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Old 06-06-2020, 18:45   #76
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Re: The stupidest/funniest mistakes you've made?

Changed engine oil and filter in preparation for Labor Day raft up, 2018. Failed to inspect old oil filter upon removal so didn't notice the rubber gasket missing.....it was stuck on the engine block. Screwed a new filter and gasket on and filled engine with oil. One half mile from the marina my boat suddenly lost power, slowed and died. Pressure blew all the oil out between the two gasket and the engine seized. Total loss.
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Old 06-06-2020, 20:19   #77
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Re: The stupidest/funniest mistakes you've made?

Some may chuckle and some may laugh at the above.

Me, I'm soaking it up like a sponge. I don't have enough experience to add to this thread, but I can assure you I appreciate the great information!!

Thanks
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Old 06-06-2020, 22:10   #78
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Re: The stupidest/funniest mistakes you've made?

Quote:
Originally Posted by n5ama View Post
Some may chuckle and some may laugh at the above.

Me, I'm soaking it up like a sponge. I don't have enough experience to add to this thread, but I can assure you I appreciate the great information!!

Thanks
as the saying goes “It could be that the sole purpose of your life is only to serve as a warning to others.”

few of us here like that...

cheers,
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Old 07-06-2020, 00:12   #79
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Re: The stupidest/funniest mistakes you've made?

Aaah, Chris, please don't rat us out to the dirt dwellers!

Ann
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Old 07-06-2020, 01:13   #80
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Re: The stupidest/funniest mistakes you've made?

About forty years ago I had a great Easterly 30ft yacht with a 10hp Bukh motor that I could start with a crank handle (big flywheel). We only had one old lead-acid battery which got very little use as we had mentholated spirits lanterns for lighting and white spirit for cooking. (Scary to think about it now, but we survived.)
One morning (Man-a-war Bay, Waiheke, NZ) I was hailed from a sweet old (about 28ft) displacement motor cruiser that was anchored near to us, "could I lend them a battery, as their's was flat, please" I replied "no problem" and went below and extracted our battery which had a rope handle for lifting it out of the battery box. The cruiser skipper (Bill) had a nice plywood wooden dingy that he rowed over; I put a fender midships and he came alongside. I lifted the battery over the lifelines and then the rope handle broke with the battery at least 7 or 8 feet above the dinghy. It hit the bottom of the thin plywood dinghy and went straight through! After rescuing the old bloke (I learnt some lessons about getting 80 year old people out of the water that day) I climbed back on board to the sound of loud laughter from the very crowded anchorage. We started the Bukh with the crank handle and towed the little motor cruiser home to Auckland. Over the next 6 years until he passed, Bill was a great friend and mentor. I bought the plywood, stringers, floors, and glue for a new dinghy, that we built in his garage, and he bought me a new battery.
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Old 07-06-2020, 01:20   #81
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Re: The stupidest/funniest mistakes you've made?

^^^^^

Nice story, Kiwi... surely nothing to be embarrassed about! I say well done, mate!

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Old 07-06-2020, 02:00   #82
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Re: The stupidest/funniest mistakes you've made?

Early Sunday morning here, have read all the posts but none talk about dry old wooden boat.
So, I've been sailing most of my 68 years. Back when I was about 23, my father owned a William Atkins, Eric Jr. Kept in in a marine near the Orcas Island ferry dock in the winter while he taught school in LA, California. Summer time he kept her on a mooring off of Olga. I was in school in Tacoma and regularly when with friends to the house for long weekends. One Memorial Day weekend I took her out for a cruise to Olga to pull up the summer chain and set the summer mooring float. Thought I was helping get things set up for the folks return to the PNW.
It was a very nice weekend, calm sea's, little wind, but threw on the sails, lunch and a box of beer on board. Set the mooring, drank some beer had lunch and enjoyed the day. Luck would have it that the East Sound breeze came up, so hank'ed on the sails and went for a lovely rail down romp around the the sound end of East sound.
It was getting late and sunset had passed when I notice that a wind gust would knock her down but she was getting very slow to come back up. I decided that my sailing fun was over and it time to motor back to the slip. I opend the hatch and went below to start the motor and landed in knee deep water, engine and starter were well in the water, electric bilge pump running but not keeping up, feared that a through hull was leaking I dove around and check all three and found no issues. I went back on deck, dropped the sails, threw out the anchor and all 125 feet to rode, launched the jib as a sea anchor. Then back below and used the "kitchen" trash bucked to throw water, bail the water, from the boat to the cockpit. Easily and hour later I am barley keeping up with the flow but not getting ahead of it.

Did I mention it is a single planked hull and my and rail down sailing exposed 9-month dry hull to water...
During my break from bailing I discovered that the sea water was coming in between the dry hull planking, so as more water came in, more dry planking joints were being exposed so it came in faster. I spent about 3 more hours bailing before I was getting ahead of the inflow.

I learned a valuable, sail with a friend, check below often, own a stout fiberglass boat, have extra bilge pumps and a back up plan.
Ken
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Old 07-06-2020, 04:36   #83
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Re: The stupidest/funniest mistakes you've made?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kiwi. View Post
About forty years ago I had a great Easterly 30ft yacht with a 10hp Bukh motor that I could start with a crank handle (big flywheel). We only had one old lead-acid battery which got very little use as we had mentholated spirits lanterns for lighting and white spirit for cooking. (Scary to think about it now, but we survived.)
One morning (Man-a-war Bay, Waiheke, NZ) I was hailed from a sweet old (about 28ft) displacement motor cruiser that was anchored near to us, "could I lend them a battery, as their's was flat, please" I replied "no problem" and went below and extracted our battery which had a rope handle for lifting it out of the battery box. The cruiser skipper (Bill) had a nice plywood wooden dingy that he rowed over; I put a fender midships and he came alongside. I lifted the battery over the lifelines and then the rope handle broke with the battery at least 7 or 8 feet above the dinghy. It hit the bottom of the thin plywood dinghy and went straight through! After rescuing the old bloke (I learnt some lessons about getting 80 year old people out of the water that day) I climbed back on board to the sound of loud laughter from the very crowded anchorage. We started the Bukh with the crank handle and towed the little motor cruiser home to Auckland. Over the next 6 years until he passed, Bill was a great friend and mentor. I bought the plywood, stringers, floors, and glue for a new dinghy, that we built in his garage, and he bought me a new battery.
Love this story, Kiwi. This is why we love the cruising community. Thank you.

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Old 07-06-2020, 07:56   #84
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Re: The stupidest/funniest mistakes you've made?

For many years one of my careers was working for the Newport Sailing Cub, Newport Beach Calif. Teaching sailing, navigation, power boat safety at sea, doing vessel check outs to qualify members, leading flotillas local and international. Saw a lot of screw ups including my own,

Nice sunny day, giving a check out on a Newport 30. One of the many requirements to pass was was departing under sail, and after the check ride, docking under sail single handed.

The member had performed extremely well and now it was time to dock under sail in our fairway. Which of course was directly next to the Warehouse Bar and restaurant that had an outside seating and drinking area.

The new sailor was now under main sail alone, main sheet run out, so he could adjust his speed by gripping the main sheet and hauling it in or out in quick and easy fashion while at the helm.

Fenders were set, dock lines , bow and stern ready. He was looking good. He is solo, and had to handle everything on his own. I was up at the bow . His approach is perfect.

Until I opened my big mouth, and said LUFF HER UP, YOU HAVE YOUR DOCKING MADE. He let the main out and we slowed up nicely for a perfect docking under sail

BUT,,,, In the lee of the bar, the wind got a bit lighter, and we were slower and slower, and near stopped about a foot from the beginning of the water end of the dock.

So, again my genius self decided to get off at the bow and haul him in with the bow line.

The bow anchor was attached to the bow pulpit. I stepped over the pulpit, both feet on the outside of the bow, and holding on to the head stay my foot goes back feeling for the dock,

As I release my grip on the head stay, UH- OOO....my belt catches on the bloody anchor, I am suspended in space, feet and arms waving around. Yep, hanging there in all of my dumb sht professionalism looking like a nautical windmill.

The vessel slowly, slowly, floats closer, I pull myself up to free my hooked to the anchor belt, step off to the dock. I haul the boat in to the fairway, and we are IN !

At that time, there is are loud cheers and whistles, and clapping from several outside bar tables who witnessed the whole debacle. The norm for our members was after sailing adjourn to the dock side bar. Which was outdoors .

Feet now firmly planted on the dock, I waved, and took a deep bow toward the howling imbibers, told the member he passed his check ride, and to properly flake the main, and secure the vessel.

Now it was time to make the best move of the day. I joined the cheering section up at the dock side bar for rum.

Lesson for all:

Usually when you make your masterful stupid mistake, it is usually in front of a gaggle of other sailors. They never are around when you do some phenominal feat of seamanship.

Never get of at the bow of the boat. Use the shrouds and a breast line, or step off at the stern, with the stern line.

Will pass some others along later, time for sunday morning breakfast.
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Old 07-06-2020, 08:25   #85
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Re: The stupidest/funniest mistakes you've made?

Thread title says "mistakes", plural. So here's another one.

Back in the nineties. My license allowed renting sailboats while she logged her sea miles and experience. I'm in charge, supposed to know what I'm doing, and helping her learn. Well, that was the idea!

Late afternoon and we're looking for this one island amidst many for a certain cove to drop the hook. What we see doesn't quite match the rental company provided "helpful" charts. Not actually sea charts, but still. Something, right?

Hook down. Not a care in the world. Dinner, and an evening/night doing what a young unmarried couple would do while on holiday.

Having morning coffee and this power boat pulls alongside. Miltary boat. Not happy people aboard. Guys with guns and attitudes. Demand passports, ships papers. More unhappy. Big discussions.

Turns out the cove was on an island belong to Thailand. We'd rented the sailboat in Malaysia. Well, golly gee. Imagine that. Customs and immigration papers? Oops?

That was pretty much when my now-wife took over as navigator.
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Old 07-06-2020, 12:33   #86
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Re: The stupidest/funniest mistakes you've made?

This tale goes back to skippers responsibility, no matter what the circumstances.
The result of this situation could have resulted in several dead people and loss of the boat.

On one of our Sailing Club's qualification training flotillas. I was skipper on one of the instructor boats. A beautiful 37 ft. Pacific Sea Craft cutter. We probably had about
10 to 12 boats, 30' to 46'. This was sailing, and we left Newport Bay, headed up to Long Beach, and then across the San Pedro Channel to Two Harbors ( west end of Catalina ). Long passage due to the prevailing wind direction.

The new members had completed their on board sailing lessons, coastal navigation, and written exams, check outs, etc. They had to get in some coastal experience , and then go on a three day qualification and familarization passage to skipper our boats to the island.

We were about 3 miles or so out of Two Harbors, when someone went down below to get their jackets. Immediately they were back at the base of the companion way.

" Captain, I can smell gasoline ! " I sent another crew member down to confirm.
" Yes, all compartments, cabin , head, quarter berth, V berth, smell like gasoline funes . "

Two people who I had not had a lessons with and did not know, sat in the cockpit and did not say anything. Stone silence.

How in the devil could we have a boat filled with gas fumes, when we have a diesel engine, that we have not even been using . We were under sail.

I looked everyone in the eye, and explained that is was a very dangerous situation, and did anyone bring gasoline on board . " Eventually, the two, until then playing it dumb lubbers fess up.

they brought some gas on board for their dinghy. * Where is it ? " They had stuffed it deep down into the aft cockpit locker and covered it up with their dink, sail bags, extra line, etc.

" Get it our of there. " To the rest of the crew...: Turn OFF any and all electrical including the master battery switch real easy. Open all hatches and port holes. "

The crew that I knew jumped to. The two strangers, to me, had arrived the night before our departure, and , and get this, the dink fuel was in two use plastic gallon water bottles with those plastics caps. With the bounding of the boat on the seas, the bottles had leaked and gas fumes permeated all thru out the vessel. The builder had drain holes in the locker that drained into the bilges. Not overboard.

WE WERE A FLOATING BOMB.

The crew went to work with the manual bilge pump handle. I also them tie a line on a bucket , fill it with sea water, and flushed the seawater thru the cockpit locker and bilges and overboard. Used the manual bilge pump, no electrical.

The two bottles of dink fuel were poured out into the sea, and bottles tossed overboard. We kept sailing for Two Harbors. Pumping and cleaning, We entered the mooring area which is huge. We could not start the engine for fear of an explosion.
So we picked up the mooring under sail. We moored well away from any other vessels, everyone still had their life jackets on in case we had to abandon vessel.

Eventually, all of the fumes disapated the bilges and locker were cleaned out, and those two lubbers still had no idea of the extremely dangerous situation that the vessel and crew had been subjected to.

And they are angry at me, and said " WELL, YOU DUMPED OUT OUR DINGY GAS, HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET OUR OUTBOARD RUNNING ? "

Pretty simple, row over to the gas dock, tie up, and top off your fuel tank . Also, get a proper gas jug, and keep it in the dink. Or secure it up on deck to a life line stancheon,

Now, whose fault was all of that ? Well, the people who brought the fuel on board, without my permission, but had been OK'd by the office staff to stow their gear on board and sleep on board the night before we departed on the cruise ?

Well, that sounds about right, but I was the skipper, and it falls all back on to me, for the safety of the boat , crew and passengers.

All in all, we got thru everything just fine, and once the fumes were cleared out, we dropped off our temp mooring and motored over to where the rest of the flotilla was moored, and the party light was lit. Mt Gay Rum, Jimmy Buffett, and good friends.

Sunday, When we returned to our docks, in newport bay, I advised the office of what had occurred and how serious things could have turned out. KABOOOM! Dead or badly burned people and boat burned to the water line or sunk.

We did have a pre cruise meeting a few nights before the trip, but those two had not shown an were not on my list of crew. They were last minute add on's . I did not know they were even on my boat until I arrived Friday morning, the day of our departure.

Makes no difference, the buck stops with the captain.

Skippers Responsibility
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Old 07-06-2020, 12:58   #87
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Re: The stupidest/funniest mistakes you've made?

Not a sailboat story, but a fun motorboat story.

Uncle had lent me his old motorboat with inboard. MISTAKE #1 I assumed everything was alright, as he is a very thorough man, and did not check the boat thoroughly enough.

We were out about 2nm from the port, dropped anchor, and the little cousins (~15 years old) wanted to enjoy swimming around. Since the tide was coming in and there could be some currents, we attached a line aft to a floater so they had something to grab on and bring themselves back to the boat, should anything happen.

This is where MISTAKE #2, the line I had grabbed was old and had been stored in the same storage as the fuel...it was polypropelene and had gotten damaged, so the line snapped right as the currents were becoming strong. Time to turn on the motor and go get the kids before they end up in the oyster parks!

But MISTAKE #3, the motor kept choking up, fuming and turning off. I later found out the impeller's blades were gone from old age, and thus the engine wasnt getting water from the intake. We hailed another motorboat with 2 guys fishing about 20-30meters from us, but instead of helping us they decided to just leave. By now, the 2 cousins were holding on to the floater and the oyster park's poles, not a good spot but not a mayday-size danger either.

With the inboard motor's hood open and very low throttle, I kept pouring buckets of water were the impeller was supposed to be, which allowed the engine to be cool enough to operate. We picked up the kids and throttled back to port.

TLDR:
Lesson learned, always ALWAYS make sure that your verifications are thorough, even if youre only 2nm away from the port in a safe bay.
- Verify meticulously all lines.
- Check to make sure your source of movement, whether sail or motor, is in good working conditions.
- Make sure you have and know where common spare parts are.
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Old 07-06-2020, 15:31   #88
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Re: The stupidest/funniest mistakes you've made?

Quote:
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Not a sailboat story, but a fun motorboat story.

Yup. Sure seems like a fun story. I appreciate the little details. You know, like

- The line had been stored in the same storage as the fuel and was damaged.

But Uncle is a very thorough man.

- I later found out the impeller's blades were gone from old age.

But Uncle is a very thorough man.

- Didn't mention not throwing a life ring with recovery line attached to help the kids. Why not? Didn't have one?

But Uncle is a very thorough man.

Yup. Everybody makes mistakes. But I'm guessing that your sense of humor is different than mine.
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Old 11-06-2020, 08:57   #89
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Re: The stupidest/funniest mistakes you've made?

Well, newer sailor here. Was at a dock, the night before going in to get a bottom job accomplished. After a great /late dinner, I wanted to start the engine just to be sure we had not problems in the morning when we had to motor to the marina 3 miles away.

jumped in the center cockpit, hit the ignition and no start, tried again, no start. "hmmm, I must have air in the lines" I thought, as I had 55 gallons on board. went down below, checked for any obvious leaks (open lines) and found a small drip on the fuel filter.

No smells of diesel, but I thought it must be these pesky perkins engines. fast forward, after changing both the fuel filters, bleeding the engine twice at EVERY location, I still couldn't get this engine to start.. Exhausted and at 2 am, I sent a note to the marina saying that I would have to postpone my haulout and get my engine running.

I took a shower and retired to my aft cabin. The wife (bless her heart, as my trusty assistant this whole time consoled me and said it will be alright. I fell asleep in about 90 seconds. She woke me up about 3 mins later and said, "should the engine cutoff on the console be pulled up or seated back down when starting". DOH! Holy crap that was it. I rushed upstairs and pushed down the cutoff, and she fired right up. I think I heard the boat chuckle at me.

5 hours of pain and embarrassment for not following my checklist on engine starting. I am a pilot and know better. NEVER AGAIN. Needless to say, I crafted another message to the marina and made it there by 7am for the haulout. what an experience. I at least know how to effectively bleed my perkins 4.108
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Old 11-06-2020, 09:57   #90
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Re: The stupidest/funniest mistakes you've made?

As a new-ish sailor I have too many embarrassing stories already.... I take comfort in learning that many accomplished sailors have made foolish moves as well! Thanks for the laughs.
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