rotrax
Well-Known Member
The thought that one day I might meet Brent Swain while sailing.........................................
What scares you most when sailing?
- Thread starter thecommander
- Start date
Mister E
Well-Known Member
That is enough to keep people in a marina.
lpdsn
Well-Known Member
No worries, his boat will probably be marking a previously unmarked reef. They should come in red and green variants.
[2068]
...
In a planing mobo, with 600L of diesel onboard and some very hot engine parts, the answer for me would be “fire”.
pagoda
Well-Known Member
I get worried by other boats lack of knowledge of Colregs. Particularly big Mobos approaching in gangs at high speed. Commercial stuff generally knows how boats should pass each other. I feel safer with them around.
Many amateurs don't appear to know or care?
Many amateurs don't appear to know or care?
Kukri
Well-Known Member
At the moment, it’s the new-to-me boat. I’ve had this before, when going from 18ft to 37ft. I suppose we all have. Everything is so much bigger, there are things that I am not familiar with, the forces generated by the rig seem massive, and she could do real damage to other boats.
pagoda
Well-Known Member
That's a big jump. The momentum in a bigger boat in close proximity to other things is intimidating at times.
johnalison
Well-Known Member
The compensation of a larger boat is that it holds its momentum better and things happen much slower. If it does hit something it won't be the boat's fault though.
miha90
Active Member
Motorboat charters
steve yates
Well-Known Member
Don't think there's much chance of that!
mjcoon
Well-Known Member
D
Deleted member 36384
Guest
The constant whispering.
bobgarrett
Well-Known Member
Shifting channels on a falling tide as night approaches.
LittleSister
Well-Known Member
It's not (usually) when sailing that scares me most, it's before relaunching after a period ashore: thinking of all the things that could possibly go wrong, or are of uncertain condition, etc. (Of course, all that's multiplied many times if the boat is new to you.)
There are also one or two close shaves that happened long ago, but give me the cold sweats now when I think of them At the time, though, I was either too busy dealing with the situation, or completely oblivious to it, so I wasn't actually so scared.
That said, I did give myself a real fright last year when, at the end of a long, perfect, sunny, flying along single-handed on a beam-reach back from France sort of a day, darkness falls, sudden squall hits, accidental gybe, mainsheet block torn out of mainsheet track, block thrashing around wildly from the boom threatening to brain me, boom threatening to take the shrouds out, unable to hold the boat on a course; dangerous sandbank to one side, shipping channel to the other, unable to see properly my position/heading, buoys, any other vessels, due to darkness, rain on my glasses and dealing with the danger/chaos in the boat. Suddenly, I thought that maybe I could afford a PLB/EPIRB after all, and preferably the deluxe model with a 'Beam me up, Scotty' button on it!
There are also one or two close shaves that happened long ago, but give me the cold sweats now when I think of them At the time, though, I was either too busy dealing with the situation, or completely oblivious to it, so I wasn't actually so scared.
That said, I did give myself a real fright last year when, at the end of a long, perfect, sunny, flying along single-handed on a beam-reach back from France sort of a day, darkness falls, sudden squall hits, accidental gybe, mainsheet block torn out of mainsheet track, block thrashing around wildly from the boom threatening to brain me, boom threatening to take the shrouds out, unable to hold the boat on a course; dangerous sandbank to one side, shipping channel to the other, unable to see properly my position/heading, buoys, any other vessels, due to darkness, rain on my glasses and dealing with the danger/chaos in the boat. Suddenly, I thought that maybe I could afford a PLB/EPIRB after all, and preferably the deluxe model with a 'Beam me up, Scotty' button on it!
12 Year Plan B-)
Well-Known Member
I usually sail short handed...usually alone. Bower anchor needs prep and is a long way from helm. Kedge is in cockpit locker, always ready to deploy. Belt and braces...
Dutch01527
Well-Known Member
Inexperienced guests on board and using the inflatable tender to get back from ashore when anchored off after dinner.
Based in the Bristol Channel and a mixture of guests schedule’s and tides dictate where we can go, often a small drying harbour with no option but to anchor.
I try to minimise the risk by life jackets, reasonable alcohol consumption, not overloading the tender, lights, proper briefing ect but it still scares me. Got a visit to Porlock Weir in early May and worrying about it already, especially given my mate’s tendency to have a different definition of “reasonable” alcohol consumption.
Based in the Bristol Channel and a mixture of guests schedule’s and tides dictate where we can go, often a small drying harbour with no option but to anchor.
I try to minimise the risk by life jackets, reasonable alcohol consumption, not overloading the tender, lights, proper briefing ect but it still scares me. Got a visit to Porlock Weir in early May and worrying about it already, especially given my mate’s tendency to have a different definition of “reasonable” alcohol consumption.
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KellysEye
Well-Known Member
>Most things can be dealt with but the thought of a serious onboard medical emergency in heavy seas miles from help scares the bejesus out of me.
We did a RYA first aid course, what they do is give a list of drugs to cover everything and the medical kit to carry, including blood pressure. We went to a doctor and told him we were going long distance sailing and he prescribed most of the drugs free. If you go long sailing or are interested in fixing medical problems you can buy the Ship Captains Medical Guide Course:.
https://www.bookharbour.com/the-ship-captains-medical-guide-22nd-edition-1999 Out of interest for cuts kitchen roll is sterile out of the pack hold it tight until the blood stops, clingfilm is sterile out of the and used with Flamzene cream to cover burns.
We did a RYA first aid course, what they do is give a list of drugs to cover everything and the medical kit to carry, including blood pressure. We went to a doctor and told him we were going long distance sailing and he prescribed most of the drugs free. If you go long sailing or are interested in fixing medical problems you can buy the Ship Captains Medical Guide Course:.
https://www.bookharbour.com/the-ship-captains-medical-guide-22nd-edition-1999 Out of interest for cuts kitchen roll is sterile out of the pack hold it tight until the blood stops, clingfilm is sterile out of the and used with Flamzene cream to cover burns.
grumpy_o_g
Well-Known Member
Time to think, especially when I'm in a world of my own on a quiet stretch. If it's blowing I start thinking about the incredible strain on the rigging. Even if it's flat calm I can start wondering what's keeping us afloat and exactly what's down there. For someone with a scientific mind and hardly a creative stroke in me I have an annoyingly good imagination. On the other hand I tend to be one of those folk that just does what's needed to be done and worries about it afterwards (assuming I know what needs to be done).
Kukri
Well-Known Member
A memory: the night of Thursday 6th September 1972.
I got the date from my log book, but the episode that still scares me isn’t in it. I was too ashamed to write it down. We were heading North up the Wallet from Mersea Quarters for Harwich, we being Flossie and I in my very old, very tired, Dragon, K6, “Arabis”. Flossie was asleep in the cuddy. I was half asleep at the tiller. There was a nice land breeze. Neither of us was wearing a lifejacket. Dragons being what they are, "Arabis" was making a good five knots on an easy beam reach, and only needed pumping every hour or so (I followed Maurice Griffiths excellent advice on sailing an "old tore out" and carried plenty of "Plasticine"...)
I was starting to look for the Medusa buoy, with Wallet No 4 out on my starboard beam, when a big black thing flashed past the end of the boom, which was out to starboard.
I had forgotten the wreck buoy, which in those days was not lit.
If we had hit it, in that boat, Flossie would not have gone on to her brilliant career with the British Council and I would not be writing this.
I got the date from my log book, but the episode that still scares me isn’t in it. I was too ashamed to write it down. We were heading North up the Wallet from Mersea Quarters for Harwich, we being Flossie and I in my very old, very tired, Dragon, K6, “Arabis”. Flossie was asleep in the cuddy. I was half asleep at the tiller. There was a nice land breeze. Neither of us was wearing a lifejacket. Dragons being what they are, "Arabis" was making a good five knots on an easy beam reach, and only needed pumping every hour or so (I followed Maurice Griffiths excellent advice on sailing an "old tore out" and carried plenty of "Plasticine"...)
I was starting to look for the Medusa buoy, with Wallet No 4 out on my starboard beam, when a big black thing flashed past the end of the boom, which was out to starboard.
I had forgotten the wreck buoy, which in those days was not lit.
If we had hit it, in that boat, Flossie would not have gone on to her brilliant career with the British Council and I would not be writing this.
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Resolution
Well-Known Member
Good comment. How many of us know exactly what medications our (ancient?) crew are taking, plus consequences if they forget / are unable to ingest due to sea-sickness/ sea-alcohol etc?
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