Has This Ever Happened to You?

[sail sfbay]

Last night while berthed at Pier 39 in San Francisco my wife and I were awakened at 1 AM to hear sea lions roaring (roaring is a way that they can protect their territory when they feel threatened to get both humans and other animals to leave them alone). Then the noise quieted down for a while. When I got up at 6:30 AM to walk out dog I discovered sea lions laying on the port side finger of our berth from the bow to the stern. Frankly, I did not know if I could motivate them to get off the dock or had to wait until the marina office to open at 9 AM to do so as I was concerned whether they might attack my dog and I (when humans come within approximately 2.5 meters (8 ft), they can be very unsafe). So I started to yell from cockpit to get off the dock and thankfully one by one they left the dock. By the time I took this photo the 3 remaining sea lions moved to the end of the dock. A few minutes later they also left the dock. We were relieved. Then we disembarked our boat.

Have you ever had a similar experience with animals of any type?

 

[Stu Jackson]

Yes, but most of them wanted a

 

[Dave Groshong]

Hahaha, yep, we had Hershel, #54, a famous sea lion here in Seattle, many years ago, a huge full grown male. He was sinking my finger pier and blocking me from boarding my boat, I gave him a fake bum rush, not a good idea, he reared up and roared and slimed me with snot and saliva, he was not done napping yet.

 

[Joe]

Pretty much a common problem along the west coast. Here in So Cal, the many moored boats in Newport Harbor had issues with 600+ pound sea lions crawling up on swim platforms and the ensuing damage.... some folks felt the concentration of animals would attract sharks into the bay and the sea lions were using the easily mounted moored boats as "safe houses" rather than congregating on protected beaches and coves in the area.. the discussions went on and on... here's a piece from the OC Register:




OMG... aren't they precious. At my marina in mission bay they hang out near the bait barge....so they are easily tolerated.

 

[The Shadow Knows]

Sail,

Pretty funny pal.

But at least..........they weren't the DETROIT LIONS!

 

[dLj]

Have you ever had a similar experience with animals of any type?

Well, you asked...

Back when I was living and sailing in Spain, one weekend I had made a promise to take two tweens on a day sail. The day arrived and I had just gotten back from a bit more grueling sailing trip than usual so I was a bit tired. But hey, sailing is sailing... The two 12 year olds joined me and we headed up the coast to France where there is a beautful beach in a small village Hendaye. After arriving, the beach was just jammed with people so I suggested we slide back across the border to this lovely small hidden bay that is very hard to get to other than by boat. Typically there are few people there intrepid enough to climb down the cliffs.

We arrive and I drop anchor. The two girls want to go swimming. It's a lovely summer day, the water is perfect. The bay appears to be ours alone. I'm tired from my recent trip so as the two girls are together and both good swimmers, I suggest they head off and enjoy the beach as they wish and I'll take a nap on the boat. I drop the swim ladder off my back platform both girls dive off and swim to shore. I head to the vee berth and fall asleep. As you know, the boat is part of ones being so any unusual rocking, noises etc. will wake me.

I'm asleep for some time and I feel motion from the back of the boat, wake up and figure the two girls have returned from swimming. I pop my head out of the companionway and find myself looking at two completely naked 20-something women. Nice transformation from tweens! But what does one say to two rather attractive naked women sitting on your boat?

My thought was to invite them to some nice food and drink. So I served them white asparagus, tuna with garlic, some bread I had on board, olives and drinks of their choice. So there we are the three of us chatting and enjoying some libations for quite some time. The two tweens finally show up, climb up the ladder, look at the two women with a rather quizzical look. A few minutes later the two women leave. One of the tweens looks at me and asks if the two women were friends of mine. To which I replied that no, they had just shown up...

It was an interesting encounter!

dj

 

[DaveJ]

Haha, are you sure it wasn't something that happened while you were napping.....

(other) dj

 

[dLj]

Haha, are you sure it wasn't something that happened while you were napping.....

(other) dj

Had it been a dream, it clearly would have had different chapters...

dj

 

[kloudie1]

We used to have to look for alligators on the path going to the showers .. they rebuilt the marina and put bulkheads in; gators can't haul out over the bulkheads.. still see them in the slipways every now and then.

 

[Ron20324]

... Well, you asked...
One of the tweens looks at me and asks if the two women were friends of mine. To which I replied that no, xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I thought you were going to say, "No, not previously".

 

[dLj]

I thought you were going to say, "No, not previously".

Yeah, the problem was I was married and the mother of one of the tweens was a very close friend of my wife... I had actually been hoping the two lovely ladies would have gone off before the tweens returned...

dj

 

[Calif. Ted]

Chasing off the sea lions has become a daily chore here, naked women not so much.
When they defecate it's like a freakin fire hose usually aimed at a boat, that's the sea lions not the women.

 

[Ron20324]

... I had actually been hoping the two lovely ladies would have gone off before the tweens returned...

I understand your problem- getting the ladies off before the kids came back. "You're an oak", as Doc Holliday said.

 

[Will Gilmore]

I pop my head out of the companionway and find myself looking at two completely naked 20-something women.

Are you sure they were what they said they were? I understand that mermaids can turn their tails into legs when they dry out. Maybe it was lucky those tweens returned when they did. Encounters with sirens don't always go well for sailors.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[dLj]

Are you sure they were what they said they were? I understand that mermaids can turn their tails into legs when they dry out. Maybe it was lucky those tweens returned when they did. Encounters with sirens don't always go well for sailors.

-Will (Dragonfly)

I was anchored, not sailing. It was my understanding that is where the problem lies... And at the time, the existence of the tweens was not felt to be good luck, but perhaps you are right!

dj

 

[sesmith]

There was a black bear boarding anchored sailboats at Heywood Island in the north channel of Lake Huron last year when we were there. This happened after we were there, so we never had the opportunity to meet him in person. Rumor has it, he didn't make it through last year's hunting season. No more issues when we were up there this year. People should learn not to feed critters.