belt.
Winch handle always returned to its pocket.
Drinks always in the cut out drink holders on the deck table.

Then SWMBO rearranges everything, drinks out of the cut outs, in goes her sun cream and mobile phone.
Winch handle gets left where ever!!, but it is a special floaty one she says, OK then you go in after it I say. Then remind her that it might take a few minutes before I turn around and try and pick her up out of the oggin.

Number two nephew is well trained, he will put the handle back in the pocket and give a loud "tut" to the person that left it out (much to our amusement)
 
monkfish24 said:
whilst scrubbing the boom sail cover my mind started wandering as it does... Anyway, i came to the conclusion that the most important rule at sea that takes presidence over all overs is, that if it's not nailed, tied or secured down, the sea will take it, i've learnt this the hard way after even having many pairs of sunglasses, mugs and a phone claimed by davy jones! Anyone got any top rules?
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1. Never leave the boat, no matter how bad the weather and no matter now rotten the trip has been, without flaking the mainsail neatly down on the boom and putting on the cover.

2. The good berth is available to anyone who undertakes to clear any blockages in the sea toilet. By default I take this responsibility and therefore the good bunk.
 
gregandginas said:
Depends how much positive buoyancy you've fitted: onboard is a great place to be... right up until onboard is disappearing below the waves.... :eek:

Reminds me: must fit buoyancy this winter! :D

Number One rule on my vessel: never assume the 4 year old is actually going to carry on paying attention when on the helm.... especially if she needs a pee.

One minute you can be pottering happily, drinking coffee on the foredeck whilst goosewinged... or stowing the sails whilst motoring gently up the river... and the next moment you're gybing towards the reads... or just motoring towards them at 5 knotts :eek:

Oh, the joys of being a daddy....
Click to expand...

Wait another year, my 5 year old daughter helmed our dutch steel down the Gt Ouse all on her own, she couldn't see over the top without standing on the helmsmans seat with the back folded down so adopted the principle of flat-out throttle, stand up to see where whe was going, sat down to adjust helm, stand up to check course and so on. After a while I could see she was coping well and wife and son and I repaired to saloon for a cuppa and let her get on with it. We passed her schoolteacher in her own boat at a rate of knots, plus a lot of other boats , all too bemused by the tiny tot at the helm to do anything but bounce in our wash, and she only called us when we approached Denver Sluice to moor up and wait for the tide lock to open. Over the next hour we had a constant stream of visitors wanting to meet the intrepid miniature helmswoman - quite gratifying for a proud father.

Teach 'em young is my motto!

As for essentials - tea-bags, water, milk, sugar and my baccy and lighter - all else can be worked around!
 
These 5 year olds that can helm, is this with tiller or wheel steering?

We go round in circles if I give my 5 year old son the helm, which I tend not to do for too long in case we get dizzy or someone reports us as being in trouble to the coastguard. Although it is quite fun.

I would imagine he would get on better with a wheel, and if he could actually see where he was going ... as he can steer a car pretty well.

Chris
 
Cast off

I've been on several boats that have put to sea and been zoinked back by an errant line still attached to the mainland ..... hysteresis (sofar) has been many times stronger than prop-push!!! = >>> ... <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< BANG!
 
monkfish24 said:
-Anyone got any top rules?
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- Stay on the boat at all times.
- Mind your head.
- Never spit, vomit or piss to windward.
- Expect and plan for the worst.
- Hope for the best.
- Assume the other boat hasn't seen you and/or doesn't know the rules.
- No-one is a passenger - everyone's part of the crew. Stand your watch.
- Whatever happens, there's always time for a drink.
 
Cliveshep said:
We passed her schoolteacher in her own boat at a rate of knots, plus a lot of other boats , all too bemused by the tiny tot at the helm to do anything but bounce in our wash
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ROFLOL - that's what I call style :)

Eleri's great... right up to the point where she ain't: motored 2 miles up the Yare at 5 knotts with 3 motor boats for company whilst I took in the sails, packed our bags and generally prepared for a quick getaway - but the reeds were 5m away and approaching fast on the one occasion where she got distracted!

Great news: no panic - tiller hard over (I mean extremely hard over, and the right way) and we didn't even ground :)

The joy of the Yare, at 4, is that most of the banks are pretty forgiving....

chriscallender said:
We go round in circles if I give my 5 year old son the helm, which I tend not to do for too long in case we get dizzy or someone reports us as being in trouble to the coastguard. Although [...] I would imagine he would get on better with a wheel, and if he could actually see where he was going ...
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Ah... our Pandora's got a low-ish roof... but Eleri stands on the back deck and moves from side to side a lot and just about copes - though she gets quite exasperated (and vocal) if the process of collapsing the genoa or mainsail (or daddy's backside) blocks her view :D
 
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monkfish24 said:
whilst scrubbing the boom sail cover my mind started wandering as it does... Anyway, i came to the conclusion that the most important rule at sea that takes presidence over all overs is, that if it's not nailed, tied or secured down, the sea will take it, i've learnt this the hard way after even having many pairs of sunglasses, mugs and a phone claimed by davy jones! Anyone got any top rules?
Click to expand...

Aye, make sure the wife is strapped down, I dident and lost her overboard one day allbeit in a marina.
Unfortunatly I got her out very quickley!
C_W
 
No 1 Rule - the buck stops with me as skipper. whether to go or not - or whether to give the daughter the helm - be self sufficient and don't expect anyone else to get you out of a hole you make for yourself
 
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