Stupid things done on a boat.

[longjohnsilver]

In another thread, Lyme Regis was mentioned, which is where I had my first mooring. Now, I've done many stupid things on boats, but all without injury to others. But about 30 years ago 3 boaters at Lyme weren't so lucky.

These 3 guys went out in their new to them speedboat, I saw them head out from the Cobb one evening when it was quite choppy, and I thought rather them than me. But what happened was quite shocking. They never returned and one of the bodies was never recovered. It transpired that they had decided that the speedboat, about 16', needed extra ballast. Unfortunately they chose bags of dry cement. You can no doubt guess the rest.

That's the most serious incident that stands out in my memory. Another was on a dive boat our club used to use out of Weymouth. Our skipper, the best in the business, again about 30 years ago, unfortunately went astern over a diver who enetered the water before being instructed to do so and had an arm chopped off and sadly died. The skipper of the boat was naturally distraught and stopped his charters for a month or so, until he was finally persuaded that it was not his fault (dive boat safety rules were changed following this tragedy). On one of his first charters following the accident he had a group of hardcore divers out with him, when asked what they wanted to look for, one of them said he was going looking for the arm with a divers watch on the wrist. I understand the return to port was one of the quickest ever.

The skipper himself died of a brain haemorage not many years later, but the name of his boat, Skin Deep still exists today.

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

Well there's a cheerful couple of stories to brighten up anyone's Tuesday evening...

 

[longjohnsilver]

Well there's a cheerful couple of stories to brighten up anyone's Tuesday evening...

Is it only Tuesday, seems like at least Thursday

Can't imagine there will be too many people looking to ballet their boat with cement powder, but you never know.........

 

[beejay190]

Took six guests out on my Bav29 a few years ago. Only had two life jackets on board.

 

[Firefly625]

bloody hell ljs, you must be a riot at parties..

 

[davidej]

My mate who is a RYA Instructor teaches that you start sailing with two buckets. One is full and marked Luck - the other is empty and called Experience.

The trick is to fill the Experience bucket before the Luck bucket runs out.

 

[jrudge]

As a teenager I had a 16 ft speed boat.

Over winter i took it to bits and did it up.

Come spring head to the Thames. Snag was left was right and right was left. The steering rack was mounted upside down.

No worries I can cope with that for an hour.

Well i couldn't actually!

I ended up heading for the bank at moderate speed.

I stuffed it in reverse. Normally the reversing catch would let go on heavy reverse and the engine flip up. This time it held and i gently stopped at the edge.

After that i took it home and fixed it!

 

[Andy Bav]

In another thread, Lyme Regis was mentioned, which is where I had my first mooring. Now, I've done many stupid things on boats, but all without injury to others. But about 30 years ago 3 boaters at Lyme weren't so lucky.

These 3 guys went out in their new to them speedboat, I saw them head out from the Cobb one evening when it was quite choppy, and I thought rather them than me. But what happened was quite shocking. They never returned and one of the bodies was never recovered. It transpired that they had decided that the speedboat, about 16', needed extra ballast. Unfortunately they chose bags of dry cement. You can no doubt guess the rest.

That's the most serious incident that stands out in my memory. Another was on a dive boat our club used to use out of Weymouth. Our skipper, the best in the business, again about 30 years ago, unfortunately went astern over a diver who enetered the water before being instructed to do so and had an arm chopped off and sadly died. The skipper of the boat was naturally distraught and stopped his charters for a month or so, until he was finally persuaded that it was not his fault (dive boat safety rules were changed following this tragedy). On one of his first charters following the accident he had a group of hardcore divers out with him, when asked what they wanted to look for, one of them said he was going looking for the arm with a divers watch on the wrist. I understand the return to port was one of the quickest ever.

The skipper himself died of a brain haemorage not many years later, but the name of his boat, Skin Deep still exists today.

Something has just put me off my sandwiches at me desk. Can't think what :-S.

 

[longjohnsilver]

bloody hell ljs, you must be a riot at parties..

Don't get invited to many.......

 

[Cathy*]

One evening about 15 years ago my OH was persuaded to go out on a rhib with 4 other guys in a sheltered harbour to practise nosing up to a buoy, a last minute decision. No life jackets just normal clothes plus coats as it was cold. The guy who was in charge soon got bored and decided to go for a blast. He did a sharp turn and my husband went over the side, ripping out the bottle rack he'd been holding onto. He thought he was a gonner. He could see the surface and managed to swim up where he was recovered, still wearing his glasses but soaked to the skin. If the boat hadn't been there we doubt he would have stayed on the surface. Needless to say our life jackets are on now whenever we are near water. We've seen people slip from boats and from pontoons into the sea so you can't be too careful. We still see the particular group and they still take people to sea to play in the waves in everyday clothes without life jackets.

 

[CharlieAlpha]

Life jackets: Useless unless warn

 

[c_j]

I bought a 40 foot princess when I was actually intending to buy a 14ft Wayfarer dinghy, still I don't suppose that counts as technically on a boat, and come to think of it, it didn't turn out too stupid either.

 

[Hadenough]

In another thread, Lyme Regis was mentioned, which is where I had my first mooring. Now, I've done many stupid things on boats, but all without injury to others. But about 30 years ago 3 boaters at Lyme weren't so lucky.

These 3 guys went out in their new to them speedboat, I saw them head out from the Cobb one evening when it was quite choppy, and I thought rather them than me. But what happened was quite shocking. They never returned and one of the bodies was never recovered. It transpired that they had decided that the speedboat, about 16', needed extra ballast. Unfortunately they chose bags of dry cement. You can no doubt guess the rest.

That's the most serious incident that stands out in my memory. Another was on a dive boat our club used to use out of Weymouth. Our skipper, the best in the business, again about 30 years ago, unfortunately went astern over a diver who enetered the water before being instructed to do so and had an arm chopped off and sadly died. The skipper of the boat was naturally distraught and stopped his charters for a month or so, until he was finally persuaded that it was not his fault (dive boat safety rules were changed following this tragedy). On one of his first charters following the accident he had a group of hardcore divers out with him, when asked what they wanted to look for, one of them said he was going looking for the arm with a divers watch on the wrist. I understand the return to port was one of the quickest ever.

The skipper himself died of a brain haemorage not many years later, but the name of his boat, Skin Deep still exists today.

So the stupid thing done was by the diver, not the skipper, who I knew well and saw what the incident did to him and his family. Why resurrect it here, especially as he was exonerated by the court and the family are still running the business under the boat name quoted. Suggest you get your (actually totally pointless) post removed.

 

[stelican]

+1
stelican

 

[longjohnsilver]

So the stupid thing done was by the diver, not the skipper, who I knew well and saw what the incident did to him and his family. Why resurrect it here, especially as he was exonerated by the court and the family are still running the business under the boat name quoted. Suggest you get your (actually totally pointless) post removed.

I thought I made it absolutely clear that the skipper was not to blame. He was without doubt the best dive skipper in the business at that time. Our dive club used his boat frequently throughout many years both before and after this horrible accident. However as requested I will ask for this post to be removed, I has no intention of upsetting his family.

 

[[2068]]

So the stupid thing done was by the diver, not the skipper, who I knew well and saw what the incident did to him and his family. Why resurrect it here, especially as he was exonerated by the court and the family are still running the business under the boat name quoted. Suggest you get your (actually totally pointless) post removed.

If a diver reads this post and stays put until he's told to, and doesn't jump off the back of a boat with the engines running, then it won't have been a pointless post, especially as it doesn't come up in any internet searches, being so old.

Safety isn't about brushing things under the carpet, nor is about assigning blame. The aviation industry has a good handle on this: reports stay published to enable others not to make the same mistakes again, however distressing it might be for those that actually knew the people involved.

 

[jrudge]

So the stupid thing done was by the diver, not the skipper, who I knew well and saw what the incident did to him and his family. Why resurrect it here, especially as he was exonerated by the court and the family are still running the business under the boat name quoted. Suggest you get your (actually totally pointless) post removed.

What an extraordinary post.

The incident clearly happened. No it is debatable if it hits the title "Stupid thing done on a boat" but there are lessons her. Divers, dont jump in, skippers tell people to stay put ( which may or may not have happened I have no idea), brief passengers to tell you. I have had guests to things I would rather they not have done - the lesson here is to tell people - and given that apparently dive boat safety rules were changed afterwards then there is a learning point here.

 

[Uricanejack]

Just go back and delete the last line about the skipper and the name of the boat.
Maybe hadenogh might consider doing the same

 

[jon and michie]

From what I have read so far I see (in my opinion) no harm done and I am sure no intention to upset anyone.
Keep this thread going for 2 reasons a: lessons learned point of view and b: I am sure there is many a funny post to be heard/read on a lighter note

Jon

 

[jnrpowell]

The accident where the diver lost his life when the propeller cut his arm off was my Grandad John. This happened in 1982 when my dad was only 18 years old!
My Grandad was a very experienced diver who took it seriously and I can tell you now, he did not enter the water without instruction!
This was a tragic accident where he fell in.
My Nan has never gotten over losing my Grandad and he was such a massive loss to her and all of us in such a tragic way.

In relation to the comment regarding his watch that remained on his arm, it was actually his wedding ring which was never recovered!