So what did I learn? Nothing!!

[carstenb]

HI oz

Of course these things NEVER happen to an astute seaman like myself (yeah right! been there, done that - got the t-shirt!)

I won't bore you with the story, it was a gennaker sheet that got into my prop.

Learning point? Next haul out I mounted a rope cutter on my shaft. It won't happen again

[IdoraKeeper]

Yep:-(......dingy painter twice...Yankee sheet once. The sheet was the worst. It was freed trying to avoid a knock down. (Almost too late.) Had to cut it and motor With a fouled prop. Not my finest hour. Shortened the sheets...can't happen (that way atleast) again.

[jackdale]

This discussion raises a thought. Most has been about wrapping prop while the engines is running and transmission engaged. What about under sail?

Yanmar notes that their props should freewheel and that putting the transmission in gear while sailing (and engine off) will void the warranty.

In October we had gennaker sheet wrap a spinning prop. It was easy to get off. But does cause some thought.

How many sail with the transmission in neutral? In gear?

[Foolish]

So what did I learn? Nothing!!

What did you learn??? I hope that you learned the MOST valuable thing (and I even discuss this seriously in my singlehanded book.) You have learned that the engine is the least reliable part of your boat. There are 100 reasons why your engine can fail. And it will always fail at the worst possible moment. It will fail when you are 10' from boats on each side and you are 1/4 way out of the marina, and the wind is blowing 20. It will fail when you are just entering the marina and are 10' from the rock breakwater, and the wind is blowing 30. It will fail when your wife has just started crying because the 4' chop is too much for her to take. And it will do all of these when you are singlehanding the boat so you have to solve the problem all by yourself.

So I hope that you learned that your engine WILL fail (not Might fail but WILL fail) at the worst possible moment. So every moment that you are using your engine, you should be thinking "What would I do if the engine quits Right Now? Right Now? Right Now? You should practice this mantra every time that you use your engine, on nice calm days and on nasty windy days. Then on the day that it does fail, you can calmly manage the situation.

I'll give you two hints that have kept me sane after many many failures. First, you are on a SAIL boat. Sail it. Any time you are under engine power you must be ready to launch a sail within seconds. This will get you out of most problems.

Second, boats are a lot tougher than you think. Bumping into rocks, walls and even other boats will do a lot less damage than you think. It will probably do no damage at all It's nerve wracking, but after you've done it a few times you come to realize that a fibreglass boat is different from a metal car.

Have fun. Stop worrying and learn the lesson that you've been taught

[Canibul]

So....if I got this right....you stayed sober on the hook all night because you fouled the prop.

What would you have done differently if you had not fouled the prop? Drank all the beer and motored back to a dock that same evening?

[deblen]

Originally Posted by Foolish

What did you learn??? I hope that you learned the MOST valuable thing (and I even discuss this seriously in my singlehanded book.) You have learned that the engine is the least reliable part of your boat. There are 100 reasons why your engine can fail. And it will always fail at the worst possible moment. It will fail when you are 10' from boats on each side and you are 1/4 way out of the marina, and the wind is blowing 20. It will fail when you are just entering the marina and are 10' from the rock breakwater, and the wind is blowing 30. It will fail when your wife has just started crying because the 4' chop is too much for her to take. And it will do all of these when you are singlehanding the boat so you have to solve the problem all by yourself.

So I hope that you learned that your engine WILL fail (not Might fail but WILL fail) at the worst possible moment. So every moment that you are using your engine, you should be thinking "What would I do if the engine quits Right Now? Right Now? Right Now? You should practice this mantra every time that you use your engine, on nice calm days and on nasty windy days. Then on the day that it does fail, you can calmly manage the situation.

I'll give you two hints that have kept me sane after many many failures. First, you are on a SAIL boat. Sail it. Any time you are under engine power you must be ready to launch a sail within seconds. This will get you out of most problems.

Second, boats are a lot tougher than you think. Bumping into rocks, walls and even other boats will do a lot less damage than you think. It will probably do no damage at all It's nerve wracking, but after you've done it a few times you come to realize that a fibreglass boat is different from a metal car.

Have fun. Stop worrying and learn the lesson that you've been taught

Well said!! Especially the part about how tough fibreglass is. Like a new car-the first scratch takes the "new car-must keep it perfect for the next owner" pressure off & you can start enjoying use of same.
When fibreglass fishing boats were first built in the N.E.,the builders offered a 10lb maul to prospective buyers.No one cracked or marked a hull as far as I know.
Then there is the "embarrassment" pressure.Will screw up a docking everytime.

If you let this stuff get to you,I would think it difficult to enjoy boating.

Most of us buy liability insurance also.

The lives of those aboard are more important than a ding or two.

Concentrate on keeping yourself & passengers safe & worry less about the cosmetics IMHO.

Cheers/ Len

[skipgundlach]

Originally Posted by Foolish

clip...

So I hope that you learned that your engine WILL fail (not Might fail but WILL fail) at the worst possible moment. So every moment that you are using your engine, you should be thinking "What would I do if the engine quits Right Now? Right Now? Right Now? You should practice this mantra every time that you use your engine, on nice calm days and on nasty windy days. Then on the day that it does fail, you can calmly manage the situation.

clop

Every private pilot has this drilled into them in the student days, and it's a given that the checkride for their ticket will include the examiner pulling out the throttle without warning and asking "You just lost your engine. Where will you land?" - because they are expected to ALWAYS know where they will land when the engine fails, and to set up for that landing before the throttle is returned.

My daughter-in-law, PIC, and my son, survived a real one in their plane...

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by jackdale

If you have manual fuel stop - pull it out. That will prevent the engine from starting.

+100!

Cranky cranky reverse direction....

Originally Posted by Tayana42

No,no,no. You must learn to shift blame and take no responsibility. If your crew was inexperienced that was a perfect opportunity to blame him/her for the screw up. How can you assert command if you don't blame everyone else for the errors and mishaps?😉😉


S/V B'Shert

Right!?!?!!!