Strangest thing you’ve seen offshore

[joelhemington]

Originally Posted by Beneteau2011

JUST recently offshore of Avalon Harbor, Catalina Island, I was about a nautical mile out heading in towards the harbor under sail, and I watched an SV motoring out of the harbor quite quickly. As we were both about 6 knots SOG the distance between us was closing quickly. From the minute the ship left the harbor it was headed right at me. I mean I could visibly see them so I know they could visibly see me and we were still both port to port standard passing protocol type of situation. Despite being the stand on vessel under sail, and the other yacht still motoring without any sails up, I started to get concerned about whether they were going to give way. So, I changed my line to bear away but THEN the ship came MORE towards me. I further bore off, and the ship came at me EVEN MORE — this was now requiring emergency evasive maneuvers — seconds felt like years, and the onrushing ship motored in a flash past my stern by about only a boat length!

Having avoided impact, and in disbelief, because it spiraled sideways so quickly, I then turned over my left shoulder to give the ‘captain’ the what’s what and discovered there were no souls topside — leaving the harbor the captain must have thought the boat was on autopilot, and holding its line, went down below, until the helm started turning to weather and turning MORE AND MORE DIRECTLY into me.

To this day I keep the fog horn at the helm regardless of weather conditions — that was a close one!!!

Ouch! What an idiot, the San Pedro Channel is no place to leave the helm unattended - too much commercial traffic out there, not to mention all the pleasure craft.

[Paul Howard]

We had sailed out the delta of the Danube River into the Black Sea, heading overnight towards Constanta, Romania. It was a night of no moon and light wind, sailing slowly at around 3knots. We would see this small red light high above the water and hear a strange humming sound for a couple minutes, then it would disappear for an hour or so and then return.
This continued from about midnight until dawn, when in the early dawn light we saw a submarine surface with an identifiable conning tower. Seems we were an overnight tracking exercise for a submarine detail, as we also began to see other military ships in the distance at daylight.

[svfinlandia]

I came out Ocracoke Inlet for a short trip down to Cape Lookout. About halfway down the coast I came upon a large group of Dolphins. There must have been at least 100 of them.
Another time about 30 miles off the coast of South Carolina on my way to Florida a Carolina Wren landed on my boat. I tried to feed him some breadcrumbs but he wasn’t interested and he flew over and landed on top of my hat, which was on my head at the time. I sat vary still he stayed there for about 10 minutes and then flew off.
Another trip off the coast of Georgia I ran through a group of purple Jellyfish. They were spaced about a foot or two apart and it took me about a mile to get through them. There were literally thousands of them.

Al, S/V Finlandia

[partingclouds]

Sailed up close to what looked like a small dinghy drifting along. It was a replica ferry boat about a metre long with a brass memorial plaque astern, a bottle of rum in a well on the bridge, with a note, "Have a drink on Ted." Also a cigar, in a jar with a bio/celebration of his life. On the bow was a small solar lamp. It was a nice tribute to be a part of in the middle of nowhere. So l had a shot of rum and thought a lot about the whole ball of wax here on the Blue Dot before sailing off again. Thanks, Ted.

[TBW]

Thanks Guys.
Really interesting.
Not much to contribute.
Live on the Chesapeake so just the usual crazies doing the "keep turning in to you" thing.
Keep aiming for their stern.

[Dooglas]

I came upon an Ocean Sunfish (Mola mola) swimming on it's side at the surface in the waters off Oregon several years ago. Quite large (about 5 feet across). I understand they can weigh up to a ton. Truly a different experience.

[MV Caroline]

Mid Pacific on the way to Tahiti we saw "islands that aren't supposed to be there". It's really weird making a landfall when you know you're 1000 miles from land.

As it turns out, it is a phenomenon known as a weather or marine inversion that is mirroring something very far off and reflecting it in an inverted horizon

[Kd9truck]

This past May half way between Antigua and Hampton VA I saw a light in front of a large black cloud that was partially blocking the moon.the light was strong and bright bigger than a star bigger than a planet. I grabbed my phone and scrabbled to take a picture and as I was pulling the phone into position the light went out like a switch. Yes it was in the area otherwise known as the Bermuda Triangle.

[Scorpius]

My strangest (and I've seen a few) was a whale, off Von Donop Inlet north of Desolation Sound in British Columbia, apparently chasing a large pod (well over 100 individuals) of Dahl porpoises.

Now I've seen this sort of thing before with pods of transient Orcas ("killer" whales) chasing terrified dolphins or porpoises for their evening meal.

But something about this was different. It took me a while to figure it out but then I realized: the whale was a HUMPBACK!

Now humpbacks are big and to the great unwashed can be scary, but they are filter feeders incapable of swallowing anything bigger than a prawn! So what was going on?

I watched as the whole procession moved past us and down the channel, with the porpoises racing flat out, spending more time in the air than in the water, and the whale plodding along behind. Amazing scene!

Then they all stopped! and the porpoises clustered AROUND the whale!

I can only think they were playing, the porpoises with their big cousin, the humpback whale, - and afterwards gathering around to discuss the game and arrange to meet again: That was fun! Same time, same place next week and we'll do it all again? - like two rugby teams congregating at the bar after a match.

Quite an experience! - and one I'll remember for a very long time.

Take care all. Have fun out there. Be safe. Be kind.

[sailingchiro]

Roughly 300 miles off shore, inflatable pink flamingo not once but twice several months apart.

[sailingchiro]

A friend of mine was racing to Mexico from P-Cola and saw the white light of a boat in front of him. He kept calling on the radio for the boat ahead of him as the white light kept getting higher and higher. As many other race boats were listening, a lone voice, hey skipper that is Jupiter.

Lights can really mess with us at night.

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by MV Caroline

Mid Pacific on the way to Tahiti we saw "islands that aren't supposed to be there". It's really weird making a landfall when you know you're 1000 miles from land.

As it turns out, it is a phenomenon known as a weather or marine inversion that is mirroring something very far off and reflecting it in an inverted horizon

I’ve seen an inversion twice.

First time at a waterfront park on race evening. I was shocked that the course was less than a mile offshore and four miles from port. Then I realized that in the distance I could see the real race.

Two years ago on Lake Ontario at sodus the bluffs near Fairhaven (12 mi) which can barely be seen appeared to be about four miles away and very large. The lighthouse at Oswego (28 mi) which cannot be seen from Sodus appeared in the lake about four miles distant. I got photos but not here on my phone.


One more. Two years ago while driving home from the boat following a T storm there was a beautiful and close rainbow. As I drove it came closer then intersected the road. There it was massive. I had no idea one could actually find the end of a rainbow.

[BAD ORCA]

Originally Posted by partingclouds

Sailed up close to what looked like a small dinghy drifting along. It was a replica ferry boat about a metre long with a brass memorial plaque astern, a bottle of rum in a well on the bridge, with a note, "Have a drink on Ted." Also a cigar, in a jar with a bio/celebration of his life. On the bow was a small solar lamp. It was a nice tribute to be a part of in the middle of nowhere. So l had a shot of rum and thought a lot about the whole ball of wax here on the Blue Dot before sailing off again. Thanks, Ted.

Wow! that is ****ing cool. I would hope to run across something like that. If my time gets near when im in the middle of an ocean...i would write a similar note and leave appropriate gifts below as i drop dead in the cockpit or leap overboard...too cool.

[wingssail]

No#1.
Sailing at night in the Strait of Juan de Fuca headed for Victoria, light westerly wind, spinnaker up. My son (age 13) was on watch and I was snoozing below deck. It was easy sailing.

"Dad, Dad! What's that?" I heard him shout.

I ran up the ladder and looked into the night. I saw nothing but he said he 'd spotted two red lights close together speeding across our bow,

Then they disappeared.

I dismissed it and went below but my son was shook up, understandably.

Moments later it happened again, from the other side. He freaked out.

"Dad, Dad come up here!"

I was a bit shaken myself, what was going on?

Then I saw it, it looked like two eyes starting at us as they ran back and forth across our bow.

Then some more lights came on and it all became clear. A Canadian Navy vessel had an inflatable in the water with some commandos and they were running exercises around us. The red lights were their laser view finders, we were just a target of opportunity. but it scared the crap out of us. I actually believe my son was traumatized by that incident.

They went away and we continued into Victoria. My son never wanted to sail offshore with me again.

#2

Strange at the time, not so strange upon reflection.

I was sailing north bound off the coast of Columbia, in the daytime, in about 15 knots of breeze with only the mainsail up. I was on deck alone, as Judy was napping below.

All of a sudden, out of nowhere, a big inflatable sped sped up from our stbd bow and some armed Columbian Navy guys waved wildly at me to turn right, immediately, with loudspeakers!

I hesitated for a second or two then a submarine surfaced right in front of me, surfacing at a steep angle. I swung the tiller to turn right and the boat jibed. The main sheet was wrapped around my right leg and yanked me off my feet into the air. Oh the boat turned right for sure, but I was hanging upside down below the boom by my leg from the main sheet which then unwound and dropped me suddenly onto my head in the cockpit.

Judy heard the racket and looked up out of the hatch.

"What's up?"

"Oh, never mind, you'd never believe it anyhow."

I jibed back and the sub, the inflatable, the whole scene was gone.

But I had humongous rope burns on my leg.

[David B]

Sailing north up the east coast of Sicily. Ahead I saw a large shoal with wavelets lapping along the shore. There was not supposed to be anything there.

Checked the plotter - nothing. Went down to check the chart - nothing.
Veered off quickly wondering what the hell!

On reflection, decided it could only have been a line of pumice wandering around the place from Mount Aetna further up the coast.