Ot had to happen - and last night it did .

[Robert Wilson]

Went for an evening sail, bit blowy in the Bay but on sheltered mooring hardly a breath. Nevertheless, I made darn sure the dinghy painter was well attached to the mooring warp.
I even muttered to myself make sure it's on properly, Robert.

Another screamer of a sail, spindrift and white spray with 1 metre waves. Very heavy rain, black clouds and cold. Got soaked, but exhilarated. Log registered 10+kts at one point

Back to the mooring in shelter of high ground -

NO DINGHY.
It's unsinkable, double-skinned hull with built-in buoyancy.

Cold, wet and shivering I didn't fancy a swim ashore (60metres?), so I risked taking Khamsin (1.6m draft) right in-shore to a mate's dinghy. Skilful and lucky manoeuvring had me safe on my mooring at last
The rest, as they say is history.

No-one in their right mind would attempt the hassle of getting to my mooring in that sort of weather.
No sign of dinghy this morning anywhere around the Bay even though the wind would have taken it ashore on the Island or land-side beaches.

ODD!

Anyone else had a visit from the dinghy ghosts?
​

 

[Mark-1]

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Charter yacht, lost dinghy off the back, flat calm, soundb of Jura. Retraced my path but no luck, it should have been obvious. The painter was polypropylene and woven in that basket weave. I of course bought a new one for the charter company. My own stupid fault.

 

[Graham_Wright]

No sign of dinghy this morning anywhere around the Bay even though the wind would have taken it ashore on the Island or land-side beaches.
​

Try ebay.:distress:

 

[penberth3]

Went for an evening sail, bit blowy in the Bay but on sheltered mooring hardly a breath. Nevertheless, I made darn sure the dinghy painter was well attached to the mooring warp...

Are you sure it was attached to the dinghy?

 

[Robert Wilson]

Try ebay.:distress:

I did begin to wonder!! :disgust:

Anyway, I'm glad to report that from seaward this morning I can see it in among the rocks on a patch of sand. I'll be going later to clamber down to it and hope it can be rowed/towed back to its mooring.

Only myself to blame, methinks

 

[mjcoon]

Anyone else had a visit from the dinghy ghosts?

Yes, a few years ago in Platania, Greece, per story:http://www.mjcoon.plus.com/page53.htm

Mike.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

Anyone else had a visit from the dinghy ghosts?
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Anchored off Cascais a few years back, rowed ashore to pick up a new crew member: tied the dinghy 'securely' to the yacht when we returned and went below for the usual celebrations.

Next morning - no dinghy.

We struggled by for the next day, buying a toy dinghy because new inflatables were so expensive. We made it to shore that night, and had a great meal - there were so many people dining outside in the square in Cascais that night, that the whole thing became a huge extended party - involving everyone from several restaurants. Suddenly Jo, who was chatting to (chatting up??) a group of Belgian guys off a dredger shouted to me "Bill! They've found our dinghy!!".

And indeed they had. It had been drifting several miles off-shore when they saw it, on their way out to the dredging site, and they retreived it. So we set up a rendezvous for the next morning, and we went alongside this massive dredger ship whilst it was discharging (the bridge was well above our mast), and got our dinghy back.

 

[Vega1447]

I did begin to wonder!! :disgust:

Anyway, I'm glad to report that from seaward this morning I can see it in among the rocks on a patch of sand. I'll be going later to clamber down to it and hope it can be rowed/towed back to its mooring.

Only myself to blame, methinks

It will be interesting to hear at which end the painter came loose (assuming no evil-doers were involved).

 

[Robert Wilson]

It will be interesting to hear at which end the painter came loose (assuming no evil-doers were involved).

Grovel, cringe, shiver - my knot attaching the large carabiner-type shackle had come un-done.

Mea culpa, despite making darn sure I had properly used the carabiner and painter.

Hey ho, dingy hauled way up-shore onto the grass with all kit retrieved - only two holes in the outer skin which should mend.

I shall never again be lazy and use a carabiner

I'm sorry to hear all the other stories posted above. It can really spoil a holiday/voyage.

 

[alan_d]

In the fairly distant past I thought I was being smart by using a snap-hook (like this :https://www.s3i.co.uk/spring-snap-hook.php ) to attach the painter to the dinghy. One day I was recovering the dinghy onto its launching trolley at the water's edge and suddenly found myself holding a painter that was not attached to anything. Fortunately, all I had to do was step forward and grab the dinghy before it floated away, but since then I have always used an eye-splice.

 

[gus]

The wise sailor will always attach the dinghy with 2 lines.

 

[Robert Wilson]

In the fairly distant past I thought I was being smart by using a snap-hook (like this :https://www.s3i.co.uk/spring-snap-hook.php ) to attach the painter to the dinghy. One day I was recovering the dinghy onto its launching trolley at the water's edge and suddenly found myself holding a painter that was not attached to anything. Fortunately, all I had to do was step forward and grab the dinghy before it floated away, but since then I have always used an eye-splice.

As you say, all you had to do was step forward from the shore - I was 60 metres from the shore.....

 

[Robert Wilson]

The wise sailor will always attach the dinghy with 2 lines.

If one learns from one's mistakes one acquires a fantastic education...

 

[Elemental]

The wise sailor will always attach the dinghy with 2 lines.

Indeed, and/or make sure that that the tail end of the line has a b***y great stopper knot at the end ( following a similar escapade when I am sure I tied the dink properly before I went to bed )