Fear

Oct 26, 2008
6,045
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
When I was nearing the end of engineering school I took a short hiatus to work as a surveyor for the Bureau of Land Management. It was a summer job that lasted about 1/2 year. I was on a crew of 4 in northern Minnesota to do what they call cadastral survey for the re-establishment of section lines on property at remote locations. We had an assignment to re-establish section corners on Pigeon Point, which is a remote peninsula on Lake Superior at the eastern-most corner of northern Minnesota hard on the Canadian border. I have to reference Google Maps for my recollections.

There are no roads out to Pigeon Point and nobody out there either. Now it seems to be a popular kayaking destination. Our plan was to hire a boat in Grand Portage to haul ourselves and the survey gear out to what is essentially an island in the Lake. The marina rented boats, but their runabout that was capable of carrying the 4 of us with our gear was in the shop for undisclosed repairs. Instead we headed out there in 2 separate open boats (15'?) with, say, 15 hp outboards. We did 2 days in this manner. In the early morning, the lake was smooth as glass and everything was really pretty. It was basically thrilling to go out there. After we rounded Hat Point that protects the harbor, it was a 2.5 mile run across Wauswaugoning Bay to the protected waters of Susie Islands and Pigeon Point where we made our landings.

The problem was leaving in the afternoon. It was August and the weather was already turning colder. This was in 1977, before global warming (when we were fearful of global cooling :what:). Both afternoons, the prevailing southwest winds kicked up significant sized waves and the lake water was in the 40's or 50's. I could barely stick a toe in Lake Superior during the entire summer, it felt so cold! In the shelter of the Susies, it seemed ok. As soon as we started crossing the bay in the teeth of the waves, it seemed like the chances of survival diminished. While my life was in the hands of the guy sitting in back running the outboard, I rode the bow with the determination that I wasn't going to let the bow rise so high to flip over. It seemed like that was the danger. We wore our PFD's but with the water as cold as it was, I realized that going in the water would mean death by hypothermia in a much quicker time than any rescue could be performed.

I can't say that I really had any fear. It was more like a realization that a capsize would be the end. I remember being pretty calm and grimly doing my part to balance the boat. Silly me, I signed up for this on 2 consecutive days. For our 3rd and last day going out to the point the runabout was repaired and we had a much more comfortable ride with a sheltered bow and windshield in the 20' aluminum boat.

What we didn't know is that they repaired a seam of some kind that had opened up possibly. When we were heading back on that last afternoon, we were pounding in the waves, but not feeling insecure. Then, when we got back to the marina and were unloading our gear, the boat sunk at the dock! It seems that a seam had opened up again. As long as we were moving, the water had to have been draining. As soon as we stopped, the boat took on water and sunk. :what::what:

Someday, I would like to go out there to see how well our markers survived. We set them in piles of rock, not having equipment to drill into the bedrock to set them properly. I'm guessing that they probably are not there.
 
Oct 26, 2008
6,045
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
What is there to fear? Most of us fear pain, I suppose. I haven't thought that I fear death. I don't fear drowning in cold water, for instance. The thought of death by electrocution or stabbing gives me much more fear. I get a little wobbly with heights at times, but once I'm acclimated, I don' fear heights either. Sue is terrified by the thought of drowning or being lost at sea, which makes her more fearful on a boat. I think that if I was in a bad situation on a boat, I would not really be afraid for my life because it's been long enough already and it doesn't seem to me like such a bad way to go. I have more fear of prolonged suffering by illness. Sue is also petrified by the thought of being ripped apart by a bear.
 
Oct 29, 2005
2,355
Hunter Marine 326 303 Singapore
My perpetual fear is doing Custom Immigration Quarantine Procedure CIQP in foreign ports. One never know what procedures had changed and requirements anew. Probably a case of trying to predict the unpredictable.

Ken Y
 
Feb 20, 2011
7,990
Island Packet 35 Tucson, AZ/San Carlos, MX
Okay.
Looking back to my youth, my Scout troop went to Isle Royale. I took a canoe out onto Lake Superior and had to paddle my ass off to get back to the island when the breeze picked up. Dumbass 12 year old.

It felt like it was do or die, so I did. No time for fear.
 

Mikem

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Dec 20, 2009
820
Hunter 466 Bremerton
This is not nearly as exciting as some previous stories but it got my attention. We were transiting south to pass under the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and the new bridge that was under construction. The pillars of the new bridge were marked with buoys that must have been 8' in diameter ( they resembled mines) and moored with massive cables. I was riding a good flood at the time (current can hit 7+ knots at times) and was concentrating on transiting dead center to avoid bridge pillars, cables and buoys. Directly under the current bridge (northern most) I heard and felt a tremendous thud bang. What the heck was that. I immediately throttled back to neutral and was slowing from about 12 kts over the ground. I asked for Ruth (wife) to go below and check for water intrusion. No water intrusion. My youngest son Steven looked all around the boat exterior for anything that might have caused the incident. I gently put the gear in reverse and a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood spit out the back. Yikes. Now did I have any prop, shaft or rudder issues. Shifted back to neutral, then forward and gradually increased the throttle and cycled the rudder with no adverse affects. Inspecting the hull and prop at our ultimate destination (12 miles distant) there was only a slight scrape on the hull paint and no damage to our fixed three blade.
How that sheet of plywood managed to get between my 6'6" fin keel and the prop and rudder is beyond me. Also, as I was hyper vigilant going under the bridges I never saw the sheet in the 2' chop. At the time I thought for sure we may have hit a dead head which if it had holed the boat we would go down quickly in a strong current and 55 degree water. Which is why I always have my dinghy with me. I will admit that for a few minutes my knees were shaking.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
I can totally understand how that event could put a very uncomfortable feeling in the pit of your stomach.

There are many issues in the PacificNW waters that can do that to a boat owner. Vigilance and a strong boat are a necessity.
 
Oct 2, 2008
3,807
Pearson/ 530 Strafford, NH
It’s a well known fact that I don’t know the meaning of the word fear, but my wife will tell you there’s a lot of words I don’t know the meaning of. We’ve done some crazy stuff and are thankful for having a bigger boat. That plus all those guardian angels working overtime. There have been a few times when we come into port and everyone stares at us in disbelief. Probably if we knew more about sailing we’d miss more of these adventures. What really gets my heart pounding is waking up for my shift on an overnight passage and seeing a red and green pair of lights in front of us. My wife calmly saying “I saw them”.
 
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Mar 2, 2019
433
Oday 25 Milwaukee
I was sailing my newly purchased Catalina 22 on Lake Mendota in Madison Wisconsin by myself . My previous experiances were on my boss's 27' trimaran . After anchoring behind a well protected peninsula named Picnic point . I hauled anchor and raised both sails. As soon as I cleared the point I had the full brunt of a cold front moving across the lake . Naturally I had the mainsheet cleated ! The boat rounded up first to port ,and as I over corrected then to starboard . I didn't know enough to uncleat the mainsheet . the noise of flapping sails was deafening and terrifying . I tried to start the ancient air cooled outboard . That relic should have been crushed up a long time ago .
I hugged every part I could while I crawled forward and releases both halyards . I used every bungee and sail tie I could find . Eventually I got the motor to start long enough to get back to the boat ramp.
Ahh yup , I learned a lot that day . I ordered new sails ,roller furler and bought a new outboard .
 
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Mar 26, 2011
3,402
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
Very early in my sailing career, I took a beach cat out in near gale conditions. The wind was off the beach, hotels blocked the wind, and I underestimated the wind. Yes, I got back, but it could have ended differently.

Like the "Old and and the Sea," I learned that the ocean can win. Period. Or as many have learned, "Good judgment comes from experience. Experiences come from poor judgment." (Attributed to many, as far back as Mulla Nasrudin, legendary wise man.)
 
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Ward H

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Nov 7, 2011
3,645
Catalina 30 Mk II Barnegat, NJ
My biggest fear is my wife finding out how much I spent on our C30 these past two years.

My second biggest fear was hitting my buddy's boat while docking our C30 last year. Took me a couple of months to overcome that.
 

DArcy

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Feb 11, 2017
1,691
Islander Freeport 36 Ottawa
Considering this is a sailing forum it is interesting how many of the "fear" stories were aboard power boats. And I'm with Ward, my real fear is my wife finding out how much I'm spending on the new boat.
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
I was at anchor in a cove off of the Neuse river in North Carolina with my father and two of my daughters as crew. We were sailing in a Balboa 26. I turned on the weather channel on the VHF as we were bedding down to learn that Hurricane Arthur had changed course and would be making landfall about 5 miles from our anchorage. Luckily we had about 20 hours to get back to port and put the boat on the trailer so ... no worries.
South River (Port).jpg


We had a good night, made breakfast and started sailing back to Oriental to put the boat on the trailer. The Balboa is a swing keel with a 1200# lead bulb on the end of the keel... this is an important detail.
Ready.jpg


We were someplace in the middle of the Neuse river with the sails well trimmed doing about 7 kts. when the keel hit something metallic. A loud clank and the boat went from 7 kts to approximately 1 kts as the keel dragged and lifted over this metallic something. We were all thrown forward so did not have the ability to do much but watch. As the keel cleared the "something" it crashed back down in a free fall with a loud "thunk". A few moments later a voice from the cabin says... "Dad, there is water in the boat".

Full confession. That made me clench. :yikes:

I put the tiller in my father's hand and went below. Luckily the water was coming from around the pivot pin gasket. It was flexing more that it should. I dropped the sails, raised the keel and the water flow stopped to a trickle. The bilge pump was able to keep up and we got back to port under power.
 
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MitchM

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Jan 20, 2005
1,011
Nauticat 321 pilothouse 32 Erie PA
coming into our slip, sunny day 15 knots from 180 degrees blowing on the stern . 25 ft from slip i yell ' reverse' to the spouse who's at the helm. boat keeps moving forward just as fast. o no !! REVERSE i scream, whereupon spouse guns it to WOT. but we are in forward, so we hit the dock at 6 knots, bow rides up a foot onto the dock. spouse cuts engine, boat slides back into the h 2 0. no damge to the bow , wow ! 2 inches wood out of the dock, wow! . the ntsb inspection down at the engine compartment shows: on the yan 2 GM 20 F, there is NO cotter pin retaining the gearshift cable connecting pin onto the gearshift lever. the pin had backed out, the gearshift lever was no longer connected to the gearshift cable coming from the helm. the ntsb exonerated the spouse. wine time.
 
Dec 25, 2000
5,704
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
No fear stories here. Seas alway calm, motor everywhere we go, flat and calm all the time, no incidents to confess about. This would be true if we did not own a boat or, if we did, never left the slip. Any kind of time limit on a posting?
 
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Oct 10, 2019
3
Seaward Fox Coldspring, Lake Livingston
Maybe not fear, but panic! Years ago, my regular sailing buddy (Richard) and I set out for a breezy sail in Galveston Bay in my Ranger 23 as the leading edge of tropical storm Chantal's windfield made landfall. Motoring in the channel toward the bay, we repeatedly took 2 ft sheets of green water over the bow so we decided to sail in the more protected waters of Clear Lake instead. The sailing was good and breezy, hull speed all the way.

As the sun got low, I hadn't realized I was gauging our distance from the shoreline by the height of the line of 80 ft tall pine trees that surround much of the lake. It got darker. At one point, I must have sensed something amiss, because I asked Richard to flash our spotlight ahead.

Very illuminating: what I thought was an 80 foot tall line of pine trees was really a 7 foot tall hedge. Instead of being 500 feet off the cement rip-rap shoreline, we were 30 feet away traveling toward it at hull speed. More concerning, we were surrounded by the pilings of an abandoned dock complex that had been destroyed by a previous hurricane.

Experience pays off. I shrieked "TACK!!!" but Richard was already handling the jib, and we somehow miraculously tip-toed through the forest of pilings unscathed, neatly avoiding a major collision that would have clearly "embarrassed the boat" if not causing injury to egos at least.

Upon returning to the marina, we kissed the dock in thanks to a benevolent sea-god, as was our habit after our many close calls. On this particular occasion, we didn't have time for fear.

I have cogitated on situational awareness and how our assumptions and errors in perspective play into our interactions with the material and social world, but mostly I appreciate that Richard and I were &%$#& lucky!
 
Sep 25, 2018
258
Catalina Capri 22 Capri EXPO 14.2 1282 Stony Point
Fear came in the morning when after consuming too much adult beverage (at 16) got into a row boat, passed out and awoke with the boat half over a dam! Had oars so pulled myself back from the brink to give my older brother (the source of the adult beverages) hell. The fear part was when I moved to get the oars, the boat edged closer to going over. took a while to get the oars in the locks and me in a position to use them. One can row fairly fast when there is an incentive.
Gave up alcohol for many years after that. Now, all things in moderation!
 
Oct 10, 2019
3
Seaward Fox Coldspring, Lake Livingston
OK, another sea story from some time ago. This involves fear, but not mine as much as my hapless “almost victims”. There was also a surprise seamanship lesson here (to me anyway).

My buddy Richard and I were returning from a sail in my Ranger 23 on Galveston Bay at about 11 at night. As we approved Clear Creek channel, we came upon a Tartan 10 (33 ft race boat) loitering about the channel entrance. They hailed us: “Our battery is dead and our engine won’t start. We tried sailing in, but the tide is running out and we can’t overcome the current. Can you give us a tow?” Of course we obliged. It was my first time towing another sailboat with my Ranger 23.

We made up a tow line with them about 60’ off my stern and headed into the channel against a stiff current. Their marina entrance was about 1000’ up the channel on the left side. As we approached the entrance, I hugged as close to the up-current side of the entrance as I could, because I could see the current was setting us both downstream substantially.

Well, my attempt to navigate the marina entrance was not as successful as I thought it would be. As I was focused on how close to the upstream rip-rap concrete I could get without going aground, agitated sounds and fearful voices erupted from the Tartan 10 behind me. They were on a collision course with the concrete on the downstream side of their marina entrance, and my trusty Johnson 6hp long-shaft (Great engine!) at full throttle was not moving us fast enough for them to clear the entrance. Oops.

Fear being the father of creativity, boat hooks, spinnaker poles, whisker poles, boarding ladders, curtain rods, crutches, shepherd staffs and anything longer than 4 feet, along with fenders, cockpit cushions, coolers and other saloon furniture was thrown into the effort to keep the Tartan off the rip-rap. It worked!

As we cleared the marina entrance, the sweating, hyperventilating, suddenly-sober crew of the Tartan collapsed in relieved exhaustion and weakly thanked us for their terrifying experience. Hey, no harm, no foul!

Later reflection gave me some nebulous insight into what happened to the nearly unfortunate recipients of my altruism. I made a similar turn into my own marina in a strong current many times. This time with three times the weight (not such a big factor once we were moving and had momentum) and three times the wetted surface for the current to act on (more significant), we just didn’t “Go” like I expected us to.

I was accustomed to a lot of “headroom” from my trusty Johnson kicker. It drove that Ranger through 4’ square waves (tide running out, wind blowing in) in the channel that we knew were conditions only drunks and fools (who us?) would be sailing in, and did so with aplomb at 2/3 throttle.

Looking back, we should have shortened the tow-line to 10 ft long, or better still, put out fenders and snugged the Tartan’s bow into my port (down-current) stern quarter before attempting the turn into the marina. I have since noticed that commercial towers often tie up abreast of the boat they are towing when in the channel, this is probably why.
 
Mar 1, 2012
2,182
1961 Rhodes Meridian 25 Texas coast
1983- at anchor on my Cross 35. some where in a bay off the Chesapeake. Wife, son and I aboard. afternoon thunderstorm peaking at near 80 mph winds. Got broadside to winds and anchor dragged big time, mainly because the up wind hull was out of water. Marble sized hail and HEAVY rain. Engine started, throttle wide open and still sideways BUT managed to miss a huge pile of rock onshore when we drove ashore. Next morning found ourselves on the shore side of a sunken log with 2 feet of water over it- we drew 3 foot 10 inches.

Guy in a pound net boat with a HUGE diesel pulled us off next morning. Thought for sure we were going to wreck on the rock pile. Bought a bigger anchor and more chain !!

While trying to get off. a boat came by with two OLD watermen aboard- they had been blown ashore into woods, and had walked home !
 

Tom J

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Sep 30, 2008
2,301
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
Looking back, we should have shortened the tow-line to 10 ft long, or better still, put out fenders and snugged the Tartan’s bow into my port (down-current) stern quarter before attempting the turn into the marina. I have since noticed that commercial towers often tie up abreast of the boat they are towing when in the channel, this is probably why.
A point to consider to avoid another "fearful" experience. When a commercial tower puts a boat "on the hip", they are not tied up abreast. The bow of the towboat is secured to the stern quarter of the boat being towed. This allows the tower to maneuver both boats. If you had tied up the boat you were towing to your stern quarter, you would have had a difficult time making the turn.