Sybarite
Well-known member
Yes - on the way back from Corsica once. Exactly that. At Corsica (Calvi) a whale exhaled just beside us at night. We didn't see it, just heard it.
Last edited:
Sudden scare and no danger
- Thread starter Roberto
- Start date
Yes - on the way back from Corsica once. Exactly that. At Corsica (Calvi) a whale exhaled just beside us at night. We didn't see it, just heard it.
Sybarite
Well-known member
Sailing across The English Channel.
Gurgling along nicely.
Steering by the stars.
Nothing around.
Lovely.
BOOM BOOM
WTF?
Concorde
Got me every time.
I had the same thing. However when we heard it in the Western Approaches we were in thick fog and in an area marked on the charts for submarine exercises. We didn't realise at the time it was Concorde - the thought never struck us. Anyway, Falmouth weren't interested because they had a Mayday underway.
b0wen
New member
I don't have the experience that the majority of posters on here have but this is my favourite thread ever!
donaldson
New member
It always gives me an instantaneous fright when I look at the depth gauge and it shows something like 1.8 metres, when I know I am in 250m depth plus. A couple of seconds and I realise the word DEPTH is flashing, indicating the depth is beyond readable and it is showing the last known depth - whilst something big is swimming underneath.
Zen Zero
New member
I made a rapid 90° turn to stbd approaching Anzio when a diver who had been waving at us in a friendly way stood up (to show us why he was waving) in knee deep water 200m offshore about 30m in front of our bow. That was scary but also dangerous I suppose.
Thistle
Well-known member
Sailing towards a group of seagulls when I realised that some of them were not swimming ... they were standing up.
I must remember to look at both chart and tide tables.
I must remember to look at both chart and tide tables.
I must remember to look at both chart and tide tables.
I must remember ....
I must remember to look at both chart and tide tables.
I must remember to look at both chart and tide tables.
I must remember to look at both chart and tide tables.
I must remember ....
bbg
Active member
Racing in Vancouver once where the sand banks come way out then drop sharply. On a very low tide we were going in as close as we could to beat the current before tacking. A very startled kayaker went in until his paddle was touching the shore, and called for us to tack before we hit him! Which we were never going to do of course. But we did run aground and stick hard on the next tack in, much to the amusement of the kayaker who paddled past us.
Uricanejack
Well-known member
Actualy I thought it was on fire. Woke the skipper up.
The first time i saw a fishing vessel with sodium vapour lights on. I thought it was on fire and called US coast gaurd. Suprisingly they were quite polite to me after several other vessels explained there was no need for a Mayday realay. There were no so polite to the fishing vessel.
nimbusgb
Active member
Elessar
Well-known member
Sailing across The English Channel.
Gurgling along nicely.
Steering by the stars.
Nothing around.
Lovely.
BOOM BOOM
WTF?
Concorde
Got me every time.
i was going to say that you beat me to it. The noise was particularly startling because it seemed to come from every direction at the same time and close by.
I lived in south wales so was well used to the sonic boom. Set your watch by it. But at sea, flip its loud!
robmcg
Well-known member
Boring one but sailing down Loch Fyne on a sunny August day, towing the inflatable dinghy. Loud thud from behind and a slight feeling through the tiller that something was not right. Turned out a porpoise had surfaced under the dinghy and knocked it sideways. Porpoise proceeded on its way with its pals, none the worse for wear. I was relieved we still had a rudder.
single
New member
Realising new crew tied the aft line off in a massive lock dropping fast.Thank god i carry a very sharp knife.
AntarcticPilot
Well-known member
I get that one sometimes; it is worst when I MIGHT be in shallow water (by Clyde standards!)
chrishelen
N/A
When sailing in deep water suddenly realising how far down the seabed is.
starfire
Well-known member
Ditto, but midway between Madeira & Portugal, it's not flashing & the depth alarm is going off.
Cue several worried people hanging over the side looking down.
Never did find out what, no sign of anything, maybe a thermocline ?
Last edited:
Scheel
New member
Night surprise
Running at night in a long narrow fairway with lots of green, red and white lights in front of me from different small harbour entrances and other fixed objects like port and starbord bouys.
I stayed to starboard side of the fairway like supposed to. Went down to put a toast on, and then just wanted to have a quick look up straight ahead again, and then half of the horizon was black, but then a green and a red light and realising also a whitelight between the two, my god! Its a big cargoship heading direct my way, just out of nowhere, haddent seen it. I had to look up to see the white light, thats how close it was. I bear off and we pass eachother nicely. Afterwards I just sat there wondering where it came from and why I did not see it sooner?
It was very scary the way it was hidden in all the other lights right up the finish. I am pleased to have gotten an AIS since then.
Running at night in a long narrow fairway with lots of green, red and white lights in front of me from different small harbour entrances and other fixed objects like port and starbord bouys.
I stayed to starboard side of the fairway like supposed to. Went down to put a toast on, and then just wanted to have a quick look up straight ahead again, and then half of the horizon was black, but then a green and a red light and realising also a whitelight between the two, my god! Its a big cargoship heading direct my way, just out of nowhere, haddent seen it. I had to look up to see the white light, thats how close it was. I bear off and we pass eachother nicely. Afterwards I just sat there wondering where it came from and why I did not see it sooner?
It was very scary the way it was hidden in all the other lights right up the finish. I am pleased to have gotten an AIS since then.
machurley22
New member
At the start of this season I motored south single-handed down a very narrow winding channel I had only motored up once with a local pilot six months earlier to a borrowed winter mooring. I had already had several aborted attempts at leaving (engine problem, dinghy destruction and gps issue) and was trying to follow a saved gps track (although the channel is so narrow in parts that a few feet wrong can put you aground) a hand-drawn chart from the afore-mentioned pilot and my memory and so was fairly wound up already.
I was half a dozen course changes from freedom, steering for the right-hand bank and about to make a 90 deg turn to port when I saw a narrow grassy hummocky spit poking out from the bank and clearly across what would be my track after the turn. With no ability to turn around it fortunately took only a few buttock-clenching seconds to realise that a local humourist had just finished mowing his large lawn and dumped the cuttings into the channel.
I was half a dozen course changes from freedom, steering for the right-hand bank and about to make a 90 deg turn to port when I saw a narrow grassy hummocky spit poking out from the bank and clearly across what would be my track after the turn. With no ability to turn around it fortunately took only a few buttock-clenching seconds to realise that a local humourist had just finished mowing his large lawn and dumped the cuttings into the channel.
Ripster
Active member
Not had anything quite as interesting or exciting as many have, but relaxing at Dusk at Anchor leaning against the wires, no-one about, gentle noise of the Sea in the background, beer going down nicely. Suddenly from nowhere a helmeted head pops up from the Sea looking over the gunwale and a voice says "scuse me mate, got the time please" A Kayaker had come along side, pulled himself up to peer over. Scared me ****less.
skip50
Member
Can't add a new one, but have also had Concorde, dolphins at night, whale alongside and WTF--oh its the moon rising.
peterb
New member
Sailing along happily when I realised that the group of seagulls ahead were standing up near some withies. Two miles off Littlehampton? There are two sorts of table; this was of the kitchen type, legs uppermost, but a useful rest for the gulls.