Worst, Most Common Boating Mistakes Caused from Ignorance

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by letsgetsailing3

I just saw a report in Panama City where two men collected a 40' power boat that they just purchased, and motored it 40 miles or so offshore before the engine completely broke down.

They then floated for three days until a boat came by close enough see their signal and to contact via radio, and contacted the Coast Guard to rescue them.

So, there's that.

I wish I had ten dollars for every time I've towed people back in. Real surprised no-one towed them, and they had to abandon the boat. Even just going out fishing, if you go without a weeks worth of provisions, your a fool

[Boracay]

I'll go with overconfidence.

Don't hear many stories of cautious sailors getting into trouble.

[cortezsailor]

Originally Posted by shorebird

In Gorge Harbour last summer, we watched a group of large (40-50 foot) power boats anchored and stern tied to shore. Several more joined the group until there were about 5 boats rafted. In the morning, all were aground. Two managed to get off, but the remaining three were left high and dry when the tide went out. 5 skippers, and not one of them checked tides and depth? likely, they all assumed the others had checked, and with safety in numbers, assumed all was well. It may be they dragged anchor, but It didn't appear so.

That could have also been a case of not reading charts at all. Where they were anchored they were in 40 ft of water but by letting out line and stern tying they didn't bother to check how deep the water was at their stern, and as you saw it rose quickly to a shelf that dries at even a. Medium tide. They got lucky on that one

[s/v 'Faith']

The combinations of chart plotter and auto pilot can be deadly.

So often out cruising I encounter "traffic" at suggested waypoints (for example those listed in the explorer chart books). Two days ago sailing from Staniel Cay to Wardrick Wells (heading north against the prevailing traffic) I had to change course many times to avoid boats motoring south.

Of the approximately 30 boats I passed (many heading down the chain to Farmers and Georgetown for the regattas) I saw at least two boats with no one on deck! Several more who seemed to have abdicated thier responsibility to "captain autopilot".

These accidents have become so commonplace that the USCG has a term for them... The "EAC" in some accident reports stands for "Electronically Asisted Collision".

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by s/v 'Faith'

The combinations of chart plotter and auto pilot can be deadly.

So often out cruising I encounter "traffic" at suggested waypoints (for example those listed in the explorer chart books). Two days ago sailing from Staniel Cay to Wardrick Wells (heading north against the prevailing traffic) I had to change course many times to avoid boats motoring south.

Of the approximately 30 boats I passed (many heading down the chain to Farmers and Georgetown for the regattas) I saw at least two boats with no one on deck! Several more who seemed to have abdicated thier responsibility to "captain autopilot".

These accidents have become so commonplace that the USCG has a term for them... The "EAC" in some accident reports stands for "Electronically Asisted Collision".

Under "best advice" ....

Bear off a major layline a few miles, and make a waypoint a couple degrees off target to parallel course...

EAC's happen...

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by svmariane

Surf Landing .... lots of fun for the uninitiated.

I would like to learn about this one.

My guess is that the outgoing wave left bare beach (could there also be a drop-off.
The bow dropped and dug in as the wave lifted the stern and the boat just stood up on the stuck bow.

How do you see this ahead of time?
How do you land if this is known?

[Andrew Troup]

Originally Posted by Therapy

I would like to learn about this one.

My guess is that the outgoing wave left bare beach (could there also be a drop-off.
The bow dropped and dug in as the wave lifted the stern and the boat just stood up on the stuck bow.

How do you see this ahead of time?
How do you land if this is known?

To see ahead of time, the only way I know of (which is not infallible) is to stand off outside the break for long enough to work out the rhythm of the big sets, and head in immediately after one.

If you have enough engine power, try to stay on the back of a well-formed (but not too large) wave.

For landing in the situation where you might end up digging the nose, the "gold standard" (I think) is to have two boats, and a long line. Both boats keep their nose pointing offshore.

The offshore boat stays in neutral except to stay oriented and on station while paying out the line; the inshore boat stays in reverse most of the time. If the inshore boat sees a challenging breaker coming, it signals to the offshore boat and both boats apply forward thrust (judiciously - the line must stay taut) until the crest is safely past.

This is particularly handy for getting back off the beach: The offshore boat can 'fang it' on signal, towing the inshore boat in the critical early phase when the water is too shallow and aerated for the inshore boat to get properly underway. This is fairly standard procedure in the subantarctic on exposed coasts, where the consequences of a dunking can be unpleasant at best, and the nearest land to leeward may be thousands of miles away.

Lacking a second boat, it may be possible to lay an anchor outside the break and use this as a belay for backing in (and subsequently hauling back out)
This requires rigging up something approximating a fairlead and a bollard in the bow, but it's well worth it unless you have unlimited access to fresh motors and don't mind getting wet!

[liveaboardL]

Originally Posted by Andrew Troup

One mindset which I personally think can be a real trap when sailing coastally is to view land as a safety net, something to head for automatically when things turn nasty, and to keep close to at all times.

Often, I consider, it pays to instead think of land as the place where
a) water gets too thin, and
b) there is an unlimited selection of things to hit

Now this ones a gem. I know I'm guilty!

But it's usually shallower near land, which could mean better scope.
How bad is it to ground a 35' full keel boat?
It would probably just eventually lay on it's side & water would start coming in through the deck bolts for a while.
5.5' draft, full keel. almost a 10' beam.
http://cdn.bluewaterboats.org/galler...g35-layout.gif
I doubt it would damage the boat if it was sand or mud, but it would take on some water.

I heard of one guy who purposefully beached his boat to get away from a big storm in the ocean. That just doesn't sound right to me. Maybe he had a swing keel. I think it might be safer, if I couldn't find a safe harbor, to get further out & drop anchor. Probably can't heave to or just drift if you're too close to land, but how far out do you need to be, if the wind is blowing towards the land. Seems like hurricanes are always coming towards the land. Probably best to get far out & drop my fortress & CQR in tandem.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by SkiprJohn

That photo doesn't look like a catamaran. Maybe a Catalina?

Don't spoil jedis day with facts! He doesn't like them!

[sailorboy1]

Biggest is probably too little caution in general.

Second is probably too much caution in general.

[SkiprJohn]

Originally Posted by liveaboardL

Now this ones a gem. I know I'm guilty!

But it's usually shallower near land, which could mean better scope.
How bad is it to ground a 35' full keel boat?
It would probably just eventually lay on it's side & water would start coming in through the deck bolts for a while.
5.5' draft, full keel. almost a 10' beam.
http://cdn.bluewaterboats.org/galler...g35-layout.gif
I doubt it would damage the boat if it was sand or mud, but it would take on some water.

I heard of one guy who purposefully beached his boat to get away from a big storm in the ocean. That just doesn't sound right to me. Maybe he had a swing keel. I think it might be safer, if I couldn't find a safe harbor, to get further out & drop anchor. Probably can't heave to or just drift if you're too close to land, but how far out do you need to be, if the wind is blowing towards the land. Seems like hurricanes are always coming towards the land. Probably best to get far out & drop my fortress & CQR in tandem.

I'll bet the guy you heard of was safe but lost his boat? A beached boat doesn't survive surf and waves grinding into rocks and sand.

[Catalpa1]

Attempt to try almost 99% of the advice given on this forum lol

[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by liveaboardL

Now this ones a gem. I know I'm guilty!

But it's usually shallower near land, which could mean better scope.
How bad is it to ground a 35' full keel boat?
It would probably just eventually lay on it's side & water would start coming in through the deck bolts for a while.
5.5' draft, full keel. almost a 10' beam.
http://cdn.bluewaterboats.org/galler...g35-layout.gif
I doubt it would damage the boat if it was sand or mud, but it would take on some water.

Oddly My little Islander 34 is very similar to the Alberg, practically identical. From personal experience, early in my single handing days, no water enters the boat. Once the boat sat straight on its 10 inch wide keel for the 10 hours to the next high tide. That was due to a miss adventure with me using a bow and stern anchor in a rain flooded river. I only anchor on one end of the boat anymore. The other time a wind shift took the boat a bit close to shore and I woke up at a 50 ish degree heel. Maybe a bit more. A lovely feeling, not. The water never got higher then an inch below the cap rail and not a bit of damage occurred, except to my pride.

I expect that with hard sand and a flat bottom the boat might heal over more. But the old boats have high covings so the boat would float before water entered the boat. Both of my "practice" groundings were in soft mud.

[mrohr]

Most common mistake caused by ignorance? How about buying the boat in the first place with no real experience or understanding of the commitment involved i.e. , time, money,lack of enthusiasm of other family members,lack of any mechanical ability,and just underestimating the entire enterprise.

Yup,some do overcome all of the above and thrive ,but for every one of those.........

...........lov you all.................mike.......................... ..................................

[Badsanta]

To the OP. You start with a question for help then give a list of advice. Why would you let a sail flog without changing position or take the sail down. If on the ICW when I am motoring anyway why do I need a generator to run a depth gage and chart plotter. My alternator and solar work great.
I dont know how much experience you have, either alot and you are baiting me or you really don't have much. I am confused. But best of luck anyway and I know I should mind my own business.

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