The stupidest/funniest mistakes you've made?

[JC Reefer]

As a very young and nervous captain was prepping to set off on one of my first deliveries. A slick European 65 foot motor yacht all shinny and nice. I felt like a hot shot with 2 crew and 800 miles to manage.

After turning off shore power and turning on the gen. I fired up engines and electronics. All ready to go, I called for all the lines to be pulled in and the vessel was softly pushed ahead.

As we disembarked I spun around to see the power cable still attached to the shore side pedestal. The power cord was wrapped around the pedestal base and it took the entire off the dock.

Dumb dumb dumb. The entire dock lost power and water. Water was spraying in the air and for a few moment sparks were flying. I ended up paying the marina directly for the damages.

Humbling experience. Super embarrassing. Very stupid.

[Mahayana]

We had been on the dock getting work done from several vendors for several weeks. Once it came time to leave we were very excited to get going. Started and warmed up the the engine, all systems ready, shifted into reverse, and hey! Where’s the wheel?! There it was still lashed to the stern rail where we placed it in order to move around easily in the cockpit! Doh!

[CFS Klopas]

Just about a month ago. Tied up to a mooring with a 3/8" dockline. Didn't even tie it off, just ran it down to the eye and back. Took less than 24 hours to chafe through in only 15kts of wind. I wasn't aboard, the tender boat grabbed it before it could wreck.

[Enfant Du Vent]

Originally Posted by CFS Klopas

Just about a month ago. Tied up to a mooring with a 3/8" dock line. Didn't even tie it off, just ran it down to the eye and back. Took less than 24 hours to chafe through in only 15kts of wind. I wasn't aboard, the tender boat grabbed it before it could wreck.

I TOTALLY understand.

Was crewing on a 49' Hinckley and we were in St. Georges, Bermuda. When the forecast came of overnight wind gusts to 40 knots, we availed ourselves of a permanent military mooring--because the owner/captain was a reserve officer.
I at least doubled the anchor line through the ring, but didn't think using chain was going to be worth the trouble to set up.
When the owner and his wife retired to their cabin, I went out to the cockpit to see how the weather was. The other crew joined me and nonchalantly said, "I think it would be a good time to exercise the diesel."
I spent the whole night at the helm--keeping us bow to wind--to reduce the load. Bermuda Radio reported gusts to 75 knots around 3am!
So I guess l-a-z-y is another way to spell stupid

[JebLostInSpace]

I've got a surprisingly (well not surprising so much as sad) long list to choose from after ~6 months of cruising full time in my first boat...

Probably the worst for sheer stupidity was approaching a dock on Tangier Island in Chesapeake Bay. There's one marina on this very small island, and the anchoring didn't look super secure there, so decided to spring for the (remarkably low-priced) night of dockage. This marina is sort of in the middle of the island, and can be accessed from either West or East by a very narrow channel that cuts all the way through. Unsurprisingly, this can lead to quite significant currents running through by the dock.

Reading some reviews on Active Captain, many people stressed that the best approach is to just let the dockmaster guide you in over the radio as you approach, so that's just what I do. Contacted the dockmaster as I entered the channel, and he goes to stand at the dock and guide me in. I'm headed with the current, and need to make a 90 deg turn to come alongside the dock. The last thing I hear from the dockmaster is "Keep on straight, I'll tell you when to turn"

We're getting closer, closer, closer, but I still haven't gotten the word to turn in. There's a piling off the corner of the dock, and with so much current it seems like the move would be to turn in before the piling, then let the current push me sideways onto the dock, but I haven't heard the word to turn yet...

So I wait until the last possible moment, still haven't been told to turn in, but I can't wait anymore. I swing hard to Starboard, put the bow slightly up into the current, aim at the gap between piling and dock, and gun it forward.

Not even close, the current overpowers my feeble attempt to nudge upstream, and pushes me down hard onto the neighboring boat. Luckily, they had their dinghy out and it acted as a giant fender, saving us both. (The dinghy was damaged, but I take that as still the best case scenario)

Anyway, I get the boat pulled up and onto the dock where it's supposed to be, and meet the furious dockmaster, yelling at me for not listening to instructions! Turns out his radio had failed and didn't broadcast the message to turn in well before the piling

Goes to show, if something looks like a bad idea, the answer usually isn't to just force it in and hope for the best. Should have circled around and tried from the other direction. Should have hailed the dockmaster when I didn't get the instruction to turn. Should have used a scrap of common sense to see I had no chance of making that gap...

[John De Bree]

I was anchored up in my 14ft aluminum boat after a long day of fishing had dinner and was settling down for the night as a fog rolled in my anchor light was on. I figured as I was only 20ft from the shore line that I would be safe and not in the channel about 1am I was woken up by by female voices and not thinking about it. just as I was falling asleep again I heard a loud female voice say just just on the dock at which point I saw a blonde face hit mine. I got up laughing they thought I was a dock lol they tied up to me and stayed till the morning when the fog lifted we had a good laugh when I said that was the first time that I ever had a dream come true of having a girl from my dream wake me up ������������

[fireant]

John De Bree I have to ask the questions .............
What happened after ??

[John De Bree]

Originally Posted by fireant

John De Bree I have to ask the questions .............
What happened after ??

Let's just say I had a really really good morning

[Disailor]

We were exploring our new (to us) Morgan 33 OI & Iwas pulling treasure after treasure out of the stbd locker. I reached but could not grasp the last fender so I stretched some more. I got my hand on it but I was more in the cavern than out. With legs sticking straight up in the air & unable to get out, the absurdity of my predicament hit me & I started to laugh. When I could catch my breath I could yell for help. Arriving on the secene it was time for my partner & my uncle to laugh. When they could stop laughing, it took botth of them to puul me out!

I was single handing in for a pump out. I had fenders & dock lines set on both sides as they sometimes change which side they want me to tie up on. Bow & stern lines were on their cleats & over the rails. Calm wind but the tide does some tricky things near the docks. First attempt I got swept away from the dock. 2d try got the bow close enough for dock hand to grab the bow line, but the stern was now swinging away out of reach. Harbormaster called for spring line, which I tossed beautifully in 2 coils - unattached to the boat! She looked at me with palms down & outward and said "Richard! Really?"
This phase has now become part of me n my mate's lexicon when either of has done something stupid!