Sudden scare and no danger

[Roberto]

Once at night, I was sitting on the aft side of the boat, with the arm around the pushpit, nice sail, vaguely thinking about the harmony beween man and nature.
All of a sudden a powerful dolphin blow, about half a meter away.
God I jumped, and may possibly have made some loud noise (too scared to remember).

Always at night, a friend of mine had an errant flying fish bumping into his neck. He definitely shouted.


In what occasions have you had this sort of sudden, short lasting panic for similarly ridiculous reasons ?

 

[Uricanejack]

I was sleeping in the quarter berth. I like to keep the hatch board out for ventilation. I woke up starteld by a large racoon who was rumaging through some left overs on the counter inches from my face.
They look cute but have sharp teeth and claws.

While out fishing late evening just taking in my lines. A adult bull orca came right at my 16ft boat and dived right under his fin almost touching the bottom. He sure looked like he was twice the size of my boat. I was thrilled rather than startaled.
Also out fishing with a young nefue when he asked me if there were any whales around here. I ansewred I supose so. when a grey whale surfaced and blew right beside us. Yep theres whales here. and they have realy bad breath.
I sailed with a dolphin or porpoise. all the way from Troon to Arran. It apeared to be as interested in us as we were in it.
Walking back down pontoon after a evening in pub. distrubed a heron. That made me jump.
I never tire of it.

 

[laika]

Ever looked around on night watch mid-atlantic and suddenly thought you were about to be run down by a VLCC, only to realise the moon had started rising? If it had only happened to me once I'd have an excuse...

 

[Seajet]

Sudden scare and no danger

Running out of Tesco tinned hot curry and encona sauce would be a major disaster, possibly resulting in beating up by the crew !

 

[prv]

Ever looked around on night watch mid-atlantic and suddenly thought you were about to be run down by a VLCC, only to realise the moon had started rising?

I've occasionally had lights behind me (on shore, on board, or other vessels safely past) reflect off the inside of my glasses and look like they were in front of me. Similar effect

Pete

 

[bbg]

Several

Similar to yours - was steering a maxi from the leeward side, so all on my own with everyone else on the high side. Flat water but enough wind to be fully powered up, slipping along nicely, when a dolphin surfaced and blew about two meters away. Gave me a fright, that did.

First solo race, first night, somewhere off the Glénans islands. Pretty tired when I saw a phosphorescent trail streaking towards the boat. Didn't know if I was hallucinating or being attacked by the ghost of one of the U boats from the nearby submarine base in Lorient. Turned out to be another dolphin.

Motor sailing from St Vincent to St Lucia aboard a charter catamaran, with everyone else aboard (8 other people) asleep. Holy **** what is that doing there (100 meters straight ahead)! I should've checked the chart better! I didn't think there was anything between the two islands! Whew, just a whale resting on the surface.

And the last one - which was dangerous but not at the time I was scared. After 21 days alone at sea, approaching Brazil, about 3 am. Woke up from a 20 minute nap and saw a ship on the AIS many miles away on a reciprocal course, indicated CPA 0.2 miles, TCPA 52 minutes. Time for another 20 minute nap, then stay awake for the CPA. Set the alarm for 20 minutes and put my head down. Woke up, but not to the sound of the alarm. That's strange - I wouldn't normally wake up before the alarm. Look at clock. Still showing 20 minutes. HOLY **** I SET IT BUT DIDN'T START IT! Rush on deck. No ship in sight. No ship on AIS. Look at watch. Been sleeping 2.5 hours. I have no idea how close that ship came but I hope they saw me on radar as I had the SeaMe going the whole time.

 

[Hadenough]

Whitsundays, first morning at anchor Nara Inlet. Woken by a humugous parrot head down though the open hatch screeching for treats. My partner then proceeded to hand feed it until I pointed out that its beak could probably take her finger off!

 

[Gargleblaster]

Ever looked around on night watch mid-atlantic and suddenly thought you were about to be run down by a VLCC, only to realise the moon had started rising? If it had only happened to me once I'd have an excuse...

I do a lot of single handed ocean sailing and coming up to do a check at night I have often gone as far as dumping the steering lines to sheer off when a low hung star [rather than the moon] has made me think I was in danger of imminent collision.

Worst situation I had was mid Atlantic in a F7 6 metre waves beating into the wind. Middle of the night, filling in log, quick check before going back to bed. As I crested a wave right in front of me on the next crest dead on the bow coming towards me was a very large vessel even though I was out of the shipping lanes. I was frozen with shock didn't think I would even have time to get back to the tiller to dump the steering lines. Fortunately what I later realised was a Factory Fishing Ship slid down my weather side about 50 metres off. I assume that someone on the Fishing Vessel was at the wheel and steered off when they saw me. Took me quite a while to get back to sleep.

 

[bbg]

Worst situation I had was mid Atlantic in a F7 6 metre waves beating into the wind. Middle of the night, filling in log, quick check before going back to bed. As I crested a wave right in front of me on the next crest dead on the bow coming towards me was a very large vessel even though I was out of the shipping lanes. I was frozen with shock didn't think I would even have time to get back to the tiller to dump the steering lines. Fortunately what I later realised was a Factory Fishing Ship slid down my weather side about 50 metres off. I assume that someone on the Fishing Vessel was at the wheel and steered off when they saw me. Took me quite a while to get back to sleep.

I'm not sure that fits the description of the thread. I think it should be filed under "Sudden scare and imminent danger"!

 

[chinita]

One dark night, sitting in the cockpit minding my own business, nearly shat myself as I jumped up and swung the wheel violently to starboard to avoid the red light of a port hand buoy.

It was, in fact, my own port navigation light.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Sailing in the Solway Firth saw a clothed head and torso of a body just above the surface. This is going to be grim we thought. Sailed over to have a closer look. Shop display dummy. How we laughed.

 

[chinita]

Another time, motoring along the coast of Tunisia.

Just after first light I nipped down to make a brew. Obviously scanned around beforehand.

Emerged from the companionway about 10 minutes later to see a huge rock gliding past on the starboard beam; about 50 metres away.

The rock was uncharted and had been lost amongst the topography of the coast when I checked earlier.

 

[fisherman]

By myself, bent over the bait box and some one tapped me on the shoulder, it was a seagull.
Three hours into a night watch trawling and the haze cleared to reveal a yacht dead ahead shining a torch up into the sail, after a bit of a panic realised it was a new moon, low and a bit of colour in it.

 

[Bav34]

Sailing across The English Channel.

Gurgling along nicely.

Steering by the stars.

Nothing around.

Lovely.








BOOM BOOM

WTF?





Concorde

Got me every time.

 

[RupertW]

My first channel crossing when I was 19 - broad daylight and calm but I wasn't used to land being out of sight so a bit freaked anyway.

I felt the boat slow down suddenly as if tugged by something very strong and looked behind to see a huge tentacle - like something out of Captain Nemo but bigger and albino with brown suckers the size of dinner plates. It had got hold of the rudder and was thrashing about in the waves connected to God knows what as it disappeared under the surface about 30 feet behind.

As I grabbed a boathook to fight for my life, my Dad looked up from his book and said, "Oh good thinking, it looks like a big plastic cover has been washed off a ship - been in the water a while given all those patches of weed. Get it off the rudder, will you"

I don't think I've been nearly as scared in all the sailing I've done since, though come close once or twice.

 

[Zen Zero]

Washed up on Giannella Beach Easter Monday by Zen00zero, on Flickr

 

[AndrewB]

Voodoo doll? Eeek! Scarey!

My worst fright is a hallucination that happens during solo watches on very dark, calm nights when nothing can be seen, I'm dead tired and getting dozy sitting in the cockpit. All of a sudden the thought strikes me that the yacht is no longer buoyant, that the sea can no longer support it, and only pure force of will is keeping it afloat.

Brings me out in big sweats.

 

[Carduelis]

One very still very dark night in mid-channel, somewhere south of Portland. Alone on deck.

Suddenly every piece of wire standing rigging on the boat goes TWANGGGGG. Not certain what it was, but after I got over the shock I guessed it was a submarine sonar very close by.

 

[bbg]

One very still very dark night in mid-channel, somewhere south of Portland. Alone on deck.

Suddenly every piece of wire standing rigging on the boat goes TWANGGGGG. Not certain what it was, but after I got over the shock I guessed it was a submarine sonar very close by.

A seagull with poor night vision?

 

[KellysEye]

I''ve had a number of flying fish hit the coach roof at night and jumped every time. They make a good breakfast though.