Nightmare Channel Crossing

[paulineb]

My pigshit of a husband brought us back across the channel last Saturday in seas that would put "The Perfect Storm" to shame. I've never been seasick before, but managed to fill a couple of buckets on this trip. The waves must have been 300 ft high and were crashing into our side for the latter part of the journey. We left Nieuwpoort heading for Brighton, but did Mr Dipstick take us safely into Calais - no he f*****g didn't. I had to endure spewing my way across the channel until we got the Dover, where I found seaweed and other bits of flotsam and jetsam on the flybridge and aft deck AND I broke a nail !!! Once we had finally moored safely in Dover, if I could have lifted the boat I would have shoved it up his big fat a**e !! Other than that, we had a great holiday.

Pauline B

 

[Guest]

Oh deepest joy, never again will I complain about my wife (well not in the next 24H anyway) I bet Mr. dipstick is in for at least 2 weeks silence.

 

[paulineb]

He would prefer the silent treatment to what he's getting right now. Believe me, this is going to cost him dearly !!

Pauline B

 

[Guest]

Re: In defence of the male

Pauline, my advice is to think positively:

Am I alive? - yes
Did the boat sink - no
How many nails did I break - only one
Did I barf a pound or two of weight away and can now fit that little black number again - yes
Was the fleece I was sick over needing washed anyway? - yes
Do I now have a long term entertaining dinner party story? - yes
Am I home in time to see the outcome of the present Eastenders kidnapping? - yes

Think positively woman - the man had your best interest at heart.

Nick

 

[Guest]

Ooer. But wasn't it (partly) your choice whether to go or not? What with you being salty seadog (oops gender prejudice er but let's leave it at seadog) I wd've thought you could prevail a bit? or did it suddenly get a bit horrid?

 

[hlb]

ReAverage Sort Of Trip!!

Sounds sort of normal. So the engines did'nt stop or the gear box break!!

Now my wife gives me hell for years about that little trip where it went just a little bit bumpy!!
Sorry Pauline were all experienced males here apart from some.
Concentrate yer efforts on the good times and praise your husband for getting you safely back home. He should get a meddle. or at least a kiss!! Give me one too!! (Bloody wife wont)!!

Haydn

 

[longjohnsilver]

Poor old Mr B, how did he cope with the troubled waters last weekend. Sounds like a good fun trip. Having been out for a few hours myself last Saturday afternoon I can see why you appear to be a little grumpy - there were a few white horses about!

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Just like airline flights, I take the attitude that any trip you can walk away from is a good one! If its any consolation, you were'nt the only one out there; I inflicted a similar trip on my crew from Guernsey to Southampton and I have to say that I did ask myself what the f*** I was doing out there when I could have been frying on a beach in the Med

 

[paulineb]

Am I missing the point here guys? Are you saying that if the boat had been damaged in the crossing then it would have been a disastrous trip, but because it arrived in tact the trip was successful - sod little wifey spewing up her guts, as long as she keeps her head in the bucket and doesn't splash vomit on the carpet, then that's OK. AND whether or not I had any say in whether we should cross or not, it's still his bloody fault - that's part of his job description. If anything at all goes wrong, then it's his fault. After all, I'm just a simply girlie, put on this earth to obey my husband!

When I told him that MBM cruise members made the right choice and stayed put until the sea was calmer, he said "that's because they're a bunch of pussies"

Pauline B

 

[Guest]

Oh there's no sexism here. Ultimately, you're all ok, so it's ok, BUT....

But since it was a nightmare, then there's some damage done to your confidence in his judgement, unless he said, look it'll be a bit of a nightmare but we'll be ok, and you agreed.

So, did he almost force the crossing and disregard you? Or did he chat you into it and fail to mention potential bucket requirements? Or did he get up early and drive off leaving you no choice? Any of these means you are absolutely right to be p* off about the crossing.

I'm afraid I simply don't believe that you're a simple girlie at all, what with knowing about deadrise etc.

So, joking aside, actually this might indeed have been quite dangerous and daft. There isn't a fixed cut-off level for which a trip is either "on" or "off", because one variable is the crew. If the crew is fit and rarin to go, then that might allow a trip that otherwise should be delayed - altho this is exactly the conditions in which disasters can happen when nobody dares to "wimp out" perhaps qv the met police solent trip in a force 8-9 a few years ago.

If you were the crew, and said really this ain't on, I don't want to do it, I won't like it, I won't mind a delay, then that's like setting off with unwilling or unprepared boat. It shd've been delayed, or if there were enuf others and were determined to go, they shd've orgainsed for you to fly or ferry back. Skippering isn't "getting your own way".

There can be a problem if it's family/ wife cos you don' t want to spoil things, but skipper should be aware of that too. The right question is something along the lines of "Do you want me to persuade you to go?" Next time, perhaps you should be skipper.

 

[duncan]

turn it around Pauline; if you hadn't been unwell and broken a nail would it have been alright?

 

[paulineb]

OK I admit it. If I hadn't been sick it would merely have been a very uncomfortable trip. Don't get me wrong, I like it rough (I find it totally exhilarating), but this was very scary too.

Pauline B

 

[Guest]

Well said. If more wives were as discerning as yourself (and actually did what they threatened) there would be a lot more happy couples out there sailing instead of these sad groups of men clinging together for macho support.

We too left Nieuwpoort the same morning as yourselves intending to go to Ramsgate at the end of a great holiday. (Did you see the converted lifeboat "Kindie" by any chance?)

Forecast on Navtex was wind "Force 3 to 4" and sea state "Moderate". "Ho ho ho!! What a fine sense of humour those Met Office men have." I thought as we banged along into ever steepening seas at an ever reducing rate of knots.

At 8 o'clock the GPS gave Ramsgate as "8 hours to go" at 10 o'clock this had moved out to "17 hours to go"!!

The thought of enduring another 17 hours of bouncing around as part of a holiday (as opposed to an Outwardbound Course) made me decide to divert to Dunkerque.

At Dunkerque I spent the next three days demolishing copious amounts of whisky with new found friends whilst my wife and companions came home via the Calais/Dover Ferry.

I finally managed a nice steady crossing on the Tuesday morning solo and the boat is currently in Stonehaven waiting for me to take her back home to Whitehills in the Moray Firth on Thursday night.

Just one touch of irony. My mate's wife was fine on the boat whereas "her indoors" was minus her breakfast well before Dunkerque. On the ferry the roles were apparently reversed!? As the light of my life tucked into a rare steak for dinner the said friend's wife was getting rid of her lunch in the time honoured fashion!! Apparently the slow heaving of the ferry turned her stomach! Funny old world isn't it?

Best regards ))

Ian D

 

[PhilF]

Sorry you had such a shitty time.
I hear you are staying on the Coast and not going back to PH
I am sure Jinto told you we are staying too
Perhaps we will meet up some time
Luv Phil

 

[suzanne]

Completely agree with you about "Mrb", he should have gone into Calais. As you know I was on the trip with you and I have never been so frightened in my life, everyone says it was an experience, but quite frankly it was one I could have done without. Lets add "Mrg" to your hate list as he should have gone into Calais regardless of Mrb. Can I just say when Pauline says she is 'punishing' Mrb she mneans it! Lets just say its been two weeks now and the rest of us haven't had a chance to b*****k him!

Suzanne xXx