Go on, own up.

[mickshep]

Just read post on "politely saying No thanks" Made me think of embarassing cock ups. So here goes. First boat was a traditional sloop weighing in at 5 tons, long keel with 8hp Stuart engine with tram handle gear change, A real pig to manouver without plenty of way on. Trick was start turn into berth well wide then when lined up pop her into neutral at tick over with a good long run in then into reverse for the last ten meters or so. I must have got it right a hundred times before. This day had new girlfriend on board. (never sailed before) Her parents and several friends all turned up to see how she'd got on. All went well untill I realised that even though we were in reverse we were not slowing down, "Wind behind stronger than I thought" says I, in my best no problem voice. rapidly reaching down to tweak the throttle. Rapidly running out of room the tweak became a push to the stops, Janina surged forward and with four people pushing frantically at the pulpit rode up onto the pontoon with a crash that must have been audible over half the marina. In the horrified silence that followed I glanced down at the gear lever which is removable, having an inexperienced crew I'd put it on facing forward instead of aft to lessen the risk of her tripping, You've got it, I'd put her into forward. Luckily I got away with losing only some paint though friends still remind me of the time I tried to sail the boat over a pontoon to impress the girlfriend. Cheers, Mike.

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[Evadne]

deja-vu

That was me in Lymington last year. Although I wasn't entirely to blame, the gearchange cable must bear some of the responsibility for becoming detached when I finally managed to boot it into forward gear. It had been getting stiffer all season and I hadn't investigated it. It is worrying how long it takes for the brain to realise that she is going forwards faster, the more reverse you apply, and amazing how far up a pontoon a boat will ride at only a couple of knots. I'm only glad we don't have a plumb stem, it would have been zig-zagged after that.

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[duncan]

this Sunday, taking boat out onto Yard's trailer at 90 degrees to tide and with only 2 ft of Quay extending past the end of the trailer. Driving straight on not an option. Great plan foiled by SWMBO's inability to pass a bow rope to staff on Quay (admittedly because it was too short [sad] to be secured and enable me to hold the stern out against the tide whilst getting a stern line in place to line up the boat and ease onto trailer.
Stern coming round into shallow water, rocks 10ft downstream -
Solution - engine off /outdrive leg up with one hand - trousers /shoes off with the other and over the side.
A few years ago I would either
(1) have still been holding an inquest with SWMBO as we drifted onto rocks or
(2) have tried to use power (more and more of course!) to get me out of the impossible situation somehow ie. try forwards reverse left hand right hand etc until props/boat hit something.

End result - felt a bit of a prat in front of staff, holidaymakers etc but more than compensated for my SWMBO's observation that I didn't raise my voice, panic or otherwise embarass her, oh and not even a mark on the antifouling to the boat.



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[Guest]

Berthing .... after a good weekend with the Russian Lass who doesn't understand english 'commands' ....... actually who survives giving 'commands' to the lasses ?????? ........ anyway .... She's on bow waiting to step ashore onto finger. I'm in cockpit looking to pick up my preset line on finger ..... hand on throttle ready to jab astern when I've dropped aft spring on cleat .....
Normal routine is when I notice her step off ..... its a jab and put spring line on !! So this time I see her step, I look at spring line and pop on cleat, look down to jab astern ..... I hear "N I G E L .....S P L A S H !!!!" ........
Having the spring on ..... I run forward onto the finger and there she is hanging on in the water ........... So I go to pick her out, get her half out, both of us notice bow swinging back in .... so I do the only thing possible ----- I PUT HER BACK IN !!!!!
Stopped the boat and tied her off to the next boat to allow us to 'work' ..... she has NEVER forgotten my putting her back in the water !!!! She now refuses to take the bow line to the finger !!!!!

(I must admit that the fingers are the narrow sort that 'tilt' when you step on them ...... terribly unstable).

Quietly I still have a chuckle !!!!



<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I came - cos they said was FREE Guinness !
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[classworks]

My spirit:willing; brain:weak; body? a fender.NM

..

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[Gordonmc]

I spent four months of the winter rebuilding the sterngear and painting the topsides of the pride n'joy and came the fateful day of her going back in the briny I skyved work for the launch.

Lots to be done, so I filled the car with bits and pieces and headed for the marina. First hurdle was restepping the mast with new standing rigging I had cut and swaged a month before. A big phew when all the 8mm galvanised wire rope fitted to a tee. A quick slurp of antifoul where the trestle stands had been and she was in the hoist, me on board going round all the hull fittings making sure they were closed off.

The hoist driver had been patient enough, so I wasn't taken aback when he asked if I could take the boat to her berth myself as their yard boat was busy.

"Well," says I, "If the engine starts, no problem, but it's been idle for a while... and I need to keep an eye on the stuffing box"

So into the water we go. Hanging in the slings I jab the starter... and 35 horses wake up immediately. I gave the thumbs up to the hoist driver and look round to weigh up my escape as he lets go the lines.

But wait... something missing. THE TILLER.

Yep, at home for varnishing.

So it was that I guided my newly painted eight tonner through all the plastic fantastics with a pair of mole-grips on the rudder stock.

P.S. I had the smoothest berthing so far.

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[Rabbie]

Molegrips, bless them!

Loved that Gordon. I could have written an identical post 2 years ago!.

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[JaninaofDorset]

Just read post on "politely saying No thanks" Made me think of embarassing cock ups. So here goes. First boat was a traditional sloop weighing in at 5 tons, long keel with 8hp Stuart engine with tram handle gear change, A real pig to manouver without plenty of way on. Trick was start turn into berth well wide then when lined up pop her into neutral at tick over with a good long run in then into reverse for the last ten meters or so. I must have got it right a hundred times before. This day had new girlfriend on board. (never sailed before) Her parents and several friends all turned up to see how she'd got on. All went well untill I realised that even though we were in reverse we were not slowing down, "Wind behind stronger than I thought" says I, in my best no problem voice. rapidly reaching down to tweak the throttle. Rapidly running out of room the tweak became a push to the stops, Janina surged forward and with four people pushing frantically at the pulpit rode up onto the pontoon with a crash that must have been audible over half the marina. In the horrified silence that followed I glanced down at the gear lever which is removable, having an inexperienced crew I'd put it on facing forward instead of aft to lessen the risk of her tripping, You've got it, I'd put her into forward. Luckily I got away with losing only some paint though friends still remind me of the time I tried to sail the boat over a pontoon to impress the girlfriend. Cheers, Mike.

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hii now have janina up in Maryport marina Cumbria

 

[shan]

Did a 360 unintentional spin in the Cardiff Bay Barrage Lock.... Fortunately no one else was in there!