Has this ever happened to you?

[Dave_Snelson]

Last friday, I called in to Pwllheli to pick up LPG and then set off for a cruise on nice flat sea. Got outside Pwllheli harbour and opened her up. We were accelerating past 25 kts and then the boat started to vibrate and the engine note changes and slowed and the boat slowed down.

At first I thought rope or net around props and immediately knocked the engines out of gear and ran astern to see the problem. Nothing! Well, not exactly nothing....there on my bathing platform were large chunks of jelly-fish that has obviously gone through my props and as I looked closer, we were in a field of huge jellies - the size of bin lids.. Checked my drives and props, all OK, so went on my way without further problems.

 

[jerryat]

Hi Dave,

It's common in the Mar Menor, between Catagena and Torrevieja in the Med. Even on a (much slower) yacht, the real danger is the things getting sucked into the engine cooling system. It happened to us, and was the main reason for us subsequently fitting a cooling water alarm.

We've seen the 'dustbin' sized ones off the south Devon/Cornwall coast too!

Amazing creatures though, aren't they?

Cheers Jerry

 

[Dave_Snelson]

Hi Jerry,

Yes, I hadn't thought of cooling system until afterwards!! All OK though.

BTW, I took a trip out on a Fulmar 3 weeks ago - very nice too.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Reminds me of an incedent with SWMBO a couple of years back. We were anchored off the Porquerolles islands in Med when we noticed loads of jellyfish in the water. SWMBO being of an enquiring and stupid mind starts fishing them out of the water with a boat hook and dumping them on the bathing platform for a closer look much against my better judgement. Anyway she finishes disecting them and shoves them back in the water
One day later, we're anchored in another bay and she decides to sit on the bathing platform with her legs in the water. After a couple of minutes, she suddenly jumps up shouting and bawling complaining that her arse is on fire. I immediately twigged that there must have been the residue from jellyfish sting left on the bathing platform. Laugh, I nearly wet myself. Spent the rest of the day administering TCP to her backside
Moral of the story. If you're in the habit of hoiking jelly fish out of the water onto your bathing platform, make sure you thoroughly clean it afterwards

 

[ps1]

Last year the Marine Conservation Society carried out a survey of jellyfish sightings and on asking, sent out a very colourful identification card so you could name what you saw. I would think that if asked they would still supply. They also provided a turtle ident card, as in the summer Leatherback turtles arrive in UK waters and they feed on jellyfish. Hitting a Leatherback at 25 knots would, at the least , be memorable.
Cardigan Bay had acres of jellyfish one day last summer.

http://mcsuk.org/turtles/turtles.php <font color="black"> </font>

 

[Coupe]

[ QUOTE ]
Moral of the story. If you're in the habit of hoiking jelly fish out of the water onto your bathing platform, make sure you thoroughly clean it afterwards

[/ QUOTE ]

Backside or bathing platform ? /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[BrendanS]

If it should ever happen to any other forumites, the best way of stopping the stinging is vinegar (acetic acid).

This won't take away the immediate stinging, but stops the stings infecting further venom. If any of the stings are still in the skin, they need to be removed with tweezers, or the alternative method is

Once the nematocytes (stings) are inactivated with vinegar, they can be removed by dusting the area with a paste of shaving cream, baking soda, and talc for 1 hour to dry out the nematocyte, followed by scraping the area with a dull object (eg, spoon). Strong adhesive tape applied to the area and then removed also can be used.

 

[Kawasaki]

Jellyfish and chips please . Talc and Vinegar ? Yelsh plealsh. Normal Saturday nights conversation after the pub shuts in my takeaway!

 

[longjohnsilver]

Or another method is to piss on the affected area. Probably best to explain why you're doing this first...............................

 

[BrendanS]

I used to think that was accepted, but modern medical practice suggests otherwise

 

[ShipsWoofy]

We used to trawl through great swarms of jelly fish.

I remember one particular occasion we emptied the net on deck and there where thousands of them. In I go with a shovel to clear them on, on my knees (coal type scuttle shovel). The fish were flapping and throwing broken jelly fish tentacles into my face.

It took me about 2 days to recover from that, the pain was horrible. And no, I did not invite any of the crew to carry out the trusted method of getting rid of the stinging either!