What Did You Think Was Going To Happen?

[Delancey]

So several days of +30 knot wind have been forecast for a week. It was fun to watch everyone come into the anchorage yesterday hurriedly and watch their anchoring style.

Obviously everyone knew it was going to be windy.

As the sun starts to set and the wind starts to build I'm looking around and notice all these boats still have their dinks in the water tied off at the stern. I'm thinking wtf?

Sure enough this morning some Einstein on a power boat comes on the radio declaring "Pan Pan my dink is missing the line got frayed somehow"

Really? What did you think was going to happen? Nice dink too, Aluminum AVB with a 15 horse on it. It's out to sea now. Idiot.

[sailorboy1]

I'm in Marsh Harbor Bahamas and it has been blowing 30+ for 24 hours and forecast to do so for 2 more days. When I went out on deck this morning to check line chafe etc. I commented to my wife "everyone but us has their dinghies in the water, doesn't that make them crazy listening to them snap on the line and don't they worry about losing it".

[robert sailor]

Often it takes a loss for some people to learn and as long as you can write the cheque and deal with the inconvenience I guess it's not a bad way to learn.

[zeehag]

i used to keep my dink in water in sd when we had our storms--the trick is to keep line looonnngg enough to not have snapping and jerking, and to put a bucket into the water on a longish line to leep the stern of boat from bouncing so much.
in la cruz de huanacatle we had very bouncy anchorage, as there is no protection from open ocean. we had wind and chop. dinks were tied behind boats and stayed just fine. must make lines long enough not to snap or jerk
only time i lost a dink was when i used a hitch to affix my kayak to a lifeline-- i was awakened by my neighbor bringing it back to me.
make sure you have no tugging and jerking and make sure your knot is secure.
yes virginia there is a secret to this. and those secrets work.

[weavis]

It is so annoying to lose a dingy..
Fixed that. More sherry anyone?

[Empty Pockets]

Originally Posted by zeehag

make sure your knot is secure.

If you can't tie knots, tie lots...

[zeehag]

weavis that is a great garage--izzat yours?? is awesome

[weavis]

Originally Posted by zeehag

weavis that is a great garage--izzat yours?? is awesome

LOl Zee.. is not..
I think the boat is north of more millions I can imagine.

But a wonderful idea to keep the dinghy from being lost..

[Delancey]

Expensive lesson I guess, this is in the Bahamas so not sure what it would cost to replace a boat like that out here. They came on again with another "Pan Pan" which I think is hardly appropriate. Maybe "Securite" would better since their carelessness has created a hazard to navigation? They said they were offering a reward but when queried would not disclose an amount. Good luck with that.

Also, an observation for what it's worth - where we are anchored sail outnumbers power two to one. Of the sailboats less than one third have dinks in the water while power have 80% dinks in the water. Not sure what the take-away is on that.

[CalmSeasQuest]

Originally Posted by weavis

LOl Zee.. is not..
I think the boat is north of more millions I can imagine.

But a wonderful idea to keep the dinghy from being lost..

Wow...Just wow.

[robert sailor]

Originally Posted by Delancey

Expensive lesson I guess, this is in the Bahamas so not sure what it would cost to replace a boat like that out here. They came on again with another "Pan Pan" which I think is hardly appropriate. Maybe "Securite" would better sjince their carelessness has created a hazard to navigation? They said they were offering a reward but when queried would not disclose an amount. Good luck with that.

Also, an observation for what it's worth - where we are anchored sail outnumbers power two to one. Of the sailboats less than one third have dinks in the water while power have 80% dinks in the water. Not sure what the take-away is on that.

One takeaway is that they have more money.

[Delancey]

Or maybe they are less paranoid than sailors? I figure a dink is a pretty essential piece of equipment so why take a chance losing it when you know the weather will be bad?

One other observation that confounds me about the powerboaters, all but a few here have cranes to hoist their dinghies on deck so it's not like it requires much effort to do so. Basically requires pushing a button to have that piece of mind so why wouldnt you?

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

Often it takes a loss for some people to learn and as long as you can write the cheque and deal with the inconvenience I guess it's not a bad way to learn.

No, it's a bad way. If you find a dink out to sea, claim it as salvage, use it for three years and then lose it because you are also too lazy and ignorant and unseamanlike to bring it aboard, that's a good way to learn. The Circle of Dinks.

[CaptRory]

A lot of judgement going on here and there are often several ways to do anything. Personally, I think if my dink can take being towed around in the open ocean, it can probably take an anchorage in a blow. I have been pulling mine in tight to my swim platform with a line on each side to the bridle eyes with a third safety line for many years and never lost one or had a problem. I've got davits now and may do things differently.

[Mithril Bham]

I was tied to a buoy off Lopez Island one morning. The wind was 40+. A new HR came in the previous night. Obviously 2 fathers and sons. New everything. They were pulling the dink onboard using their main halyard. The wind caught the dink and the next thing it was perpendicular to the mast. Parallel to the surface. Flying like a flag 65 ft above the water. One of the funniest things I have ever seen.