Dumbest thing you ever did?

[poiu]

I decide to move to an anchorage a mile away and to tow the dink, something I never did before, so inexperience was at work, coupled with a bit of stupidity. I let the tow line out to a good length for towing expecting to motor forwards as soon as the anchor is up. The crew raises the anchor, but didn't say it was up and to my surprise we are blown back quickly in the 20 kt breeze towards the tow line and dink. I ask twice politely for a crew member to pull in the slack, but am ignored. It's now too late and the tow rope is caught under the boat. I ask the other crew member to drop the anchor as I can see we will drift onto a reef behind us, he asks why and I say drop the bloody anchor now, so he comes to the cockpit to ask if he can have the situation explained to him. No choice now, I put her in forward and hope the rope misses the prop. It doesn't. It is however cut by the rope cutter. The dink drifts free and whilst the boat is repositioned and we re-anchor, we watch the dink drift towards the reef. A neighbour saves it just in time with their tender and brings it over. Doh. I don't blame the crew. They were not briefed properly.

Shows how a little mistake can turn into a cascade of mistakes that can put the boat in jeopardy.

[accomplice]

sully75 --- ouch! have you considered underwater epoxy putty?

[accomplice]

poiu -- you don't blame the crew? of course, everything is ultimately your responsibility, but there are times in which an explanation must wait and master's requested followed post haste. methinks you should be happy the line cutter worked or the story might've taken a very different turn.

[jackdale]

Attempting to leave a dock with the dinghy painter attached to the stern and the dinghy attached to the dock.

Telling a class to disconnect the electrical cord, and discovering on arrival at the next marina it was still on the dock at the base. Next time also tell them to bring it on board.

Going aloft in a 3 foot swell to secure a radar reflector while wearing shorts. I looked like I had taken a horrible beating.

In the immortal words of Bill Gates "Success teaches nothing."

[OldFrog75]

I once forgot to disconnect the pig tail topping lift from the boom and ended up tacking back and forth close hauled all the way from the slip and up the channel. Probably took an extra 45 minutes and maybe 30 extra tacks before I realized what was going on.

I was single handing and couldn't figure out why I was working so hard.

[nimblemotors]

Take a women sailing as a second date.

[jongleur]

Right. Should be the first date.

[Moody46CC]

Had lectured the wife rather sternly about how to leave the dock under power. After casting off the lines, I told her to put the engine in gear. She did; no movement. "Give it more power." Nothing. "More." Nothing. "Goddamn it--give it lots of power!" We move away and she turns into the fairway. I look back and see two yellow Marinco power cords dancing and skipping in the water behind us. How they unplugged from the power tower beats me, but it was far better that they did that rather than unplugging from the boat and dropping in to the water while still attached to the power tower. Oh well. Humble pie tastes good.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by poiu

I ask twice politely for a crew member to pull in the slack, but am ignored. It's now too late and the tow rope is caught under the boat. I ask the other crew member to drop the anchor as I can see we will drift onto a reef behind us, he asks why and I say drop the bloody anchor now, so he comes to the cockpit to ask if he can have the situation explained to him.

Shows how a little mistake can turn into a cascade of mistakes that can put the boat in jeopardy.

Jeez, I had the same idiot on my boat for a few weeks early last summer. He really gets around, doesn't listen. It was something like this every day until he was off the boat... usually worse.

If it ever happens again, I think the best and easiest way to deal with the problem, is to give the idiot 10 euros and send him to the store to get himself some booze... then sail away while he's gone.

Ken

[gonesail]

sold my boat

[ontherocks83]

Besides investing in a boat?

Had a guest and his wife on board. We were in "wide open" water and let the guest steer. I knew there was a hazard of rocks way off some where in the distance but it would take a long time to get there and as the hazard was only 100 yards wide knew the odds of coming near it were low. Had my head in the cockpit the whole time chatting when one of my crew stood up and ever so calmly said to the guest "how about we turn right, a little more, keep going, turn more, keep going, ok we're good. As I looked to the port we had at best 50 yards before being on the rocks. Just damn lucky we didnt end up sunk. Really embarrassing for trying to relax too much.

[barnakiel]

I assumed the weather was just bad and rather than do something, stay active and keep the boat going, I said what the hell she will take care of herself and her tired crew. Next thing I knew we were at give or take 135 degrees.

On another occasion I thought what the hell it is just rough and next thing I knew we were at give or take 90 degrees, I was floating about unleashed, the cockpit was flooded, the dodger was gone and thick wall steel pipe gallows were bent all the way to the deck. Two stanchions were ripped out together with their bases and adjacent laminate.

Those were two stupidest things I ever did in this one. But my full list is much longer.

b.

[sully75]

Originally Posted by accomplice

sully75 --- ouch! have you considered underwater epoxy putty?

I hadn't. I'd take suggestions. I was thinking about sticking a bolt with 5200 in the hole. The don't sink stuff is pretty amazing. It stopped the flow without anything on top of
It.

It's a quarter inch hole. I'm wondering about screwing a 5/16" bolt in it with an impact driver. What do you think?


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Kenomac]

Invite a drunken fool onboard (see post #24).

[sv JoyRide]

I went to change the joker valves on both heads. First one went fine. On the second - I'd forgotten about the vented loop between the head and holding tank. A loop that is some 5 feet above the head and 4-5 feet away. The measly amount of water I'd flushed thru had done nothing to clear the contents in the 6-7 feet of sanitation hose up to the loop.

As soon as I'd taken the hose off I was greeted with the entire contents of the hose up to the loop - being spewed out.

That was a fun day. Oh - yeah, it was a hot July day too.


Bret
s/v JoyRide, Catalina 400