Dumbest thing you ever did?

[socaldmax]

We were stationed in San Diego and our base was Point Loma, so we were very close to the mouth of the harbor and we probably had one of the shortest transits of any sub base to the dive point, just outside of 1SD.

However, that didn't stop our Navigator (LCDR) from getting all flustered on the maneuvering watch where the ETs pitched in with the Quartermasters (QMs) to navigate in and out of the berth to 1SD.

One day he was particularly bad. There was a small sailboat (maybe 25') that was struggling with flagging wind to cross our path. The Nav. is watching the poor guy through the periscope, we're plotting him as a visual contact, and I suggest to the Nav. to turn a couple degrees to port to clear aft of the sailboat, whose sails are flapping half heartedly. The Nav replies something like, "I'm a nuclear powered fast attack submarine in the world's finest Navy, I will not yield right of way to a little 25' sailboat!" I told him I was pretty rusty on my Colregs, but I was pretty sure that since he had a nuclear reactor and the other guy had a sail, the sailboat has the right of way. The Nav. sputtered something like, "I doubt that!" and I finally told him - "Sinking a 25' sailboat in SD Harbor as your only kill is not really a career enhancing move, sir!"

Just then the Capt. leaned over to the helmsman and said, "Give me 20 degrees left rudder, make your new course 270." The Nav. shot him a look, but didn't say anything. He continued calling off bearings to contacts and we plotted them as visuals on the chart, every time he called out a bearing, the next turn bearing he was supposed to call out he mentally replaced and called out the bearing to the closest contact, setting us on a collision course time after time.

After the Nav. got corrected by the ET on the plotter about 5 times, the Capt. finally said, "This is the Capt., I have the Deck and the Conn!"
The Nav. said, "Capt.???"
The Capt. said, "I think you've had enough fun for one day trying to sink peacetime tonnage. The only thing you haven't done so far is call up ramming speed!"

The entire control room erupted in laughter and the Nav. turned beet red and stormed off!

[hlev00]

Originally Posted by IdoraKeeper

I just did it, I read the entire guns on a boat thread!

Yep, thats the winner!

[Nicholson58]

I hoisted a clew on a spinnaker once - during a race. It actually was working so we left it up.

[Coops]

Originally Posted by IdoraKeeper

I just did it, I read the entire guns on a boat thread!

Did your brain shrivel?

Coops.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Nobody has filled the water tank with Diesel?

One of my crews put water on the diesel tank.

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Nobody has filled the water tank with Diesel?

Please tell me it didn't happen....

Originally Posted by ontherocks83

I did see a gas dock girl fill a cabin cruisers black water tank with diesel once. That was an entertaining encounter.

Worse would be some backwards MacGuyvering and have her manage to pump out the diesel tank...

Originally Posted by socaldmax

We were stationed in San Diego and our base was Point Loma, so we were very close to the mouth of the harbor and we probably had one of the shortest transits of any sub base to the dive point, just outside of 1SD.

However, that didn't stop our Navigator (LCDR) from getting all flustered on the maneuvering watch where the ETs pitched in with the Quartermasters (QMs) to navigate in and out of the berth to 1SD.

One day he was particularly bad. There was a small sailboat (maybe 25') that was struggling with flagging wind to cross our path. The Nav. is watching the poor guy through the periscope, we're plotting him as a visual contact, and I suggest to the Nav. to turn a couple degrees to port to clear aft of the sailboat, whose sails are flapping half heartedly. The Nav replies something like, "I'm a nuclear powered fast attack submarine in the world's finest Navy, I will not yield right of way to a little 25' sailboat!" I told him I was pretty rusty on my Colregs, but I was pretty sure that since he had a nuclear reactor and the other guy had a sail, the sailboat has the right of way. The Nav. sputtered something like, "I doubt that!" and I finally told him - "Sinking a 25' sailboat in SD Harbor as your only kill is not really a career enhancing move, sir!"

Just then the Capt. leaned over to the helmsman and said, "Give me 20 degrees left rudder, make your new course 270." The Nav. shot him a look, but didn't say anything. He continued calling off bearings to contacts and we plotted them as visuals on the chart, every time he called out a bearing, the next turn bearing he was supposed to call out he mentally replaced and called out the bearing to the closest contact, setting us on a collision course time after time.

After the Nav. got corrected by the ET on the plotter about 5 times, the Capt. finally said, "This is the Capt., I have the Deck and the Conn!"
The Nav. said, "Capt.???"
The Capt. said, "I think you've had enough fun for one day trying to sink peacetime tonnage. The only thing you haven't done so far is call up ramming speed!"

The entire control room erupted in laughter and the Nav. turned beet red and stormed off!

This is SPECTACULAR!

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

I hoisted a clew on a spinnaker once - during a race. It actually was working so we left it up.

ROOKIE... You need to do this with one twist in the sail for it to qualify...

Originally Posted by jackdale

One of my crews put water on the diesel tank.

This I've heard of...

[tbodine88]

Taking the wife out for our first sail on our new boat on the windiest day of the year.

Regretted it ever since

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by tbodine88

Taking the wife out for our first sail on our new boat on the windiest day of the year.

Regretted it ever since

Thomas!

What were you thinking!?!?!?!?

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by HappyMdRSailor

Please tell me it didn't happen....

Been years ago, but my Brother put gasoline in his water tank, I wasn't there and I'm sure he blamed the dock attendant, but I think even back then they would only hand you the hose?
Never could get the smell of gasoline out of that tank, even years later.

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Been years ago, but my Brother put gasoline in his water tank, I wasn't there and I'm sure he blamed the dock attendant, but I think even back then they would only hand you the hose?
Never could get the smell of gasoline out of that tank, even years later.

Dock boy/girl is only going to hang onto a nozzle if there's a big tip in it... = 500gal+ OR $500k+ boat... Otherwise, it's ALWAYS been ... every little man for himself... No way to get the smell out that I know of... crazy how a one time dosing climbs into the subatomic pores!

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by tbodine88

Taking the wife out for our first sail on our new boat on the windiest day of the year.

Regretted it ever since

[sully75]

For those with the fuel/water mishaps, what did you do? A water fuel mixture must be hard to dispose of.


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[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by sully75

For those with the fuel/water mishaps, what did you do? A water fuel mixture must be hard to dispose of.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

2 choices...

1. clean it up yourself...
2. give away free fouled fuel... easier than you might think...

[ontherocks83]

Originally Posted by sully75

For those with the fuel/water mishaps, what did you do? A water fuel mixture must be hard to dispose of.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

Depends on the size of the tank and how much water is in the fuel. If its a large tank and you only have a few gallons of water you could try a demulsifier, let the water settle to the bottom, and then pump out a substantial amount of fuel from the bottom of the tank. Would work best with a drain under the tank or you could go through the inspection port and siphon it off the bottom.

If it is a small tank I'd say just dispose of all of it, clean and dry the tank and then refuel to the top.

[Mattdwyerva]

I coulda SWORN it was in neutral when I left the helm to see how close we were to that dock....

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