What is the most idiotic mistake you have made on a boat?

[Kenomac]

Invited a drunken fool onboard for almost three weeks, without prior knowledge of his drunken idiocy. Should have sent him to the store after the first week with 20 euros to buy himself some scotch.... then then taken off while he was gone.

[weavis]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Invited a drunken fool onboard for almost three weeks, without prior knowledge of his drunken idiocy. Should have sent him to the store after the first week with 20 euros to buy himself some scotch.... then then taken off while he was gone.

Need photo and a name.

[weavis]

Originally Posted by weavis

Need photo and a name.

I was worried for a bit...... I tend to forget things........
But then I remembered I dont like Scotch

[koolfrog]

Originally Posted by Nostrodamus

I will be fair here. As long distant sailors the French are brilliant and there are few better. The problem they seem to have is leaving or coming in to anywhere. I don't think that is included in their syllabus.
In a year in France we found the sauces they make wonderful but there was not a huge variety to their foods. Besides whats wrong with baked beans, pot noodles and a good Frey Bentos tinned pie?

.................................................. .................................................. .........Not a huge variety to their food ?????
Louis Saulnier "Repertoire de la cuisine " list more than 6000 different french dishes !!!! and , unlike the americans who kill a cow , carve the filet , and throw everything else away , the french use and process every single ounce of the critter !!!

You should go out more often ....there is a wide world out there......

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by weavis

I was worried for a bit...... I tend to forget things........
But then I remembered I dont like Scotch

You have nothing to worry about.

I don't wish to embarrass the guy because we still communicate. But others should be aware of the warning signs in order to avoid the many avoidable problems I had directly related to the fellow and his drinking problem over an 18 day period. One tends to give a friend the benefit of the doubt, even when all the warning signs are there.

Drunks and boats don't mix well. During the time at sea (only three days, no overnights), we almost ran aground on a public beach, nearly got run over by a 125ft fishing boat, and he ran the boat directly towards a Spanish warship while it was conducting live-fire exercises.... these are just three of the highlights which took place while he was on watch for a total of around 16 minutes during maybe 36 hours of motoring time. I could go on and on....

Could probably have most readers in stitches laughing at his idiocy, but I assure you... none of it was funny at the time.



Drunks make terrible choices.


Ken

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by RickDelaune

Not remembering to open the thru hull on the engine and then on the genset at a different time. Twice !!! Holy Crap Batman !!! Don't do that anymore. Now I place a note on the engine box door to remind me NOT TO BE STUPID!! Ouch !!!

Yep.. me too... twice on the main engine! trashed the impellor both times in less than 2-3 minutes.
That's when I quit closing the thru hull....

[Valmika]

30 years ago, French Caribbean, red right return, guess again.

[TheThunderbird]

[QUOTE=Nostrodamus;1726837]I will be fair here. As long distant sailors the French are brilliant and there are few better. The problem they seem to have is leaving or coming in to anywhere. I don't think that is included in their syllabus.
In a year in France we found the sauces they make wonderful but there was not a huge variety to their foods. Besides whats wrong with baked beans, pot noodles and a good Frey Bentos tinned pie? [

[Divevac]

I sent a small crewmember forward to secure a wayward trapeze cable and hook that had separated from its bungie and that small change in balance lead to a Stiletto 23 pitchpoling at 22.5 knots...my 12 year old son was not amused!

[TheThunderbird]

Originally Posted by Nostrodamus

I will be fair here. As long distant sailors the French are brilliant and there are few better. The problem they seem to have is leaving or coming in to anywhere. I don't think that is included in their syllabus.
In a year in France we found the sauces they make wonderful but there was not a huge variety to their foods. Besides whats wrong with baked beans, pot noodles and a good Frey Bentos tinned pie?

The TIM, Sir,.. only the tin!

Ever heard of fresh food? Fresh, not cold, nor frozen..

It's quite diffferent :-)

[TheThunderbird]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Yep.. me too... twice on the main engine! trashed the impellor both times in less than 2-3 minutes.
That's when I quit closing the thru hull....

my boat is 25yo and no one ever closed any sea-cocks.

we have some 20+ sea-cocks... i know that moving them b/forth is more dangerous than keeping them fixed...



Learning lesson when cruising...CLOSE ALL hatches, windows, openings, hublots etc. Therefore, better having none, or few, or ever-CLOSED (Actually a few I never open up...)

[jmschmidt]

aaaah, buying one?

[roland stockham]

I went on a boat, loved it, bought it. Now I have to live with it! Biggest mistakes have (and still are) from trying to get sailing to fit my timetable, work, family etc. I want to do this trip, I only have this much time, money etc, maybe I can do it if... NO - If you have 3 days and the wind is from the south what would be a nice sail from here, with this boat and crew, then it all goes right. Otherwise you get a delivery trip!

[Talisman 2]

According to my wife, buying the boat. But now it's 'my [her] baby'.

Thank the gods: a beautiful sailboat is truly seductive!

[rbyham]

Interesting how humorous we all find these stories NOW but at the time it was a different story... wish I could learn to laugh at myself when I do something stupid. Would probably live longer and be more fun to sail with.

Such as the lovely evening after an all day motorsail on the ICW. Coming around the last bend in the river just 300' below the destination marina and I ran again before dark and 30' OUTSIDE the clearly marked channel which I had missed in my haste. Marina had no way to help. Passing boats ignored. We were stuck for 6 hours until tide came back in just 10 minutes from tie up. Trust me we tried to laugh. Being rookies it was easier to find a humorous side but still humor only last the first hour or so then it was on to self incrimination. Just glad the Admiral is both understanding and fearless. Today we look back and laugh... but it better not happen again! grrrr!:-)