What scares you most when sailing?
- Thread starter thecommander
- Start date
Tamar
Well-Known Member
When sailing with the wife she puts worry into my head on a regular basis, such as 'whats that strange noise coming from the engine?' when all is well, and ' the howling in the rigging doesn't sound right' I much prefer single handed sailing, listening to my music through my headphones and all is well. The only time I was really worried, but not frightened was in fog at dusk with a few ships on the radar on the wrong side of the bouyed channel.
Malo37
Well-Known Member
Lobster pots.
pagoda
Well-Known Member
Agreed, especially when "marked " by old floating plastic oil containers in a dark charcoal flavour....
Gitane
Well-Known Member
Or just marked by two dark blue (ie sea coloured) plastic barrels. See this month’s PBO.
Babylon
Well-Known Member
Fear.
Baggywrinkle
Well-Known Member
... when I realise I am reaching the limits of my experience, knowledge or ability.
alexsailor
Well-Known Member
Thread like this scares me most...
photodog
Lord High Commander of Upper Broughton and Gunthor
photodog
Lord High Commander of Upper Broughton and Gunthor
Kukri
Well-Known Member
Land.
Roberto
Well-Known Member
Lightning, by far the most frightening circumstances to me, lightning all around and one s own metal mast as the only protuberance for hundred of miles around.
Instead of the Bible or other sacred books, I have a paper with the probabilities of being struck at sea, though it s hardly comforting at sea.
Instead of the Bible or other sacred books, I have a paper with the probabilities of being struck at sea, though it s hardly comforting at sea.
Kukri
Well-Known Member
Hmm. Mast is stepped pretty much on the encapsulated lead... would lightning go that way or via the old SSB grounding plates.
Elessar
Well-Known Member
Yup. And in that order too.
oldmanofthehills
Well-Known Member
I have seen a boat hit the 33Kv overheads with the crew, (out of my site line) standing by the mast. It melted the rivets holding mast to foot and blew out the instrument panel, but the crew was only emotionally shocked.
Lightning might well follow a similar route. Aeroplanes are struck daily while flying between discharge point and its intended earthing point on ground far below. It make holes in wings. Fortunately lightning will hit mast in preference to you, though I would not chance things by holding onto rigging
Roberto
Well-Known Member
It's the fact that nothig can be done to be absolutely safe, crew or boat, it all depends if the random stronger flash hits you, or not.
I've been hit by a (I suppose) weak flash, it set the masthead vhf antenna on fire, blew the vhf radio, and a strong smell of burnt plastic around the mast base copper wire connection to the keel; the compass kept on turning round and round, at that time no gps nor other electronics we arrived home somehow.
This is instead a friend's boat hit by a strong one, it set it on fire, boat total loss. It had the "Lightning protection system" as per ISO 10134. Not saying the protection does not work ever, but against a strong lightning seems uneffective, so back to probabilities
LadyInBed
Well-Known Member
Isn't that just extending the learning curve?
PS I've just thought what scares me most when sailing - The day I am forced to give it up.
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langstonelayabout
Well-Known Member
The biggest worries? Three of them:
1 Mooring fees. We'd all love a bigger boat but mooring fees seem to go up exponentially and annually. Until you've finally sold the boat. No escape till then.
2 Running aground (fin keel) when entering a new harbour on the ebb. Truly worrying.
3 My colour blindness at night. ('leave the blue light to the left'...)
1 Mooring fees. We'd all love a bigger boat but mooring fees seem to go up exponentially and annually. Until you've finally sold the boat. No escape till then.
2 Running aground (fin keel) when entering a new harbour on the ebb. Truly worrying.
3 My colour blindness at night. ('leave the blue light to the left'...)
Stemar
Well-Known Member
I have a club mooring, so No 1 isn't an issue. I'd tell you how much I pay, but I don't like to see grown men cry 
No 2 is why I try to go into unknown or difficult places on a rising tide. I saw someone get it wrong going into Ryde harbour once. It was a bilge keeler, so only their pride was damaged, but it's definitely embarrassing. Anywhere but a harbour entrance you can just put the kettle on and pretend you meant it, but not there. I also saw someone in a fin aground on Ryde Sands, an oldish boat, so narrow and over a long way. A series of cruise and container ships came by as they were lifting up and bounced them around something 'orrid. I was sufficiently concerned to phone the coastguard, but they were in contact and uncomfortable, but OK.
No 2 is why I try to go into unknown or difficult places on a rising tide. I saw someone get it wrong going into Ryde harbour once. It was a bilge keeler, so only their pride was damaged, but it's definitely embarrassing. Anywhere but a harbour entrance you can just put the kettle on and pretend you meant it, but not there. I also saw someone in a fin aground on Ryde Sands, an oldish boat, so narrow and over a long way. A series of cruise and container ships came by as they were lifting up and bounced them around something 'orrid. I was sufficiently concerned to phone the coastguard, but they were in contact and uncomfortable, but OK.
zoidberg
Well-Known Member
There's aground - and then there's aground.
I subscribe to the Saint Thomas a'Cunliffe school - 'If you haven't run aground, you're not trying'.
