This last weekend was one for the record books, as i had the most unbelievable insane altercation with a guest on board, that was one of my friends. Sorry for the long tale.
Lead up to this, i had been telling this dude id take him sailing for about a year, multiple time he told me how great he was at sailing, and how he got his "Sailor 2" certification at some school (whatever a sailor 2 is i still don't know), and how he could "sail my boat in circles around me". This is just the kind of person he is, so i played it off and just figured id see what he knew when we got on the water. Went out with a gal im seeing, a couple of her friends, another friend of mine, and sailor 2 guy...abel.
We get the boat set up, and in the water. Everyone else shows up, and we head off. From the get go abel clearly did not know what he was doing, couldn't tie a cleat hitch (just crossed it over the dock cleat until the whole tail of the dock line was on the cleat) couldn't tie a square knot to reef the main, couldn't figure out how to hank on and attach the jib... so this goes on as we sail up the lake. Its a high wind day (for my H22) and with a storm jib and 2 reefs in the main it still takes a bit of experience at the helm and on the main to keep the boat steady and not get weather helmed in the 30kt gusts and surfing waves that would happen (this is a mountain lake, so you could do a multiple 360s in a half hour if you never change the sail plan or heading). No big deal, when its gusty i calmly take over from whoever is driving until it calms down and then i give the helm back and chill.
It probably started to go down hill when we were at the top of the lake, in a narrow-ish, light wind section, and we turn around to head back south the way we came. Abel was steering and on the main and he couldnt get the concept of tacking up away from the lee shore so we could get out to more open windier water. After a bit i was tired of waiting and told him i was going to take over and get us out of the bay. He decided to swat my hand away from the main sheet and told me i needed to tell him what we were doing so he could help. I very sternly told him to never do that again, and that he will never tell me what to do on my boat, I then asked for confirmation, and when he did not say yes, i repeated myself, asked for confirmation and made sure he understood.
So the rest of the day goes on, we sail back down the lake, i try to teach him more, but alas when I explain what were doing, and how to prevent the boat from getting weathered up into the wind he just wants to do his own thing. This then leads me to grab the tiller and adjust when i feel like were about to round up. He keeps getting mad that i just wont let him do it, and i tell him im not going to let the boat jibe in 20kts of wind over and over while you **** around. Listen or give me back the helm. I taught a few other people that day in the same conditions and they were able to get the hang of it, and politely stepped aside when it got gusty.
Now this is when it goes straight to shit. We're back at the dock, boat is tied up, motor off. We're unloading the boat, abel goes to get the truck and back it into the water. He stops it about 5 ft before the water and gets out ( i dont notice but he is heading back to the boat). I think my other friend is in the truck, so i holler at him from the dock to just back the truck in like we've done before. When the truck doesen't move i notice nobody is in there, no biggie, this other gal we were with was standing near by and I ask her to do it, she says sure. So i get her in the truck, show her what to do, get the trailer lined up, and turn around to see my boat LEAVING THE DOCK WITH ABEL DRIVING. 20 minutes ago this guy didn't even know how to operate the outboard. The outboard on my boat is not connected to the tiller, so while not overly complicated it takes some time to get the feel and figure out how to use them together so they dont counter act each other or steer the boat in an unintended direction.
While all this was happening, my friends on the shore were watching and as soon as my buddy saw the boat leaving the dock and me turning around to sprint after it his only reaction to the rest of them was "ohhhhhh this 'oughta be good"...when hearing after that sure did give me a good laugh.
So abel is driving my boat away from the dock, without me on it, presumably to put it on the trailer, while there is still significant wind and waves in this marina (its not really protected at all). So i sprint down the dock, pull my shirt off, dive in the water and climb up on the boat. I am now livid that this is happening. I take the helm, and he starts freaking out about me being aggressive. I just tell him abel shut the f*** up and sit down and let me do this. So begins this screaming match where he is telling me he was trying to be helpful and im not being grateful for his gesture. Im so mad i cant even think straight, so i just yell at him again to shut the f*** up and sit down so i can communicate with the driver in my truck and get the boat off the lake. He continues to yell. I try again, calmer, abel please sit down and shut up so i can focus and talk to the girl in the truck, we will talk about this later.
All while this is happening he tells me no less than 7 times "ill f***** kill you man, do something, i'll kill you" Nope, he has to keep interjecting and telling me he was doing a good gesture. I back the boat up a bit further away, because the waves are pushing us closer to shore and im afraid he wont shut up enough for me to do this. He keeps yelling, i yell at him again to shut up and then he SHOVES ME OFF MY OWN BOAT basically right over top of the still spinning prop. I swim back around, climb up the swim ladder in a fraction of a second, and am just so livid and feel so helpless.
Its just the two of us out there, all this in display of the marina, little pizza place with familys, and the docks, and if i start throwing punches it wont get me anywhere but in a fist fight while my boat slams into the docks or boat ramp. So trying to deescalate the situation, i tell him im going to back up to the dock, i want you to get the f*** off my boat right now. He says no, f*** you im not getting off your boat. I try again, and again he insists that hes not getting off (i realize at this point i should have just docked it anyway but i just wanted to get out of there).
So now i just ignore him and start yelling at my friend to back the truck up a bit more to the right depth. I start piloting the boat into position, and while this is happening he has the gall to tell me "show me what your doing, let me learn whats going on, show me". Im so beyond stressed with this ******* here the boat comes in and the waves push it sideways a bit. I get the bow strap on, get it tight and cranked a bit, shut off the motor have the driver ease the truck and trailer up and get it all situated. After the boat is out of the water I jump down, get in the truck to pull it the rest of the way up, and abel is STILL on his rant. I tell him he needs to go away from me, i cant stand to be around you. Since I drove him to the lake, and hes like "how am i going to get back, i need a ride". I just tell him i dont care, go away. He goes off into another storm of "f*** yous" and "i'll kill you"s as i get in the truck, and pull away. He tries to go in one of my other friends trucks but they peel away cuz they want nothing to do with him. At this point im visibly shaking with rage and confusion on what to do. We decided that were just going to leave the boat/trailer in the parking lot, and one of my friends would come back and help me take it down in a day or two, but we had to get out of there before park service or the police showed up from the yelling. At this point he must have realized none of us were going to take him and he hitched a ride back because he wasnt anywhere in the pizza restaurant or at the dock. Thank god.
I get a text from him later as he tries to apologize, blaming it on having some drinks that day (he was never even visibly drunk or close to it) and how he was "scared" and "didnt mean to respond aggressively" and was "confused by what was happening". What an insane load of shit.
I kept checking the qualified captain Instagram page today to make sure i wasnt on it hahaha
Lead up to this, i had been telling this dude id take him sailing for about a year, multiple time he told me how great he was at sailing, and how he got his "Sailor 2" certification at some school (whatever a sailor 2 is i still don't know), and how he could "sail my boat in circles around me". This is just the kind of person he is, so i played it off and just figured id see what he knew when we got on the water. Went out with a gal im seeing, a couple of her friends, another friend of mine, and sailor 2 guy...abel.
We get the boat set up, and in the water. Everyone else shows up, and we head off. From the get go abel clearly did not know what he was doing, couldn't tie a cleat hitch (just crossed it over the dock cleat until the whole tail of the dock line was on the cleat) couldn't tie a square knot to reef the main, couldn't figure out how to hank on and attach the jib... so this goes on as we sail up the lake. Its a high wind day (for my H22) and with a storm jib and 2 reefs in the main it still takes a bit of experience at the helm and on the main to keep the boat steady and not get weather helmed in the 30kt gusts and surfing waves that would happen (this is a mountain lake, so you could do a multiple 360s in a half hour if you never change the sail plan or heading). No big deal, when its gusty i calmly take over from whoever is driving until it calms down and then i give the helm back and chill.
It probably started to go down hill when we were at the top of the lake, in a narrow-ish, light wind section, and we turn around to head back south the way we came. Abel was steering and on the main and he couldnt get the concept of tacking up away from the lee shore so we could get out to more open windier water. After a bit i was tired of waiting and told him i was going to take over and get us out of the bay. He decided to swat my hand away from the main sheet and told me i needed to tell him what we were doing so he could help. I very sternly told him to never do that again, and that he will never tell me what to do on my boat, I then asked for confirmation, and when he did not say yes, i repeated myself, asked for confirmation and made sure he understood.
So the rest of the day goes on, we sail back down the lake, i try to teach him more, but alas when I explain what were doing, and how to prevent the boat from getting weathered up into the wind he just wants to do his own thing. This then leads me to grab the tiller and adjust when i feel like were about to round up. He keeps getting mad that i just wont let him do it, and i tell him im not going to let the boat jibe in 20kts of wind over and over while you **** around. Listen or give me back the helm. I taught a few other people that day in the same conditions and they were able to get the hang of it, and politely stepped aside when it got gusty.
Now this is when it goes straight to shit. We're back at the dock, boat is tied up, motor off. We're unloading the boat, abel goes to get the truck and back it into the water. He stops it about 5 ft before the water and gets out ( i dont notice but he is heading back to the boat). I think my other friend is in the truck, so i holler at him from the dock to just back the truck in like we've done before. When the truck doesen't move i notice nobody is in there, no biggie, this other gal we were with was standing near by and I ask her to do it, she says sure. So i get her in the truck, show her what to do, get the trailer lined up, and turn around to see my boat LEAVING THE DOCK WITH ABEL DRIVING. 20 minutes ago this guy didn't even know how to operate the outboard. The outboard on my boat is not connected to the tiller, so while not overly complicated it takes some time to get the feel and figure out how to use them together so they dont counter act each other or steer the boat in an unintended direction.
While all this was happening, my friends on the shore were watching and as soon as my buddy saw the boat leaving the dock and me turning around to sprint after it his only reaction to the rest of them was "ohhhhhh this 'oughta be good"...when hearing after that sure did give me a good laugh.
So abel is driving my boat away from the dock, without me on it, presumably to put it on the trailer, while there is still significant wind and waves in this marina (its not really protected at all). So i sprint down the dock, pull my shirt off, dive in the water and climb up on the boat. I am now livid that this is happening. I take the helm, and he starts freaking out about me being aggressive. I just tell him abel shut the f*** up and sit down and let me do this. So begins this screaming match where he is telling me he was trying to be helpful and im not being grateful for his gesture. Im so mad i cant even think straight, so i just yell at him again to shut the f*** up and sit down so i can communicate with the driver in my truck and get the boat off the lake. He continues to yell. I try again, calmer, abel please sit down and shut up so i can focus and talk to the girl in the truck, we will talk about this later.
All while this is happening he tells me no less than 7 times "ill f***** kill you man, do something, i'll kill you" Nope, he has to keep interjecting and telling me he was doing a good gesture. I back the boat up a bit further away, because the waves are pushing us closer to shore and im afraid he wont shut up enough for me to do this. He keeps yelling, i yell at him again to shut up and then he SHOVES ME OFF MY OWN BOAT basically right over top of the still spinning prop. I swim back around, climb up the swim ladder in a fraction of a second, and am just so livid and feel so helpless.
Its just the two of us out there, all this in display of the marina, little pizza place with familys, and the docks, and if i start throwing punches it wont get me anywhere but in a fist fight while my boat slams into the docks or boat ramp. So trying to deescalate the situation, i tell him im going to back up to the dock, i want you to get the f*** off my boat right now. He says no, f*** you im not getting off your boat. I try again, and again he insists that hes not getting off (i realize at this point i should have just docked it anyway but i just wanted to get out of there).
So now i just ignore him and start yelling at my friend to back the truck up a bit more to the right depth. I start piloting the boat into position, and while this is happening he has the gall to tell me "show me what your doing, let me learn whats going on, show me". Im so beyond stressed with this ******* here the boat comes in and the waves push it sideways a bit. I get the bow strap on, get it tight and cranked a bit, shut off the motor have the driver ease the truck and trailer up and get it all situated. After the boat is out of the water I jump down, get in the truck to pull it the rest of the way up, and abel is STILL on his rant. I tell him he needs to go away from me, i cant stand to be around you. Since I drove him to the lake, and hes like "how am i going to get back, i need a ride". I just tell him i dont care, go away. He goes off into another storm of "f*** yous" and "i'll kill you"s as i get in the truck, and pull away. He tries to go in one of my other friends trucks but they peel away cuz they want nothing to do with him. At this point im visibly shaking with rage and confusion on what to do. We decided that were just going to leave the boat/trailer in the parking lot, and one of my friends would come back and help me take it down in a day or two, but we had to get out of there before park service or the police showed up from the yelling. At this point he must have realized none of us were going to take him and he hitched a ride back because he wasnt anywhere in the pizza restaurant or at the dock. Thank god.
I get a text from him later as he tries to apologize, blaming it on having some drinks that day (he was never even visibly drunk or close to it) and how he was "scared" and "didnt mean to respond aggressively" and was "confused by what was happening". What an insane load of shit.
I kept checking the qualified captain Instagram page today to make sure i wasnt on it hahaha
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