What's the most painful experience you have had on a boat?

[bobgarrett]

Someone left our transparent hatch half closed so when I glanced up I though it was open. I rushed up the companion way and hit my head on the hatch; worse still my head hit the metal catch and gashed the top of my skull. I collapsed down onto the saloon floor, a little stunned and with blood pouring out. The next thing I recall was one of my crew (a vet) saying I don't think it needs stitching. Well at least he did not say I did not need to be put down!

 

[bobgarrett]

Before this thread started, I had been giving some consideration last week to what should be in a medical pack for a long distance trip, and given the number of extremely nasty things that can happen, I had been considering whether it was possible to get morphine or some other A&E or prescription strength drugs to keep on board in case of emergencies...somehow paracetamol doesn't really do this business for badly broken bones a couple of hundred miles out

Has anyone been able to source such supplies for contingency?

I was told on a sailing course that if you can detail why you need particular drugs for example for a sailing trip then a GP cannot refuse them - assuming of course they are legal and the reasons justifiable. Certainly I have done that for antibiotics as we have a particular condition to consider.

 

[Paragon]

Yes

 

[marklucas]

Having returned to our yacht moored in a perfect bay with very little light pollution (this will become relevant) from dinner at the local taverna we decided to make some tea, play a few rounds of bridge and retire to bed. My brother helpfully went back up into the cockpit and turned the gas on in the locker.

Tea brewed, I went off to turn off the gas as the first hand was dealt. Now my brother had left the gas locker lid open. It was so dark (told you) that combined with just having emerged from a lit saloon I didn't notice this and as I went to put my weight onto my left foot on the cockpit lid it carried on a further two feet and the metal surround protecting the valve sliced neatly between my big toe and the next one, resulting in lots of blue air, blood and not being able to swim for a week (you try that in 35oC). I still have the scar (physical as well).

 

[Gwylan]

We were sailing between Sicily and Greece the other day when a tooth became so painful it needed to be removed. I got out the pliers, mole grips and a mirror and then lost my bottle. (I had also just used the same tools in unblocking the heads)
It did get me to thinking though how much pain can a sailor put up with.
Have you had an accident on board and have had to put up with it or been in pain?
(watching the fuel needle on a motor boat going down does not count)

NW Scotland, a small, v small island. installing some moorings, weather going off, want to get sorted. In a rush, pull up to micro quay, jump off boat, boat pitches, I miss the quay, fall into the water. Amazing cracking noise in my head, followed by breath taking pain in my foot and leg. I had landed on pointy rock and broken earlier break and added a few more.

The boat is now nudging me up against the quay and I want it all to stop. Pain is everywhere, but the cold of the N Atlantic swell is helpin ease the pain.

Eventually assistance gets me the 2 hours in a boat to the mainland, another couple of hours to get to a hospital. But no A&E, just a helpful nurse with some pain relief. 48 hours later I get a plane ride home to Belgium via Schipol and a private ambulance. Two operations later, a couple of weeks in hospital, physio and who know how many pain killers, every day I remember that moment mistake.

I do shout at crew that they must never jump off the boat! If they cannot step we will do something else.
I'll fix the body work if it goes wrong and we scrape something.

More recently, we were coming around Lands End with some weather and I slipped and twisted my knee - but we have some pain killers on board these days. But 3 weeks later it still hurts like hell and has blighted the sailing. Yes, same leg!

 

[30boat]

I was folding a head sail on the finger and we had it spread over the struts that connect it to pontoon in Vilamoura.The struts were triangulated and had razor sharp aluminium gussets.I stepped over one that was covered by the sail and scraped all the skin on my shin as I went down.I recovered a neat strip of skin from the gusset afterwards.For months I couldn't stand up for very long.

 

[daviddb]

This Saturday morning just gone I was in the loft at home, had a distracting nautical thought and promptly fell down the open hatch.In a big old house thats a long drop. I have bruising and cuts on my arras the approximate size of Tasmania and very delicate nads. The Lord High Admiral is most displeased at being fated to share her life with an idiot and what makes it worse is I know she is right this time.

 

[jimmyk]

dislocated my elbow slipping on the pontoon trying to carry a can of diesel. i didnt know what i had done i just knew i was in pain. i looked at my fore arm and it was facing the opposite way to which is should. it flippin hurt

 

[maby]

This Saturday morning just gone I was in the loft at home, had a distracting nautical thought and promptly fell down the open hatch.In a big old house thats a long drop. I have bruising and cuts on my arras the approximate size of Tasmania and very delicate nads. The Lord High Admiral is most displeased at being fated to share her life with an idiot and what makes it worse is I know she is right this time.

I should say that you were lucky to escape with just those injuries - a broken leg at least would have seemed likely!

 

[BrianH]

I've had to stop reading this thread, I'm far too squeamish. Wish I hadn't posted now, so many injuries far worse than mine.

 

[Woodlouse]

Cracking a rib at the start of a transatlantic wasn't fun. It wasn't too bad when resting but laughing and sneezing were very painful.

Worse however was slipping a disc. It's the only time I've felt near to throwing up through pain.

 

[doris]

Getting a kite down and one of the crew came forward to help and opened the hatch without warning me.
One leg straight down as I landed on my nuts! Seriously black and blue and off any games for several weeks but we did have a very nice lady doctor on board who checked things over. The
humour this gave rise to made things hurt even more.

 

[KellysEye]

>so promptly pressed a j-cloth against my head

A tip use kitchen roll for bleeding it's sterile out of the pack. For burns use flamzene cream and cling film which is is also sterile out of the pack.

 

[nigelmercier]

Falling over while drunk and biting completely through my bottom lip. I rinsed my mouth with hydrogen peroxide, it came out of several holes.

 

[jerrytug]

>so promptly pressed a j-cloth against my head

A tip use kitchen roll for bleeding it's sterile out of the pack. For burns use flamzene cream and cling film which is is also sterile out of the pack.

Hi KellysEye have you got a reference for putting cream ( or anything) on burns of any thickness, please? I ask because the one thing all my various 1st aid guys have agreed on, is don't put anything on burns. Clingfilm yes. cheers Jerry

 

[Lakesailor]

Worse however was slipping a disc. It's the only time I've felt near to throwing up through pain.

Ah yes. I forgot aboutt that. It's still a problem nearly 30 years later. I've got used to it and it isn't so much of a problem, except for particular circumstances. Just an echo of the damage.
But at the time it was excruciating, for about 10 days. The pain killers the doc gave me caused halucinations.

That came about sailing, I've not forgiven Scotland.

 

[pagoda]

Falling over while drunk and biting completely through my bottom lip. I rinsed my mouth with hydrogen peroxide, it came out of several holes.

No alcohol involved , but put my upper teeth through my lip last year during heavy weather crossing to Norway. Simply bounced off the furniture trying to put on foul weather gear after a sleep. These sort of events I classify as "honourable injuries", along with collarbones broken snowboarding , odd mistakes with fish hooks and so on. Heads and shins bleed like stink, and look spectacular for about a week. Bruises, crushed fingers and pulled muscles take longer...

 

[hartcjhart]

No alcohol involved , but put my upper teeth through my lip last year during heavy weather crossing to Norway. Simply bounced off the furniture trying to put on foul weather gear after a sleep. These sort of events I classify as "honourable injuries", along with collarbones broken snowboarding , odd mistakes with fish hooks and so on. Heads and shins bleed like stink, and look spectacular for about a week. Bruises, crushed fingers and pulled muscles take longer...

think I will have to colate all these accidents and come up with some risk assesments for sailors,health and safety matey

 

[jonrarit]

Witnessed (thankfully) two incidents ..... firstly the wife (now ex) stepping backwards on the foredeck .... the forward hatch was open .... she went all the way through...one leg at at time .....

secondly, climbing up the transom from a dinghy...reaching up to grab the back stay as a handhold to find an untaped downward facing split pin ...... it went in the tip of the middle finger....... the entire length of the split pin...all 2.5 inches of it ......

jr

 

[KellysEye]

>Hi KellysEye have you got a reference for putting cream ( or anything) on burns of any thickness, please? I ask because the one thing all my various 1st aid guys have agreed on, is don't put anything on burns. Clingfilm yes. cheers Jerry

The RYA first aid course specifically says use flamzene cream on burns and cling film after holding the burn under cold water or an ice pack. The range of things they cover is awesome, for example they told us which two drugs to combine to hold off a burst appendix for 24 hours so you can call for help. Obviously they also told us how to check for appendicitis. If someone has pain in the lower right of the body the way to find out it if it is appendicitis is push a finger in the place where it hurts, it won't hurt when you push it but will when you release your finger.