Poll - Have you ever fallen into the water

[stranded]

Swmbo nearly died last winter - marina, evening, she was going to take the trolley back en route to the loo, stepped back too far when turning the trolley and fell in. I was below listening to music at a decent volume. During a break between tracks a few minutes later I heard something that made me prick up my ears, but nothing more. During the next track break I heard something slightly more compelling, though still not identifiable, and went on deck where I heard a quite feeble “help, help”. Went onto the finger and swmbo was in the water at the bow hanging onto a mooring line, trembling. I tried to pull her into the pontoon but not a chance. There was no emergency ladder in our ‘bay’, so we decided she would have to swim to the stern, which she was just able to do, and we managed to get her out via the swim ladder. Down below, hot shower and hot chocolate and snuggled in a duvet for a couple of hours and she was OK, but if that second track had been Grateful Dead rather than Billy Bragg she would have been a goner. When I asked why she hadn’t shouted louder she said “I didn’t want to make a fuss”. I have to do all the trolley u-turns now.

 

[pandos]

I don't know if this is common, but when it occurs ,time seems to stand still while it is happening. But suddenly - Oh dear -I'm in the water.

My experience was similar but in segments of total focus like checking off a list . the first realization was I am going in the water, I am under the water, the jacket is working, I'll come up soon...sh*t I can feel my boots coming off..

 

[simonfraser]

slid off the deck chasing a bookhook going over the side, at low tide on the mud
v v messy

 

[wombat88]

Fell in to Southampton water holding a ballast weight. Seemed to take an age to let go of it.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Fell in as a youngster, classic getting out of the flubber onto the moored boat, failed to keep a good hold at either end of my body. Was at Cramond at low water, covered in stinking mud. Hosed off in the car park.

Numerous dinghy capsizes of course, including a spectacular effort in a Fireball on Windermere, spinnaker and all. Felt like we were doing 25 kts was probably less than half that, but was bloody hard getting that one up again.

And last week almost got a dunking but not quite, I fell down into the gap between our moored boat and its rafting partner. Probably lucky that the partner boat had colossal fenders which stopped me getting squished or worse. Very scary.

 

[Concerto]

First time in Woodbridge Marina in 1989. Berthing was stern to a pontoon with a buoy at the bow. As I was leaving someone shouted I had the buoy pass under the hull between the keel and rudder of my Feeling 286. I went on to the sugar scoop and grabbed the backstay - except it was the bathing ladder - so I went A over T with a splash. Easy to get back onboard!

Second time was the second sail with Concerto. Came into the pontoon finger and stepped down, only the wood was damp and had a thin layer of algae, so my foot slipped and I fell head first backwards between the finger and the hull. A shout for help brought another owner to help me out of the drink.

 

[Kukri]

Slid off a gangplank to a boat in a mud berth near Bedwells shed in Walton-on-Naze in my early twenties. It was high tide so I got very wet and incredibly cold but not so very muddy.

Dinghy capsizes don’t count.

 

[alan_d]

I don't know if this counts, but a few years ago I went ashore in the tender, landing on a steep, weed-covered beach. I stepped out of the tender, walked to the bow and gave a heave on the painter with a view to pulling the tender further out of the water. What actually happened was that my feet shot out from under me and I slid down the weedy slope, ending up lying on my back in about a foot of water, laughing helplessly with my auto lifejacket inflated and the water-activated light flashing.

 

[reeac]

Once. I was standing in my tender when it was tied up to the stern of our moored cruiser.The tender was full of baggage as we were going ashore after a trip away. The tender tilted and i was unable to shift my feet to regain my balance. Fell backwards over the side, let go of the tender gunwhales for fear of capsizing it and losing all the baggage. went underwater, saw the painter curving down and then up to the surface, grabbed it and hauled myself to the cruiser transom. Had a lot of difficulty untying the transom ladder. Called out to SWMBO who was down below and had heard the splash and had wondered what it was (!). She untied the transome ladder and I climbed up.

 

[roblpm]

I've fallen in the water whilst getting into the dinghy. Was wearing an auto LJ - the hardest bit was getting the transom ladder lowered so I could climb back aboard - now have a rope attached to the retaining clip so can be released when in the water.
Also fell off a ladder in the boatyard whilst fixing the winter cover(make sure you fully tighten the bowline before pulling taught) The boatyard owner saw it happen - no injury though.

My dad's mate died in Portsmouth Harbour getting from dinghy to boat on swinging mooring they think. Finished my fathers sailing career really as they had been chatting at lunchtime before they both went off to their respective boats. No life jackets I think... Old school.

 

[Boathook]

Capsized dinghies many times. Overturned tender whilst going to beach. All of us floundering around but water was only a foot deep on a sandy beach. More recently lost my footing on a ladder and went down between it and boat. Got wet and muddy. Took ages to dry out sailing boots!

 

[Sandydog2]

Got unbalanced while showering on the sugar scoop. Grabbed the boat to steady myself, but got the top of the raised boarding ladder instead. It promptly lowered with me still holding on so I got dunked well under the water. For some reason my top priority was to save the soap.

 

[prv]

I'm assuming this refers to while on or around yachts and tenders. I've fallen off paddleboards and windsurfers and probably a variety of other things, but they'd have been semi-expected or otherwise not really relevant.

My own answer is no, but I have had a friend fall off a marina pontoon just after getting off the boat. He was surprised but unharmed. We tried briefly and unsuccessfully (even with the help of a warp to stand on) to get him out onto the pontoon, before thinking of the boat's swim ladder. He came up that easily enough. I lowered it to him, but it can also be done from the water.

As soon as he was on board and getting dried and changed (from his bag which was already in the cockpit about to be unloaded...) I took his phone and rinsed it under the galley tap then dried it with a teatowel. Current iPhones (and good-quality Android phones, I assume) are IP67 or IP68 depending on model so I was just aiming to prevent any corrosion or salt crystals growing in crevices like the charger socket or around buttons. He's never mentioned it subsequently failing.

Pete

 

[William_H]

Have lost 2 crew different times when a spinnacker run broached. Both got picked up neither wearing LJ. Pretty scary for both. I fell off someone elses boat when trying to rotate the boat into wind when tied to jetty. (no LJ) Had 2 different people fall in the water when getting from boat into hard dinghy. No LJs. No problems Another crew fell off fore deck when packing away jib and a child was steering turned hard and bow lurched. He held on to sheets and was pulled on board using stern ladder. (no LJ)
Now this might sound horrible. In fact over 40 years I do tend to insist on LJs more of recent years. But water is not cold. Indeed crew (children) often jump over board from swing mooring to swim a shore. Every one are good swimmers. We sail in sheltered waters with rescue boat available and wear buoyancy vests when wind gets up. ol'will

 

[coopec]

Actually I have been o/b from a 22ft launch (just twigged). We had just arrived back from Rottnest Island and we both had a few+ beers (lost count) on the way and as we arrived at the Fremantle Sailing Club jetty I was ordered to do something and I slipped in my wet thongs and went overboard to the loud raucous cheers of the Yacht Club patrons (100+).

I don't know how I did it but I don't think even my watch got wet? But I was back on board the launch in no time. (It would be a different matter if it was a 43ft yacht I'll bet)

 

[zoidberg]

The first time, on a moored small trimaran, I sought to free one bridle-arm from being looped over an ama..... it released, the boat jerked, and I went backwards in slow motion.....

The second time, I took a light ply dinghy to help an exhausted new arrival pick up a mooring nearby. As I rowed across his stationary bows, he slipped/stamped on the throttle lever, his boat surged forward and tipped over my dinghy. I popped my lifejacket, came up in a tiny airspace, then discovered my legs were trapped by lifting strops.... Then began a struggle to get free before the dinghy, with outboard, sank - taking me with it.

( Edit: As per request - Trapped Under a Dinghy )

 

[davidaprice]

Once after having moored to a floating jetty bows-to (with a stern buoy), I was too lazy to go get the bow steps and just jumped down to the jetty. Something tore in my right thigh and my right leg collapsed, sending me backwards into the water, wearing full wet-weather gear. Luckily the mooring cleat was to hand and I'd already taken off my lifejacket, so I managed to drag myself onto the jetty. After a couple of days' hopping about I was well enough to resume our trip.

 

[Dipper]

Good to know.
Do mobile phones survive and does inserting them in dry rice make them work again ?

I don't know but the priority has to be to remove the battery then the salt. My thinking is that if the battery is still in, stray currents will be flying around the electronics causing all sorts of mayhem. As regards rice, I did some 'research' at the time and it appears (as suggested above) that fresh air is a far better way to dry wet electronics.

 

[Praxinoscope]

Twice, once getting out of tender on to boat, second getting off boat and into tender.
Not too bad I think over 50 years of mucking about in boats.

 

[Snowgoose-1]

Once after having moored to a floating jetty bows-to (with a stern buoy), I was too lazy to go get the bow steps and just jumped down to the jetty. Something tore in my right thigh and my right leg collapsed, sending me backwards into the water, wearing full wet-weather gear. Luckily the mooring cleat was to hand and I'd already taken off my lifejacket, so I managed to drag myself onto the jetty. After a couple of days' hopping about I was well enough to resume our trip.

Well done !
I went in September time UK. Water warm.So low down new that I could not lift myself out by a warp etc. Hung into bracket of marina pile . After shouting at regular intervals , took two men to lift me out 13 stone. I new that marina steps long way away. Now have a looped line at correct depth tied to cleat in berth.