Don't want your name here?!!

[CaptainK]

I wouldn't mind opening shop there.

But I'd have to get a business loan from a bank. In order to do that?

[coyote]

One thing I did learn on my one sailing trip in the Keys was that sailors are a friendly lot and willing to help out at the drop of a hat. That is, unless the incident involved what they considered an unacceptable level of arrogance or stupidity.

One fellow was headed down the Keys while we were headed back. Apparently he was motoring a new boat and had been told more than once to fuel up on the way down since he really didn't know what his fuel consumption was. He ran out of fuel of course, and the consensus was to let him call a very pricey sea tug (taxi, mechanic, I can't remember) and pay for ignoring friendly advice.

The other was a very small boat that was overloaded and capsized. A nearby boat came to the rescue and got everyone out of the water and onboard, except for one woman. The guy on the radio was trying his best to be polite, but it soon became clear that the reason they couldn't get her onboard was, as he put it "Uh....she's a big 'un." The radio traffic after that was hilarious as other skippers offered up advice on how to proceed with the rescue. One would suggest throwing a rope around her and towing her to shallow water, another would then point out that they needed to know how much water she was drawing, another wanted to know if the rules for towing an unpowered barge would be in force, etc. It would have made a great skit on Saturday Night Live.

[Charlie]

Ok I've got one. We were sailing in between atolls in the Tuamotos. I was on a POS 38 ketch. The Captain wanted to see all the atolls I was trying to find a way to get to Tahiti as fast as possible. Anyway its blowing about ten knots and the boat needs fifteen knots to move. Wind picks up and the owner wants the engine shut down. It was one of those one lever shifters. Forward push it forward. Reverse push it back. More speed push it further back. I'm sitting next to it so I reach over and pull the lever back. The lever gets stuck so I pull it a little harder still doesn't move so I pull harder and it flies from forward into reverse and bends the shaft. No more atolls and we got to sail into Papete in no wind. I guess I should have stood up to do shift gears. On the other hand it is a poor design. I was embarrassed but i got to Tahiti faster.

Charlie

[Doghouse]

Ok here is my first (oh, I am sure there will be many) mistake so far.

1. Never leave the dock to get pumped out in 15K gusts.

We were going away next weekend, so I figured I would run over the to pumpout and be able to sail away the next weekend without a worry. Well we got out fine and motored over to the fuel dock. I went nice and slow and the wind eased us to the dock.
As the wind held us there (note to self worry if this happens again) I went over and tied off the lines.

Everything went fine and we prepared to leave. I fired up the diesel kicked her in gear and... Nothing.
Ok more throttle.... Nothing.
Hmm Maybe we can back off the dock.
Reverse... Ok we are moving down the dock but not away from it.
Hard over and full throttle.... Ok that stopped us but we are still at the dock.
Spring lines and some quick rope / engine work and we are off the dock.

I should have thought that this was a bad omen as my slip faces the same way as the fuel dock.
By the way did I mention the wind has been building this whole time. now 15 with 20 gusts?

Well to make a long story short we gently slammed into the boardwalk, dock, and pileing doing no damage except to my ego and for the bottles of wine I passed out to those who helped keep me from sinking her.

[markpj23]

How come NO ONE on this forum ever warned me that the high cost of boating was due largely to the cost of wine used to bribe the witnesses into silence???

Would've been nice to know before we bought the boat....

[Talbot]

cause mainly we are the recipients of the wine!

[Alan Wheeler]

Well I heard a story of where a holding tank was full tot he brim, they had guest arrive via dingy and had drinks and a meal. While they were havign a meal, the owner suddenly remembers to empty the holding tank and so did so. Much latter that evening, the guest leave. They enter there little boat and suddenly realise it's full of water. The guest in compleate suprise yells, were sinking. Then he suddenly changes note and goes, awwwwwweee it Stinks. Its Sewerage. It turns out they tied the dingy right under the through hull outlet and the holdign tank filled their little boat.

[SkiprJohn]

Capsize #1. I invited some friends to go racing in a Rebel 16 at the Navy Sail Club, Coronado CA in the mid 70s. We were jockying tothe start and just as we were ready to jibe round the end of the start line to start the race I could not let out the main fast enough due to someone's foot on the main sheet. Over we went. My division officer was one of the crew and I was extremely embarrassed. The inner hull filled with water and I could not sail the boat back to the club. Had to accept a tow. Embarrassing.

Capsize #2. As lead instructor in a Red Cross Sailing program Pearl Harbor in '83 I was in charge of 5 boats and did not watch a Widgeon 12 being rigged thoroughly enough. Were doing well for awhile. As they turned upwind to come back to the dock they capsized once, got it up, capsized twice, got it up and then went over a third time. They drifted down on the old USS Bowfin (WWII submarine on display) and had to be towed back. My fault because they had left out the hull drain plug.

Capsize #3. A friend talked us into a dinghy excursion from Ala Wai Yacht Harbor to Keehi Lagoon on a nice sunny day with very little wind. Each of us in an 8 footer. We sailed out the entrance down the shore having a great time. Our plan was to enter Honolulu Harbor and go under the Sand Island bridge into Keehi Lagoon. The wind built to whitecaps just before our turn into Honolulu Harbor and my buddy could not negotiate the turn into the Harbor so I went back out to see if I could help. He and his girlfriend capsized. Then I with my teenage daughter capsized. We were able to get the boat up and sailing again but now were blown past the entrance to the Harbor and could not tack back to it. I was going to sail on to Keehi Lagoon entrance and go in there but my friend sicked the Coast Guard on us before we made it. Some friend. My daughter was upset because our sandwiches were very wet. Lesson learned. If you've made it into the entrance to a Harbor and your boat is no bigger than the one in trouble and you have no more safety gear than they have, don't go to their rescue. Notify a rescue agent. In other words, don't be so darned "Macho." My boat was a Naples Sabot and his was like a Walker Bay 8 made of fiberglass. Oh, and check a local weather report before you go.

Gotta love those Walker Bays My Fatty Knees (What the Walker Bay copied) was a blast in calm waters, but, the few times I took it out of the harbor to the Mile buoy and back, it was quite the experience. Never capsized, but I sailed her under once, and swamped her on purpose to get under a bridge once. Sank once coming back from the bar, but that is a story that my better half tells with much more venom

[S/V Elusive]

::rubbing hands together - oh where to start:::

Okay ... John .. the widgeons in PH are 16'. Still have my card to sail them and the Rhodes. Also for the Air Force 21s at their center. We use to take the Widgeons out and deliberately capsize them .. it is HOT there .. and while the waters in PH aren't THAT much cooler... well.. it is real nice. Gotta make sure the centerboard is secured. I was there ... 76 to 79.

I was gonna talk about Scott and Susans enjoyment of their sail from the YC to their boat, one fine evening... but, I think Scott is right .. let Susan tell that story

Yea, and are you gonna be the one to moderate it?

[S/V Elusive]

I already 'helped out' with that ... you're on your own now . <veg>

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Thomas,
Check your card. I'm pretty certain the O'day Widgeon is 12 or could be considered 13 but definitely not 16. Capsizing was something we taught but when it filled with water between inner and outer hull there was no way to drain it and sail back. We had a Laser or two, A Sunfish or two, some old Rhodes 19s with fixed keel and also some new Rhodes with centerboards. Hickam had a few other boats including a bunch of Cal 20s.
Not familiar with Air Force 21s.
Regards, --John--

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha again Thomas,
I really enjoyed sailing in Pearl Harbor 81-84 and 89-92. Water was warm like you said and always a good breeze from the direction of Aloha Stadium. Hickam had Widgeons and I believe Lidos. Do you remember the Marina Restaurant? I made lots of friends there and at Building 9 and Pearl Harbor Yacht Club.
Regards, --John--

[markpj23]

What a shame the Marina Restaurant closed down. I stopped by there a year ago and now it's just a facility that can be reserved through MWR for private parties etc. BYOB and burgers for a harborside picnic....

What a great view - shame to see it closed down. I wonder if I could convince them to let me reopen it as a concessioner??