Have You ever recovered an item that went to the bottom?

Bill Murray · Jun 19, 2014

The Admiral's glasses

Warren Milberg · Jun 19, 2014

Some years ago I was installing a horn cleat on the deck of my boat. I took my sun glasses off and laid then on the cabin top. You know how this story goes.... As I began drilling holes in the deck, the vibration started the glasses dancing toward the rail. When I noticed them moving, I put down the drill and moved to grab them, just as they dropped over the rail. I made a mental note of exactly where they fell in. I taped a crab net on a boat hook and spent hours searching that spot. Like you, zip.

We all go through this....and probably with the same result. The sea giveth; the sea taketh away.

Rick D · Jun 19, 2014

Keys...

...is the first thing that comes to mind. My wife dropped them. In winter. Anyhow, I had read that the best thing was to drop a weighted line over where it entered the water and start there. We did that. The visibility even with a light was awful. I dove twice and found the keys right where the weight was about 15' down. Did I mention it was winter? That's a bit deep for me since I have an ear problem and it reminded me for a few days I shouldn't do that. The only real casualty was the key fob despite fresh-water rinse, disassembly and thorough drying, it only lasted a few days. Dealer wanted $125 + coding. Got one on e-bay for $25 and coded it myself after a lot of false starts. Still got it. All my keys now have water-activated buoys on them. They may still sink into the muck, but at least there should be something sticking up.

Sailgunner · Jun 19, 2014

Years ago on our muddy lake my wife lost her glasses while anchored in a cove. It was about 30'deep. We lined up the spot with objects on the land and a few days later our friend went back to the spot with his diving gear. He said it was so dark down there he could see nothing but felt for the glasses and found them! Usually just forgot about anything that went overboard and said "Bob" had it. Rumor was a guy drowned on the lake many years earlier and his name was Bob. We later learned that was not his name but we kept the myth alive.

srhummer · Jun 19, 2014

My last boat had an outboard motor - yep it went to the bottom at the pier. I recoered it right away with scuba gear I had onboard, flushed it out, took it apart, lubed it very well, and it ran for years until I sold the boat.

Bernie Odin 820 · Jun 19, 2014

I was tightened the turnbuckles on the stays and talking to a friend. When he asked a question, I turned to answer not realizing my head was next to the stay. Yup, off go my $450.00 prescription sunglasses glasses into the water. To make me feel better, Jim told me that one of his friends had the same thing happened except his cost $600.00. I guess he was trying to make me feel better. His friend tied a fishing net to a long pole and was able to get them back. I did the same, after one hour had no luck. Maybe when the water warms up, I'll try diving down and try to find them. Guys, invest 5 bucks and buy the chain that hooks up to your glasses. Best investment. Famous last words.

woodster · Jun 19, 2014

my buddy in fairhope dropped a block over the side last year...he took a cast net and tossed it where it went in and waited for the net to settle...then slowly pulled it up ...wouldn't ya know it he got the block back in the net...go figure

Rick Webb · Jun 19, 2014

Found Two Items

a cell phone, of course it did not work but I had another one at home that the flip lid was broken on and I was able to switch them out and it was worth the effort. The other was a brand new pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarers that I got as a Christmas present from my daughter. She was still in high school and I felt bad that she spent so much of her own money on sunglasses for dad. It was in January and the water was way too cold at that time to search but using the pilings I triangulated where they went down and come March I found them a few barnacles to get off but I soaked them in vinegar and they were as good as new. I just smashed them last spring but still a good story.

Johnb · Jun 19, 2014

Coming in to tie up to a slough bank I lowered a stern anchor which was not tied on. (don't say anything!!!). The next day we set up the dink and I dragged a grappling hook over the area about 30 time before catching the rode and recovering it. I figured my chances should be good because there was 200 feet of rode strung out in 20 feet of water but it took a long time.

I keep a big 5" by 5" magnet on board with the hope of recovering stuff, but what is the likelihood that spectacles, for example, are anywhere near where they were launched if there is any current?

Steve Dion · Jun 19, 2014

Yup! Admiral dropped our electronic car key overboard in 20 ft of water. Called our harbor master and they came to our location with scuba equipment and found it in about 45 seconds.

The alternative would have been to rent a car to go home (170 miles) to get the extra key. If they did not find it the cost was about $200 to replace and who knows how long it would take.

Sometimes you are good, sometimes you are lucky.

Ralph Johnstone · Jun 19, 2014

James10016 said:
So, What have You dropped over the side AND then miraculously recovered it off the bottom?

Last time it was a deck filler cap that went over the side. So, the next day I decided to ramp it up a notch and use the grandkid's underwater TV camera to locate it.

Same results ................... nada. Too murky to see more than 6 inches.

Benny17441 · Jun 19, 2014

Listen to this. I was working one day in the swim platform installing an outboard mount for the kicker when I heard a plop behind me. I thought it was a fish jumping and continued to work. It wasn't until latter that I felt for my wallet and saw it was missing. At first I went back to the car and looked all over the boat before I fully realized that the plop I heard had been my wallet. I grabbed a pool net and started scrapping the bottom to no avail. I decided to call my diver which was on the other side of town but agreed to meet me early next day. When he got there I asked him if he had brought a torch as visibility was poor but he had not. He went in the water by the bow of the boat so as not to disturb the bottom but soon found there was no visibility. We mapped the position of the boat and mine when it fell and we delineated an area to where it could have drifted overnight. He went down again and to my surprise I see a hand coming out of the water with my wallet in it. He said his dive mask was two inches from the bottom and he just ran into it about where we had calculated it could have been. I had my credit cards packed so tight that some papers I had between them were still dry. I told him Dave thanks a lot and send me the bill and he said it was on the house. I had a soggy $20 in it and gave it to him as a tip. I was so glad not having to replace driver license and all kinds of cards. He then told me that he did not have much hope as he had tried before to find a Rolex watch for another of his customers and even that the conditions were much better that he could not find trace of it. From that time on I make sure my back pocket is buttoned or zipped up or the wallet stays in the cabin. Same advice is good for cell phones and keys.

Sailm8 · Jun 19, 2014

I loaned a friend my power washer and he launched the wand into the lake in about 15 feet of water. I made several free dives and son of a gun I found it.

I also lost my keys over the side and was able to find it. Clean livin' (Ha)

fstbttms · Jun 19, 2014

James10016 said:
Have You ever recovered an item that went to the bottom?

Only about a hundred times.

Nereussailor · Jun 19, 2014

I had a hole in the pocket of my shorts and put my keys in the pocket just before I stepped on the boat. As I stepped up on the deck I heard a splash. That was the most painful moment of anything falling overboard. Sockets, scrapers, screwdrivers and a few allen wrenches are pretty much normal, but the keys hurt. A friend that is a diver came down and looked for a half an hour. He said that the mud was more than a foot deep he came up empty handed then said he'd try one more time. He stuck one arm down in the mud to hold him in place and just started poking around. About 5 minutes later, he came up with my keys. That one cost me 2 bottles of rum and the shorts were in the garbage about 2 minutes after I got home.

CharlzO · Jun 19, 2014

So far, I've only got a 1/2" drill bit as a casualty, but it's only been a month in the slip, so I'm sure I'll add to that. I do keep my hand clamped on both pockets when I step on the boat, to protect keys and cell phone from freeing themselves.

Allan12210 · Jun 19, 2014

After perfecting a folding boarding ladder that required many trips (45 miles each way) between the garage and the boat for measurements it was finally ready to fit. It hung perfectly vertical with rubber tipped stand-offs and hooked on the aluminum extruded toerail. I went below to get something and when I came back up, the ladder was gone. Seems there was a big wake that drove the floating dock up against the bottom of the ladder and popped it loose. I have a folding grapnel I use for a dinghy anchor and sentinel on the anchor rode. I dragged that thing back and forth between the dock and the boat, crossways under the boat and under the dock. Nothing. Finally after 20 minutes I threw the grapnel out in the middle of the fairway and snagged it. It was a miracle. Now we always loop the lifeline through it when we open the gate and lock the pelican hook back on itself. Funny thing is, its never been pushed off since.

What haven't I retrieved: hats, sunglasses, 2 wristwatches, winch handle, my Welcome Aboard Doormat, 3 scrub brushes with boat hooks attached and a homemade Radio Direction Finder (RDF) that was a Sony Walkman AM radio with an Air Glide auto dash compass glued to it. That was my favorite. You can't build your own GPS from a kit, but you can make one of those

quadrille38 · Jun 20, 2014

Have lost plenty myself including winch handle, boat hook, prescription sun glasses, watch, bottles of tonic (no they don't float), and a sail batten that didn't float either. Never recovered any of them.

But the best story was when an older friend was standing on the end of the dock greeting friends who were coming in. Much to everyone's surprise as she talked out popped her dentures. Now we'd know her for years and no one had any idea she had them so she was embarrassed, stunned and worried as it was the first day of the long holiday weekend and getting new ones was not going to be cheap, easy, or fast.

Our lake is a very marrow mucky bottom and the water silty so we all figured they were long gone in the muck. A diver was called and thankfully out of the goodness of the guy he came right away even though it was the holiday. He carefully lowered into the water and dove down. Even though the visibility was in inches he managed to find them and surfaced holding the dentures like a trophy for all to see.

We all cheered and then never spoke publicly about it again - well at least not where our poor friend could hear anyway.

cephius (Dave) · Jun 20, 2014

On the SES Malolo (Sea Scout Ship 550 out of Los Alamitos Bay) every tool was painted bright orange. This was no help at the slip, but if anchored at Catalina Island the water was clear and the bottom sandy, we did recover most tools.