Today's Solent disasters.

[solent clown]

Not wishing to disappoint you fine fellows and lovely ladies, I report back from today's clowning. We exist only to make you all feel infinitely better about your own sailing ability after all.
We set off from the marina, faces aglow in anticipation and headed downriver, the unfamiliar and welcome sunshine dashing the rippling river in dazzling silver blades, urging us on as we resolved to hoist the sails, and get out into the solent proper.
Our first problem came with getting the sail past the lazyjacks, we must have just been very lucky the first time, and we had a rough time trying to manhandle the sail and battens past the lazyjack lines until I lost patience and loosed them. That problem solved we were about to shut the engine down when there was a loud pop from down below.
Peering into the engine bay I had the familiar smell of a very hot engine, and the alarming sight of the exhaust hose shredded.
Some idiot had forgotten to turn the raw water cock on.
Fortunately it was the outer layer of the hose that had gone, I am guessing there was air in the canvas layer that expanded and blew. With the water on, the engine cooled itself rapidly with no leaks - at least from there...
It was then while inspecting the bilges I found a large amount of oil. My inital worry was something had given way due to overheating, but it proved to the THAT pesky oil pipe that many yanmars eat in the end, the one under the water pump. The old bits of water pump gasket and impeller packets in the tool box should have rung alarm bells I suppose, as for the THREE containers of oil which were in the engine compartment. Obviously the previous strategy had been to top up rather than repair.
Next was teaching Karen to use the winches. All went well when she listened, but one time she got all butch and decided to wrap the sheet around her hand and just try to pull it as she is used to, and ended up pulling her hand back to the winch without being able to let go properly. Bruises ensued, and lesson learned.
Each time she got in to a panic we went back and rehearsed in the marina before going back out to put it in to practice. Apologies to any of you out there who may have wondered what on earth we were up to going back and forth. but it was a good learning day.
Tonight I am doing a checklist sheet for prep to sail, and end of sail, that way we should avoid making stupid errors like leaving the seacock off.
Another learning experience, and great fun despite the hiccups. We found a few other things wrong too, so the "new" old boat shakedown continues

 

[solent clown]

There was a LOT of flotsam and debris in the Itchen today too. Seems very high tide washed allsorts of detritus off the shoreline, looked like Chessel bay had purged itself of all it's long held junk

 

[pvb]

Most of us have been there and done those things, all part of the learning curve. My wife and I frightened ourselves silly in a Broads-type motor cruiser which we took to sea, so we sold it and bought a Centaur (having never sailed before). We had the Centaur delivered to the Blackwater, then decided we'd basically learn as we went along ("can't be difficult, can it?", we thought). One of our fondest memories was a day we took the boat out with my wife's grandmother on board. As we drifted down the Blackwater, dear old Nan sat smiling in the cockpit, totally oblivious to our struggles to sort the sails out. Finally, the hank-on jib was successfully hoisted. My wife and I looked at it in wonderment for a while, before we realised it was upside-down.

 

[DownWest]

Most of us have been there and done those things, all part of the learning curve. My wife and I frightened ourselves silly in a Broads-type motor cruiser which we took to sea, so we sold it and bought a Centaur (having never sailed before). We had the Centaur delivered to the Blackwater, then decided we'd basically learn as we went along ("can't be difficult, can it?", we thought). One of our fondest memories was a day we took the boat out with my wife's grandmother on board. As we drifted down the Blackwater, dear old Nan sat smiling in the cockpit, totally oblivious to our struggles to sort the sails out. Finally, the hank-on jib was successfully hoisted. My wife and I looked at it in wonderment for a while, before we realised it was upside-down.

That really brings up good mental images...

 

[solent clown]

Most of us have been there and done those things, all part of the learning curve. My wife and I frightened ourselves silly in a Broads-type motor cruiser which we took to sea, so we sold it and bought a Centaur (having never sailed before). We had the Centaur delivered to the Blackwater, then decided we'd basically learn as we went along ("can't be difficult, can it?", we thought). One of our fondest memories was a day we took the boat out with my wife's grandmother on board. As we drifted down the Blackwater, dear old Nan sat smiling in the cockpit, totally oblivious to our struggles to sort the sails out. Finally, the hank-on jib was successfully hoisted. My wife and I looked at it in wonderment for a while, before we realised it was upside-down.

Ha, genius, makes me feel a tad better. I am really kicking myself for not turning the raw water cock on. The rest was just getting used to this boat. It has really old winches with the slot in handle, cant remember what they are called, but they will be getting replaced, too slow and unwieldy. I have a box full of winches Karen will find much easier so that is a must

 

[chrishscorp]

Tonight I am doing a checklist sheet for prep to sail, and end of sail, that way we should avoid making stupid errors like leaving the seacock off.

I hang the engine key on the handle of the seacock, tis impossible to forget then :encouragement:

 

[solent clown]

I hang the engine key on the handle of the seacock, tis impossible to forget then :encouragement:

that is such a good idea!

 

[prv]

I hang the engine key on the handle of the seacock, tis impossible to forget then :encouragement:

I have confidence in the plumbing I installed, and don't feel the need to turn it off in the first place

(SolentClown's new boat has dodgy old hoses though, so he should probably keep isolating them for now.)

Pete

 

[solent clown]

I have confidence in the plumbing I installed, and don't feel the need to turn it off in the first place

(SolentClown's new boat has dodgy old hoses though, so he should probably keep isolating them for now.)

Pete

at least if all goes wrong we are on a mud berth! Most of the work to be done looks to be in the engine bay, none of that scares me. Fortunatley the rigging is all splendid. the seacock is hard to get to, and an old screw thread rotary type, a real pain in the bum, especially if you have to lay over a hot engine to get to it! It will be replaced this summer.

 

[Wansworth]

Make a check list for when you leave the boat

 

[solent clown]

Make a check list for when you leave the boat

yep, that is on the list for tonight too. :encouragement:

 

[bikedaft]

don't worry we've all done all of those things

my Dad got me into the habit of checking over the stern for cooling water coming out exhaust after starting engine - checks many things at once. if i'm on board i tend to leave engine inlet seacock open to avoid (yet again!) starting engine without cooling water.

 

[JumbleDuck]

It was then while inspecting the bilges I found a large amount of oil. My inital worry was something had given way due to overheating, but it proved to the THAT pesky oil pipe that many yanmars eat in the end, the one under the water pump.

Your local Pirtek will make you a nice new one in unrustable rubber while you wait for not very much. The pair cost me just over thirty quid from them, including new banjo bolts, five years ago.

 

[Lucky Duck]

There was a LOT of flotsam and debris in the Itchen today too. Seems very high tide washed allsorts of detritus off the shoreline, looked like Chessel bay had purged itself of all it's long held junk

Same with the Hamble, I removed from the water a bucket which contained various tools and materials for tiling a kitchen or bathroom

Deacon's flooded about half an hour before high water requiring swiftly dropping everything and moving the car to higher ground!

 

[jneale]

Every disaster is a lesson learned - you only gain knowledge through pain and ignorance
:ambivalence:

 

[solent clown]

Your local Pirtek will make you a nice new one in unrustable rubber while you wait for not very much. The pair cost me just over thirty quid from them, including new banjo bolts, five years ago.

great minds chap, that was exactly my plan, and on the business too

 

[solent clown]

Same with the Hamble, I removed from the water a bucket which contained various tools and materials for tiling a kitchen or bathroom

Deacon's flooded about half an hour before high water requiring swiftly dropping everything and moving the car to higher ground!

we got off light then, highest point was about 8 inches off the hard

 

[solent clown]

Every disaster is a lesson learned - you only gain knowledge through pain and ignorance
:ambivalence:

for some of us that is so true, and we wouldnt have it any other way. At least posting it here may help some other poor soul not make the same mistake :encouragement:

 

[ashtead]

Just remember George. Bernard Shaw and you will be fine

 

[RupertW]

don't worry we've all done all of those things

my Dad got me into the habit of checking over the stern for cooling water coming out exhaust after starting engine - checks many things at once. if i'm on board i tend to leave engine inlet seacock open to avoid (yet again!) starting engine without cooling water.

Same for us