Today's Solent disasters.

[solent clown]

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.

yes, very sensible, and something Karen learned today several times as i was worried afterwards about the pipe failing and pumping cooling water into the bilges!

 

[johnalison]

How you hoist the sail past the lazyjacks depends a bit on the boat and how it's rigged, but my method is to motor directly into the wind with the mainsheet tight and the tiller between my knees. I then haul on the halyard while steering, slowly until the leech is clear, when I loosen the sheet and haul away. If you don't have cockpit-led lines you will have to co-ordinate with your helmsperson.

Sheet winches can do you a lot of harm, so you need to be very disciplined about handling. It is worth thinking seriously about this and practising in light winds, thinking ahead about what you are going to do with each hand.

 

[RichardS]

I have the engine keys on a cable tie thing with a little note which says "Open Seacock".

However, I'm not sure if that's not a bit of overkill as the first thing we do after starting the engines is peer over the side until we see a good gushing of water spraying out of the exhaust. That's not just really for confirming that the seacock is open but is really to check that the pump has primed correctly and there is not an air leak, or air lock, somewhere. However, it would obviously highlight a closed seacock as a side effect.

Don't all sailors wait and watch for the gushing exhaust water before moving away from the stern?

Richard

 

[LadyInBed]

Check lists and eagle eyes!
Brush up on elf & safety re bits of rope
No wrapping round hands
No stepping in coils
Don't try and hold a boat on a line without it being round a cleat or bollard
. . . the list goes on

 

[Little Dorrit]

But at least you didn't try and leave the marina with a bowline till attached.

 

[yimkin]

I tie a bright red ribbon to the seacock with the free end sticking out of the locker door when the seacock is closed and put the ribbon end out of sight in the locker when the seacock is open.
Works for me.........well most of the time!

 

[solent clown]

Check lists and eagle eyes!
Brush up on elf & safety re bits of rope
No wrapping round hands
No stepping in coils
Don't try and hold a boat on a line without it being round a cleat or bollard
. . . the list goes on

well thank you for your wise words. We had absolutely no idea about any of that, and your post was not at all patronising. Could your next post be on the correct procedure for breathing, as I choked a while back and kind of forgot what to do next

EDIT sorry for that tone, I had a couple of real ales last night and your post just rubbed me up the wrong way.

 

[solent clown]

But at least you didn't try and leave the marina with a bowline till attached.

did you take the marina with you?

 

[solent clown]

I tie a bright red ribbon to the seacock with the free end sticking out of the locker door when the seacock is closed and put the ribbon end out of sight in the locker when the seacock is open.
Works for me.........well most of the time!

along with the key on the cock, and the checklist, adding that should be a superfailsafe! I will do that too, every little helps. Any aid memoire is a good one :encouragement:
In all seriousness, this oversight was down to an interrupted routine as we were trying to do many things on a new boat all at once instead of in order. That alone was a learning experience. Having the courage to admit and publish failures on here is I hope what will help others later on. My background in the military and MOD is in R + D, what you get wrong - and analysing why - is more important than all the times things went right. Mistakes analysed, and learned from are not just educational, they are powerful tools. Forget the egos and all that, I love the genuine answers to questions on here, the clever "I just get it right everytime" chaps are just a waste of time. Nothing to learn from Peter Perfect. Mostly because they get out 4 times a year. Yes I am grumpy tonight, sorry.

 

[adwuk]

Try and remember the sound that your engine made without water. It will help when you respond quicker when you motor into a sea filled with jellyfish and one of them gets sucked into the strainer!

 

[solent clown]

Try and remember the sound that your engine made without water. It will help when you respond quicker when you motor into a sea filled with jellyfish and one of them gets sucked into the strainer!

interesting. If I can keep karen quiet long enough I will :encouragement: It is surprising the difference a dry engine makes sound wise, but as I started it dry I didnt notice a change.

 

[JumbleDuck]

What's the point of turning off the engine cooling water seacock whenever the engine is not in use? Mine stays open, along with the toilet and sink ones, whenever I'm on board, but perhaps I am missing some horrible risk.

 

[William_H]

Well certainly first lesson learnt. Sailing is all about crisis management. Next lesson is to learn and remember old lessons learnt. My problem is that I tend to repeat old mistakes. olewill

 

[Thistle]

I guess most of us have been there! If things got hot enough to cook the exhaust hose, I think I'd be concerned about the impeller in the water pump. Was there water coming out of the transom in normal quantities after you had opened the seacock?

 

[TOKOLOSHI]

On boarding open Gas valve and have a red tape to leave visible when in use! that should flag you to turn gas off when leaving!,,,,,,,,,,,,,,then again?

 

[solent clown]

On boarding open Gas valve and have a red tape to leave visible when in use! that should flag you to turn gas off when leaving!,,,,,,,,,,,,,,then again?

I think I was obsessing about the gas as I left the bottle on the other day, that may have been why I forgot the water! Crib sheet done, and the pain in the bum of changing the exhaust hose will hopefully also serve as an aide memoire

 

[solent clown]

I guess most of us have been there! If things got hot enough to cook the exhaust hose, I think I'd be concerned about the impeller in the water pump. Was there water coming out of the transom in normal quantities after you had opened the seacock?

yes it was still pumping out ok. I have a couple of spares so I wil swap it out anyway when I do the oil pipe.

 

[solent clown]

Sailing is all about crisis management. olewill

It was yesterday, hee hee, but Karen learned a lot and her confidence went up despite me trying to kill the engine.

 

[GHA]

I think I was obsessing about the gas as I left the bottle on the other day, that may have been why I forgot the water! Crib sheet done, and the pain in the bum of changing the exhaust hose will hopefully also serve as an aide memoire

Here's my leaving check sheet from Evernote , not all apply every trip but it does get looked at every time.
Just noticed engine water on isn't even on there !l though it's completely instinctive now checking the water coming out and it's always let run for 5, 10 minutes before leaving.

Passage Plan
Everything stowed safely below & on deck
Sails ready, sail covers off, sheets free. Reef in if required.
Snacks/water ready
Instruments on:- VHF, GPS, log/depth, computer-logbook and track on, autopilot, turn off anchor alarm.
Binoculars and hand bearing compass ready. Watch on wrist with alarms set. Camera ready.
Chart on chart table
Hatches closed
Ensign up, courtesy flags ready.
Engine oil, water etc - wobbles, day tank topped up with diesel.
Dinghy outboard raised and fuel turned off.
Anchor cone down
Sunscreen on
Marina keys returned
Shore power onboard

 

[Iain C]

Solentclown, I'd recommend your o/h holds loaded sheets like a handled pint glass or horse reins, with the loaded bit coming out past her pinky, rather than index finger. You can effectively make you hand work like a bit of a jammer if you roll your hand forward (imagine you are flying a plane on a short joystick, and push the nose down...the same movement), and if her hand gets pulled into the winch it's just the flesh part that gets hit with no damage done. If you were a very angry person sat at a desk banging your fists on it in frustration, you'd not be banging knuckles or thumbs, you'd do the bit by your pinky. And going back to the horsey thing, those horsey types might need to pull up some rampaging stallion, so that hand grip works there really well too. Ditto sailing my 49er, big loads on racing catgut cheesewire string...loaded bit out past the pinky (or sometimes pinky and wedding ring finger) every time.

And never, ever wrap it!