What's Your Demon ?

[bangkaboat]

Electronics & electrical; Sometime between when I left the coast guard & the last few months, technology in nav & battery juice replenishment equipment went far beyond my brain's ability to comprehend(I blame it on years of welding fumes). Solution: I'm kidnapping the first techie I meet in L.A. . We'll cage him/her in the v-berth & give food when he/she correctly answers which terminal I attach which wire to. Wrong answers will result in what I now call "Karleton responses", ergo, bright lights & loud music. Now, where to get a bottle of ether?

[Gypsypriest]

Basically, I lost most of my demons a week ago when I was sailing from Port Clinton, OH, to Put-In Bay and lost all steerageway in the middle of a really nasty storm I hadn't seen coming (engine quit when gunk from the bottom of the fuel tank got sloshed around and gummed up the intake pickup, the jib jammed when I was trying to unfurl it). About a quarter-mile off the west coast of South Bass Island (cliffs and rocks) when the starboard lower shroud came loose and started flailing about the foredeck, making anchor deployment dangerous I decided to out out a "pan-pan" call to the Marblehead CG station. They responded quickly and towed us to safety. I'll probably never worry too much again about anything, but you can bet I'm having my fuel polished as we speak!

[Capt Phil]

Don't feel bad, Gypsypriest... many of us have experienced the dreaded fuel tank grunge. It usually only happens once, then tank sounding, fuel polishing and cases of filters become the norm. It has been my experience that it always happens at the worst possible time under the worst possible conditions. So forewarned is forearmed... cheers, Capt Phil

[vintageray]

Originally Posted by Gypsypriest

Basically, I lost most of my demons a week ago when I was sailing from Port Clinton, OH, to Put-In Bay and lost all steerageway in the middle of a really nasty storm I hadn't seen coming (engine quit when gunk from the bottom of the fuel tank got sloshed around and gummed up the intake pickup, the jib jammed when I was trying to unfurl it). About a quarter-mile off the west coast of South Bass Island (cliffs and rocks) when the starboard lower shroud came loose and started flailing about the foredeck, making anchor deployment dangerous I decided to out out a "pan-pan" call to the Marblehead CG station. They responded quickly and towed us to safety. I'll probably never worry too much again about anything, but you can bet I'm having my fuel polished as we speak!

That is probably the most well told story I've read on this forum since I've been reading it. You have a good hand with a pen. You made no excuses, told it like it happened and it was exciting to read, brief as it was. Happy ending brought a smile to my face. Well done, Sir. I'm tipping a glass to you as I type this with one hand. (quite a feat the way this boat is rolling tonight.).

[GypsyHawk]

This thread rings a bell, along with several of the responses. My number one was seasickness, to the extent that I didn't start sailing until I had my own boat so that I could avoid the public humiliation of not making the grade as a sailor. Only my wife had to put up with it and only because I refused to let it be a problem for her. I had to work hard at this one - I really did get very sick very easily - and over time learnt how to manage it and maintain my responsibility as skipper. Last year a major breakthrough was my first extended ocean passage including several days of confused and breaking 3-4 metre seas where I stayed well all of the time. I just have to remember not to get too cocky and keep my management regimen in place, just in case.

And of course, what remains are those dreaded marina berths. Every scrape on my beautiful boat has been the result of berthing in enclosed spaces in unfavourable winds. I hate it but won't let it beat me. I come in with four fenders on each side, but why can't someone design a fender that fits neatly over the bow stem.

[phiwum]

Originally Posted by Bash

If you're ever wondering why I never have anything bad to say about stinkpotters, now you know: I've been rescued by one.

Good for you (that comes out sarcastic, but it shouldn't!), but what precisely is a stinkpotter?

Up in my area (Cape Cod), we have a number of lobster traps out. Is that a stinkpot? Or is it something else?

Thanks for the story, which was certainly very interesting for us non-divers who don't know a damned thing about the risks.

[zeehag]

powerboaters and powerboats are stinkpotters..LOL thye have their uses... even to us ragbaggers....
i think lightning scares any sane --or marginally so-- person---- i sailed thru a lot of it in gulf of mexico-- i think was prep for mazatlan and mexican coast in summer-- the only other place i know that competes with fla as lightning center of universe.....


as for docking, i present ith a midships line to a midships cleat-- and then i place bow nd stern lines over-- seems to fix a lot of the "omg i am not close enough to jump" moments...and keeps bow and stern from hitting dock.....

[sabray]

New demon. Me and the nws. Fortunately I now understand and can translate nws forecasts. West winds this means every direction but not west. Slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Means cloud to water lightening is imminent. Winds and waves will be higher in near and around Pause thun der storms. Means gusts to 60 any wave is a bad wave off barnegat. Partly cloudey means the sun is obscured by hale the size of soccerballs. Next demon is a guy named Will Nit Autohelm. Will was frightened by the thought of west winds from the south blowing higher.and partly cloudy ice bombs.. At 3 this morning he packed up and jumped ship. He left a note in his control screen it said drive off. So I did for friggin 8 hours.

[sww914]

I sure hope this new to me engine starts up after I get everything attached to it.

[zeehag]

sabray--- you underestimate the strength of the gusts-- go up 10-15 kts.... 70 is about right-to 75. fun sailing. btdt for near yr in gom...am at dock for these and seems a lot more.....i learned to add 20 kts to NOAA wind predictions, and 3 ft of sea and .......there are ALWAYS thun der storms in gulf of mexico.....
sww--- goooo dluck-- mine kept quitting in seas--lol FILTER--have many many many spare filters... cannot have too many---even with a clean tank, mine was in dire need of bleeding 21 times-- we counted!!! (between ensenada and mazatlan)
and alternator belts
and a starter-- make sure ye has A SPARE!!!!

[idpnd]

Originally Posted by jerrymc

Traversing the shipping lanes..and especially, at night. I sail out of LA Harbor & the big ship traffic, while not as bad as some spots (like the English Channel) is pretty heavy.

The Traffic Control System does help, but having the odd container ship pop-up on the near horizon, while making for Catalina, or returning, when I just went below for a minute or so, upsets me.

Basically, my demon is getting run down, losing my ship & dieing.

Get AIS fantastic for big ships..

[speakeasy]

My demon had me become the show for the breakfast club at the Marina de La Paz Cafe, while trying to get out of my slip with line handlers who spoke no English, opposite prop-walk from the expected, and a strong ebb and contrary wind that pinned me to the dock-end half way out of the slip. In the fairway and on stage for the crowd, I was then unable to turn the boat around until friendly dinghy assistance arrived. I think I have that demon licked now, as I know the boat better and don't leave or arrive except at slack water. As an old flight instructor of mine used to say, "better to die than to look bad."

[zeehag]

speakeasy--we did that in appalachicola, fla--- even to getting a line in proposis..had to await a diver with enough air to do it....oops




(not my boat.)



as for shipping lanes-- there is usually enough time between big ships to scoot across--even at 4 kts... 8 is better ! but ye will make it at 4--- keep radio and throttle open!!! i haven't seen more than 4 ships out there at a time-- they scoot fast!!!
was a trick in tampa-- first time into there, was a ship at anchor-- seemed like moving--- but wasnt--we passed awful-ly close---in darkness....(wasnt my boat )
damn thing had a mouth...

[sabray]

Originally Posted by zeehag

speakeasy--we did that in appalachicola, fla--- even to getting a line in proposis..had to await a diver with enough air to do it....oops

(not my boat.)

as for shipping lanes-- there is usually enough time between big ships to scoot across--even at 4 kts... 8 is better ! but ye will make it at 4--- keep radio and throttle open!!! i haven't seen more than 4 ships out there at a time-- they scoot fast!!!
was a trick in tampa-- first time into there, was a ship at anchor-- seemed like moving--- but wasnt--we passed awful-ly close---in darkness....(wasnt my boat )
damn thing had a mouth...

Zee when a floatie thing has a mouth usually that's a swimmer. why is a swimmer in the shipping lanes or were you boating in the swim lanes again. Smile

[zeehag]

floatie thing 300+ft long with alllll kinds a lights and was saying AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH come in here....lil boat ...lol...was anchored and still looked mean...we were in a 37 seidelmann..... looong way up to that bridge.......