Need inspiration......please!!!

[powerskipper]

Posted a thread like this about 18 months ago and as i have said in title need some inspiration.

explanation
I use scenario cards as part of the work I do and need to think up some new ones.
So what I would like from you all if you could and I am asking very very nicely here /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif and if you do not mind me using them for teaching purposes.
Is
Could you tell me when have you used the VHF/DSC radio to make a call, any Maydays or Pan Pan or Security's especially, or if you can think of situations when the radio has been needed. Funny ones welcome to. If you can include type of boat and size it all helps.Many thanks. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Riggy]

Hi Julie,
further to my trials and tribulations of Boxing Day, with engine problems, (see "Horrendous weather" thread of a few weeks ago) boat engineer said "definitely 100% fixed now"........SWMBO and I took a couple of visiting friends out from Falmouth down through Carrick Roads to the infamous 'Pandora's Inn' for drinkies. Half way across and just off the entrance to Mylor Harbour, about half a mile out, doing a whizz-bang 35 knots, engine dies once again....by now starting to get dark, late Friday afternoon and NO boats out but us and a raggy in the distance. Only a light breeze blowing, tide state ok and in 25 feet of water so we do the obvious and and drop the hook.
No real emergency, just the fact of being disabled with no other boats out (that we could see) so...we opens up a few beers and a bottle of wine and proceeds to extricate from the position. Phone Falmouth Marina for assisted tow but guys with work-boat all gone home for the day, so puts out 'Pan-pan Pan-pan Pan-pan'...within minutes (luckily) the Mylor Harbour work-boat crew had heard the call and within half an hour and several beers they were alongside and assisted us into a Mylor Harbour berth for the night.
And the boat problem....? a (obvious in the light of day!) loose wire in an obscure location had detached itself from the diesel pump which we found the next day...no further engine problems since....

 

[Ifraser]

Only had to put out a distress call once so far but that was on delivery of my 1961 27' Storebro Royal Cruiser from the Hamble to Poole. It was July last year but the wind was blowing SW force 5 - 6 and vis was poor. First of all I lost a throttle cable but managed to gain control with Mole grips, Poked my nose out round Hurst but decided better of it as it was a bit rough, vis was closing down and there was no electronic nav onboard. Then the port engine started to make a funny noise and the wheelhouse started to fill with smoke. I believed it was engine smoke rather than a fire so called Pan Pan and shut down the offending engine. There was a large cruiser stood by me as I limped into Yarmouth. It turned out to be a blown exhaust manifold. If I had really erred on the side of caution, I didn't know for sure that it wasn't a fire so a Mayday could well have been justified.....Iain