Please make that didn't happen...

fisherman

fisherman

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You know when you've just gone to bed, think over the day's achievements, and realise you took the raw water pipe work off the engine, and although you always close the seacock on layup you had it open to briefly run the engine and it's still open and the tide has come in and you have to drive the 12 miles to the boat in a panic....

Just me then.

Fortunately the inflow was slowed by having to pass through the Jabsco.
And for once I didn't break any speed limits, I didn't want to spend 20 minutes chatting to a PC under those circumstances.
 
+1 for a check list.

I got mine laminated and it lives in one of the little divisions in the chart table. Even though I am normally a check 5 times sort of bloke, once I have gone through the list I am (and remain) happy.
 
fisherman said:
You know when you've just gone to bed, think over the day's achievements, and realise you took the raw water pipe work off the engine, and although you always close the seacock on layup you had it open to briefly run the engine and it's still open and the tide has come in and you have to drive the 12 miles to the boat in a panic....

Just me then.

Fortunately the inflow was slowed by having to pass through the Jabsco.
And for once I didn't break any speed limits, I didn't want to spend 20 minutes chatting to a PC under those circumstances.
Click to expand...

And on the way to the boat you realise you left the iron turned on at home.....
 
A late friend of mine used to attach a ribbon with a clip to each seacock, valve or switch which would have to be checked before leaving the boat.

When the said item was checked, the ribbon was then clipped to a rail near the companionway. Before leaving, the ribbons were counted (5 IIRC) to ensure everything had been checked.

Paul
 
paul.norton said:
A late friend of mine used to attach a ribbon with a clip to each seacock, valve or switch which would have to be checked before leaving the boat.

When the said item was checked, the ribbon was then clipped to a rail near the companionway. Before leaving, the ribbons were counted (5 IIRC) to ensure everything had been checked.
Click to expand...

Tha's similar to the system used on military aircraft, with a rack for ejector seat safety pins, pitot covers and plugs, weapon safety interlocks.....

Then there's...

"I remembered to turn off the gas before we left the boat...."

"That's odd. So did I....!" :D
 
Its easy to remember only 4 things..

  1. Gas -Turn off at bottle, if locker lid secured gas is on.
  2. Water - Count your seacocks (3 in my case),
  3. Electric - Electric braker both at same time or not at all,
  4. Anode (have one to hang on wire) - Throw it over side...

How hard can it be?

Its not like you need to boil the kettle having turned the gas off to do the dishes, leave the sink seacock open to drain the sink one of the brakers open so you can listen to some music.

And just plain forget the anode, my days sailing with SWMBO often starts with a great many tuts :o. You forgot the... Just occasionally there is a sarcastic well done :D you remembered them all :D:D, normally followed by a correction it was me wasn't it :(.
 
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Simple.
It's just like leaving a house - not for the day but for a much longer period.

You would remember:
Turn the gas supply OFF
Turn the electric main switch OFF
Turn the main water stopcock OFF (only one of these in a house but the boat has a number of holes that let water in , so make sure they are all OFF)
And as you go, lock the garden shed/garage/cockpit locker, make sure the windows and back door (hatches) are closed locked and then lock the front door (main hatch) (but first ensure that the key is in your pocket and NOT on the kitchen/chart table!).

Oh, and ...
Has the rubbish bin been emptied? Is there any perishable food left behind? Houses don't drift downstream usually, but check all the lines. And fenders. And is the sail cover on? Can the jib come unwound? And ...

Checklist is a good idea!
 
It's also a good idea to have a padlock on the main hatch that needs a key to lock it, rather than finding you've left the keys in the cabin whilst you take a quick run ashore...... :o
 
Unfortunately the worst thing to distract you is someone helping you! Best to get all the crew (even if only one) topsides with their kit packed before you run through everything from bow to stern. Need to practice diplomatic ways of refusing help, though.

Rob.
 
fisherman said:
...you have to drive the 12 miles to the boat in a panic....

Just me then.

...QUOTE]

Not just you. When we leave the boat we have a checklist. I run through, then SWMBO then we cross check - still leave things switched on sometimes. Once drove 100 miles back to discover I had closed the seacock after all! Much rather of had the drive than worried about it :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
 
My wife's godson has his own marine engineering firm. I remember looking at a very sad looking small power boat last year with ruined interior and engine electrics shot.

The owner had left it on the ramp during lunch to drain out some water when waiting for the tide. It was duly launched and put on his mooring ready for a new season afloat. He went ashore, locked up the dinghy and drove home. After a few turns on the road he was annoyed by something rolling back and forth along under the windscreen.

Ooops, it was the transom drain plug, still where he'd put it before lunch. Mad dash back to the boat, fit the plug and start pumping. It didn't sink but there was a lot of water sloshing around.

So OP isn't the only one...


We have a check list on our boat and I work from bows backwards, calling out each item and my wife then confirms it. Only problem we've had was when my brother-in-law came for a sail before leaving to return to Canada but left his wallet & glasses on the boat. Fortunately, his wife asked him to read something on the drive home. We only suffered a one hour delay but not as bad as turning up at the airport minus.
 
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fisherman said:
I didn't want to spend 20 minutes chatting to a PC under those circumstances.
Click to expand...

The first thing they do these days is ask if there's a reason you're speeding. There are good reasons to break the speed limit, and the police will accept some of them. They don't have a list of these though, but I suspect sinking boat would scrape through if you weren't too far over. I believe family members in hospital in emergencies is also acceptable but all of these would of course be checked.
 
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