What is ..

[Deleted member 36384]

The 6" of my traditional boat hook shaft sticking out the sea in The North Channel off Belfast Lough. It had been washed overboard 48 hours before! It either maintained position for 48 hours or by coincidence it went up and down with the tide and we crossed paths again going home.

Firth of Clyde big floods in Glasgow, big tides, all the empty whisky barrels took off down the Clyde. There were hundreds floating about for weeks.

A fridge bobbing along at Rhu Narrows, Gair Loch, Firth of Clyde

A large, 40' and whole deciduous tree complete with green leaves.

But the best was...................

....... a 2 foot diameter periscope from a Submarine about 10 feet behind the yacht staring at us for around 15 minutes. About 1/2 an hour later a Frigate did a complete circle round our yacht with its sonar pinging away. It was Perisher week (Submarine Commander Examination) and Naval Exercises on the Firth of Clyde.

 

[Blueboatman]

Come back Mirelle, all is forgiven and probs all forgotten (probably)..

Re Jimi.

I do miss his input sorely. May that 'ol gaffer get winds from behind that we wont smell, x

 

[mainmarine]

My daughter and I were getting off the boat to use the showers at Mylor some years ago,
I looked into the water alongside and saw a shark looking up at us, I grabbed a boat hook and poked it, it rolled over to reveal it was just the head, luckily.

 

[guernseyman]

On night passage to North Brittany, somewhere just south of the Roches Douvres there was this pole sticking straight out of the water with a yellow light on top.

Thinking it was an escaped navigation item, I went up close to look in the moonlight. Nothing, just the pole.

Then, thinking there could be a submarine attached to the bottom of the pole, I quickly retreated and went on my way.

 

[nmeyrick]

Half a ship, specifically the front half, of the coast of cornwall in 2006 I think whilst delivering one of the Clipper race yachts back to Gosport from liverpool after the end of their race.

There was much discussion amongst the crew as we drew close, along the lines of "looks like half a ship" "nah, can't be" until we got closs enough to see that it was indeed, being floated on barges and towed by tugs. Very peculiar.

 

[fisherman]

What I thought was a boathook floating upright, was a beachcaster complete with tripod.
Not floating, but one hot muggy day saw a rain storm approaching on the radar, but no sign visually. A swarm of horseflies, followed by a variety of birds who seemed pleased to have somewhere to land.
From the bottom of the sea, close to shore twice have found a golf ball in a lobster pot.

 

[Cantata]

What is....

...the strangest thing you have ever found floating in the sea?

The lady who became my wife.
Honestly.
I was on rescue boat duty and found her bobbing around by an upturned boat.

 

[ianat182]

Sailing across to Cowes we had a visit from a yellow canary which perched on the pushpit rail for a couple of minutes rest; it took off and flew low against the wind and got pooped by a wave, we tried our best to retrieve it with brooms and boathooks, but the little bird was too exhausted to climb aboard the broomhead,and we were too high to lift aboard , it drowned.
Ruined our days sail to have been unable to save it.
Have had the odd pigeon cadging a lift, bumble bees too!

ianat182

 

[webcraft]

.
Spotted this just over half way from the Azores to Galicia ( 40deg 51.5'N 015deg 37.0'W )

Makes you wonder what you pass in the night without knowing about it

- W

 

[Habebty]

huge inflated Kitesurfing kite complete with line and handles outside Longsand (about 20 miles offshore) (no skeleton holding on to them though)
Phoned it in when I got back and tried a few of the upwind kite clubs but no claimants so flogged it to a mate for 120 quid

 

[Searush]

Lots of ballons & balls & kites, several fenders. A small speedboat without an engine (probably cast adrift by kids) and a decent windsurfer rig (unable to find owner, now property of one famous East coast forumite. But nothing I would describe as strange . . . .

 

[Koeketiene]

the strangest thing you have ever found floating in the sea?

 

[DoubleEnder]

A small colour tv

shrink wrapped in the cardboard box. Took it home plugged it in and it worked. That was between Hong Kong and Macau, in amongst the dead dogs

 

[Csail]

Flat calm about 10 miles offshore drifting in mist/fog a wreath(is that how you spell it) hit the hull which seemed spooky while just getting dark.

 

[sighmoon]

In teh Baltic, miles from land, we saw a kite, the string and handle in the water, while the kite flew above on its way to Sweden. It passed within inches of the boat.