What are your worst fear sailing events

[robertmfranklin]

You may have left one off your list.

7. Unbridled optimism.

Looks like you won't have to worry about that one anytime soon.

[David Mathis]

Have you experienced this one?
Traveling with a guy I’ve known for years who starts acting really weird on the second day. He was being difficult to the point that he was endangering the safety of the boat. When asked to do something, he would be intentionally be counter productive or find some other task to perform that wasn’t related to the present needs. When finally reaching the destination, he was asked to toss a line to the person on the dock. There was a strong cross wind. Several times, he intentionally threw the line short which required another approach. Next, after being told that a significant risk of striking the docked downwind boat existed, he took almost all of the dock lines in a bundle and threw them onto the guy on the dock without having one attached to the boat. the guy on the dock remained calm and professional. Finally, I had to leave the helm and get a line to the dock guy. Finally, I got him off the boat and headed for home. Fortunately, no weapons were aboard.

[Russ125]

Getting caught doing something stupid and ending up on the "TheQualifedCaptain" on Instagram.

Seriously, coming into a marina single handed and having a big gust of wind blow me into someone's million dollar boat before I could react. Which would probably end me up on the above item.

[theBigKahuna]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Docking

With a full keel, heavy displacement, barn door rudder boat, I'd rather face a Newfoundland gale out on the briny than dock in windy conditions.

I haven't experienced anything on the rest of your list. Most (2-6) can be minimized by having a sound boat that is reasonably well maintained. Not really something to fear.

Fully agree w/ Mr. OReilly!!! Except add in an audience of sailors sitting @ the bar outside the marina!

[HabibiDah]

Originally Posted by Rucksta

Worst fear - becoming to feeble to sail.

Here here!

+1

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by boat_alexandra

That cruisers who are already an overwhelmingly over privileged group will continue their wasteful and immoral practices that is mainstream cruising today.

This group made up disproportionately of professions that cause more harm than good: bankers, executives, pilots etc.. who spent their whole life taking advantage of others and causing irreparable damage to the natural world then go in retirement and buy a boat much too big for them to handle under sail.

They then pollute their way along further sealing the fate of the last coral reefs so they can motor leaving an oil slick in one of the least polluted places in the world just to go 100 yards to the island (rather than rowing) so they can have a cruisers "potluck" on suwarrov and discuss why oil spills "aren't that bad" while they sit around eating lamb.

I fear there will be nothing left to cruise to, no places not destroyed, chaos making it dangerous almost everywhere.

That’s priceless. I’m pretty creative, but I couldn’t have concocted that.

BUT you forgot the most vile vermin, rubbish recyclers. Two men- and it’s always men- driving around in a monster 40 ton vehicle. The Twelve liter Detroit Diesel runs at a wasteful 5% capacity for hours on end.

One man never gets out of the truck. One only gets back into the truck to return to the office. Meaning that old fume puking diesel is used to convey only one lazy man.

If it’s windy their product blows away, disappearing into the forest. If the rubbish truck gets full they leave the recycling for the garbage man. He’s got his own 40 ton Detroit diesel fed monster.

Meanwhile, the recycling guys are union. So the all have trucks and motorcycles. Up north they also have snow machines, and their southern brethren have ATVs and airboats. They eat red meat. Lots of it. And beer, which is made from pure waters.

Then they retire, keep their trucks and bikes, and buy 40’ Silvertons with dual Turbo Mann diesels. Or maybe even big old gasoline engines with carburetors. They don’t have dinks- they start up those engines VROOOM! like a pair of Dodge Vipers with hot cams...and they motor the 400 meters to the pub. They don’t motor to the pumpout...cause eventually the stuff just comes out some small hole half way up the hull.

They’ve never heard of Palmerson or Nuafou, nor do they care.

They’re the recycling dudes, and they’re keeping the environmental safe.

[Lightwave99]

We were offshore for 2 years in our Richard Woods-designed (and extended, altered by us) catamaran and made up our minds NOT to fear. Be prepared, practise your moves, know what to do, when to go and not to go out, but do not be afraid. It is a weakness of mind that can attract uncontrolled or uncontrollable situations. Use the power of your mind to protect yourself--fully seaworthy and well equipped boat, experience in night sailing and stormy conditions, visualization, awareness, confidence, working with your cycles (something we study in the Kabalarian Philosophy)--these are the things that protected us

[Wireless1]

At the age of 71, and last year experiencing my NDE, I realized at that moment there is nothing at all to fear. That being said, I don’t want to do anything that would bring sadness to my loved ones by me being intentionally foolish or selfish with my decisions or desires. So I sail on...
Peace...
Martin

[jrau18]

Originally Posted by sailon46

Last Sunday in Maho Beach St John USVI tried to refloat the dinghy and got caught by a ten foot breaker ended up wearing the dinghy on my head while I got slammed on the sandy patch with rocks all around. I am lucky to have my brains in my skull and not all over those rocks. I am pretty much healed by now. I never had anything that serious or scary happen on the big boat.

10 foot wave on maho beach? Man, it must have been 30 feet when it passed the reef to have enough energy to still be 10 feet when it hit the beach!

[NYSail]

My worst fear is my wife leaves me and takes all the booze.

[Fore and Aft]

My real fear right now is that the wife finds the new 100 meters of anchor chain I purchased on Friday and have in the boot of my car. I did not get the time to take it to the yacht after work so hopefully we use her car all weekend!
Cheers

[NYSail]

Originally Posted by Fore and Aft

My real fear right now is that the wife finds the new 100 meters of anchor chain I purchased on Friday and have in the boot of my car. I did not get the time to take it to the yacht after work so hopefully we use her car all weekend!
Cheers

Ha..... sweet!

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by Hardhead

As far as the falling overboard scenarios -- is there any device now-a-days that would allow remaining crew to plot and navigate back to a beacon on a life vest?

A PLB will report to a satellite of course, but is there anything that will report position back to the boat & remaining crew?

A very good reason to keep the track function turned on on your chart plotter.

[Discovery 3]

Originally Posted by Pegu Club

Realizing my last breath will be sea water....

Fair winds,

ACTUALLY it’s not water,you aphixiate before water enters the lung,it’s a pleasant feeling actually,no struggle,your brain has had time to comprehend the situation,fear not.

[Discovery 3]

Originally Posted by robertmfranklin

You may have left one off your list.

7. Unbridled optimism.

Looks like you won't have to worry about that one anytime soon.

I like this comment,it seems the wife will keep him in port so this never occurs.I feel the OP is looking for answers to alleviate the fears of perhaps the other half before purchasing and moving on to the enjoyable side of boat life.