Ignominious Departure

[pyrojames]

Fortunatley no one noticed. I think.

Had a little fun getting out of my berth at SYH on Sunday post lunch. Light breeze blowing onto the berth, sprung the bows off to stb, went ahead, too little space, burst astern, stern swung to port, burst ahead, too little space, astern to port, burst ahead, 5-6 feet clear, bit of smoke, pulse rate up, M crying (again) and out of the entrance...


















Then turned to starboard and ran on the mud.

Lots more revs, chewed through the mud and onto the river. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[beancounter]

Well, at least you were spared the crowd of onlookers that always hang around the lock at Shotley, no doubt all hoping that one of the "rich Yotties" will make a complete Horlicks of their entrance/exit...

Hope the day got better, anyway.

 

[Artemis_C2121]

Think we have all been there done that got the T shirt and on my part prob will many more times in the future.
As long as nothing dented other than your pride clock it up as just another day at the office. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[eastcoastbernie]

Oh, poor James, wish we'd been there to help you!

If it's any comfort, after we came into my berth (successfully) we watched as a small (visiting) classic boat berthed several boats to windward of us prepared for departure. It's plan, I imagine, was to reverse out of berth, turn to port and motor out. But the wind was on the nose.

First boat reverses out of berth. Wind catches beam of boat and it starts to drift broadside down the channel. Engage forward and arrive at the stern of the next boat down to leeward. Engage reverse and arrive at the stern of another boat a little further to leeward. Forward to a spot a little further to leeward. Much shouting from man on the bow to give it more trottle. Much complaining from woman on the engine. Much activity at the bow end with the boathook. More backwards and forwards with the only result being slipping further to leeward.

Patrick and I getting increasingly concerned as the errant boat is working it's way in our direction now and the shouting is getting even more frantic with the man on the bow demanding more and more throttle.

Now several boats to leeward from where they started, the classic boat now comes across an empty berth astern and reverses into it. Then forward with some welly in a reciprocal course into the stern of the boats opposite. More reversing and now we are the classic boat's next target.

With a herculian effort we grab hold of boat as it comes our way give it a good push off at the bow and a bit of shove in the right direction from the beam and they are finally headed in the right direction.

Nice to know I'm not the only one who c**ks it up!

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[BobnLesley]

What's the problem? Any moor-up/cast-off which is completed with the same amount of gel-goat on the hull as we started the manouvre with is counted a success on Spring Fever. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[pyrojames]

I think that needs some clarification. It is best if the sum total of the gel coat is not made up of several mixes! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[pyrojames]

'Twas OK actually getting out of the berth, it went to plan, at least to the extent that running out of room was planed for and the kick to port on going astern made things better! The running aground bit was probably not something you could have helped with. Momentum and revs were my best friend for that bit!

 

[Dalliance]

If it makes you feel any beeter - I ran aground just before the fuel pontoon in Titchmarsh Marina two weeks ago when the depth over the sill was supposed to be 2m and we only draw 1.8. I was stuck 2m off the pontoon and blocking all commers for nearly an hour!

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Sounds like the infamous 'hump' just 1 metre outside the holding pontoon outside Titchmarsh....... I got stopped on that 1m from the pontoon.... and with the application of dramatic amounts of throttle managed to creep my way onto the pontoon over a minute or so.....


.... at which point my crew leapt ashore and made her off fast in a rush..... and couldn't understand why I was in the cockpit rolling around laughing..... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[DRANNIE]

had a very close call at the blackwater marina last year. Outboard got blocked and overheated off osea island so I was about an hour later getting up to the pontoons than planned. Keel up, then rudder up, then outboard tilted we just made it onto the outer pontoon. By the time we had tied up there was no water and we could see the channel carved by the outboard.

I was working out whether we would have had to sit it out for six hours or could have found a way of wading ashore or using a sail to walk on.