knocked down

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Jim Hughes

I can't believe that no one's got any stories.Here's one that happened 2yrs. ago.This was my first year of sailing.My girlfriend and I were on a beam reach going back to the marina on a lake near us.This is about 5 or 6 in the afternoon and the wind starts coming up.It's getting harder to hang on to the tiller,let the jib and the main out,all at the same time.We get knocked down,the lakes pouring in over the side of the boat.With the boat knocked down,the sails let go of the wind,and up she comes.Now I've got to get the sails down and keep her into the wind.What an adventure,now that it's over. We're heading to a slip,between 4 rows of docks and a lot of other boats,when I start turning into the slip,my outboard stops.I'am pulling the starter rope as fast as I can hoping the motor will start,as we're getting blown sideways between the docks and the other boats.Guess were my anchor is,down below in a locker.I'am getting a bit worried now,so as a last resort,I pull out the choke and it starts up.I spin the boat in it's own length and get into the slip without hitting anything.I get tied up and look in the gas tank.There wasn't anything there,it's bone dry.I guess by pulling the choke out,it must have sucked the last drop of gas.What a day.I almost gave up sailing. Now I know someone's got to have a story to top mine.Lets hear some of your tales.Happy sailing to all of you. JIM
 
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Ken Lane

You are dangerous

You are a danger to yourself, your guests and other boaters as you obviously don't have a clue as to what you are doing...either get some boating/sailing lessons, or take up golf...better yet, Chess.
 
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Herb

Ken that is uncalled for

Ken your response is neither constructive or instructive. This board is to help by sharing our expierences not just tear people down. if you Jim is unsafe then I would have to say don't sail with him in fact I rather doubt he would have you on his boat. why not say "you know Jim sailing in that manner is not the safest way to do you should try....... " to simply say that your not safe does nothing to help a person any more than it would if I simply said your rude with out saying what about you I feel is rude. Let's help not simply flame a person. only my thoughts but I bet others would say the same thing
 
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Chris Burti

Easy there!

Hey guys don't be so hard on Ken. After all, if everyone was foolish to go sailing before they were expert sailors, before everything was perfect aboard thier boat and before the weather was ideal... how would the rest of us find our slip with all those empty docks?
 
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David Perkins

Ditto Herb

But then again I dont figure we are one of the "perfect" sailors that does everything by the book and never has anything happen to them.
 
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Jim Hughes

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Hey guys,it's alright.At least the board's being used again.That story I told you about,was my 2nd sail.My boy and I had sailed the weekend before for 4-5hrs.and had a good time together and a good first sailing day.Last year I put slugs,and one reefing point in my main sail,as well as running my halyards,boom vang and downhall for my jib to the back of my cabin top. Still have a lot to learn,but it's slowly coming around.I've only been knocked down and ran out of gas that one time.I thought thats why this board was called "funny sailing stories",not to be slammed for telling our story.Maybe that's why its been empty for so long.To bad.Well, I hope everyone has a good sailing season. JIM PS. I'm sure someones run aground or drug anchor. Lets hear your stories.
 
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Chris Burti

Don't let it rub you wrong, Jim.

I've been sailing for well over thirty years, including some off-shore cruising. I'm still learning something every time I go out. In fact, it is amazing to me how much I still have yet to learn. I suspect that is why it never gets old or boring. FWIW, it hasn't been so long ago that I got knocked down and swamped in a wooden, gaff rigged sharpie. I had my fat a$$ planted firmly on the mainsheet after shifting sides during a gybe in a stiff breeze. We had no motor and because we were only moving the boat a few miles...no water and no sunscreen. We ended up needing a tow to sandbar because she didn't have enough freeboard while swamped to be able to bail her. Needless to say, we were badly sunburned, thirsty and a bit wiser when we finally reached our destination. Most of us could read between the lines that you had learned some valuable lessons from your adventure. So keep sailing, keep learning and be safe. Thanks for sharing, cb
 
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Jim Hughes

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Chris,I'm not offended at all.I think things that happen sometimes make adventures.I'll tell you one thing.I sure have a lot more respect for the power of the wind. JIM
 
Dec 6, 2003
295
Macgregor 26D Pollock Pines, Ca.
Hey Ken, I had just about the same thing...

happen to me one time. I had just gotten my boat a few days before and was heading back into my slip when the engine died. The wind was blowing about 6-8 knots and I was still learning how to handle her around other boats. I was only about 50' from the docks when the engine quit and it absolutely refused to re-start. I was really starting to get worried about hitting one of the other boats when a fellow in a little fishing boat came alongside and offered to help. We tied lines from his boat to mine and he got me pointed back in the right direction and headed into my slip. Then another fellow on the dock yelled for me to throw him a line and he would pull me in the last few feet. Everything turned out okay and when I was secured in the slip I started checking the motor. Plenty of gas, just got it that morning. Then I started to think about when I had put the oil in the gas. I went back over what I had done earlier and discovered I'd been it such a hurry to get on the water that morning that when I mixed in the oil, I didn't pay enough attention to what I was doing and put in twice as much as I should have! What a BONEHEAD! Popped the cover off the motor and pulled the plugs and sure enough, they were SERIOUSLY fouled! Changed out the plugs, took the fuel tank off the boat, dumped half in another fuel can, added fresh gas to get the mixture right, (being very careful this time!) and went back to the boat to try it. Everything was fine, the motor started right up and all was well in world. But boy, lemme tell ya, I learned my lesson that day. PAY ATTENTION when you're putting oil in the gas! And now I have an electric trolling motor on the boat as a backup!
 
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Scott

A tough audience

Jim- I wrote a couple of stories for this forum a couple years ago and got lambasted like you did. I took it hard but I sent my stories to Lats and Atts and they published all of them, plus I got free hats and t-shirts! Some of us take ourselves a little too seriously, I'm afraid to say. Keep up your good humor.
 
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scott

Jim do a archive seach

for "dumb and dumber" as there is a huge collection of stories of everyone's biggest mistakes in and round boats. Scott
 
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