longjohnsilver
Well-Known Member
When you really cock something up badly there's always a big audience.
Coming back into Exmouth Docks a few weeks back in my Avon 3.1 RIB having just been out to Dawlish Warren to clean it out and empty the water out, sauntered back, lovely day, sun shining, crowds of people admiring my boat handling skills, you can imagine the scene. Just about to enter the docks when out comes the new tripping boat, about 60' long, almost as wide as the docks entrance. No problem thinks I as I expertly park up against the pontoon to let said boat pass. Just as I can see the transom I thought, ah, what happens if he also wants to park on the pontoon, so decided as soon as he was past I'd shoot into the docks.
So I pushes off but at the same time he decides to stop so ina matter of less than a few seconds not only am I pinned back up to the pontoon but his prop wash has literally filled my nice dry inflatable up level with the tubes, so now I'm soaked, the dog's swimming trying to miss the floating fuel tank, the crowd's laughing, the Sailing club commodore who also happens to be a fellow diver witnessed the events from his dory as well as the dockmaster and half of bleedin Exmouth!
I stoically ignored all the calls for an encore and with the smug grin having been well and truly wiped off my face I slunk off to find an abandoned saucepan to bale the water out with, took a good 15 minutes or more. Thank goodness it was an inflatable or otherwise I'd definitely have sunk!! Now that would have been embarassing!!
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Coming back into Exmouth Docks a few weeks back in my Avon 3.1 RIB having just been out to Dawlish Warren to clean it out and empty the water out, sauntered back, lovely day, sun shining, crowds of people admiring my boat handling skills, you can imagine the scene. Just about to enter the docks when out comes the new tripping boat, about 60' long, almost as wide as the docks entrance. No problem thinks I as I expertly park up against the pontoon to let said boat pass. Just as I can see the transom I thought, ah, what happens if he also wants to park on the pontoon, so decided as soon as he was past I'd shoot into the docks.
So I pushes off but at the same time he decides to stop so ina matter of less than a few seconds not only am I pinned back up to the pontoon but his prop wash has literally filled my nice dry inflatable up level with the tubes, so now I'm soaked, the dog's swimming trying to miss the floating fuel tank, the crowd's laughing, the Sailing club commodore who also happens to be a fellow diver witnessed the events from his dory as well as the dockmaster and half of bleedin Exmouth!
I stoically ignored all the calls for an encore and with the smug grin having been well and truly wiped off my face I slunk off to find an abandoned saucepan to bale the water out with, took a good 15 minutes or more. Thank goodness it was an inflatable or otherwise I'd definitely have sunk!! Now that would have been embarassing!!
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