Luck

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Roger Long

Roger Long

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Nov 22, 2008
3,562
Endeavour 32 Portland, Maine
I seldom run the fuel as low as I have and learned this morning that the
gauge on the second tank I was drawing from sticks. The engine died in the
middle of the channel on the way to the fuel deck. I ran forward and got
the anchor ready. When I returned to watch the depth gauge, I realized that
it could well stay too deep to stop me before I was swept under the bridge.

The boat was still coasting towards the dock so I decided to keep on as it
would get me closet to shallow water anyway. It took what seemed like a
very long time with just a whisper of wind right on the nose slowing me
down.

I coasted up, turned, stepped onto the dock with a line, and made fast. It
was about as good a landing as I ever make although not exactly in front of
the fuel pumps.

If they had built those docks five feet closer to shore, I wouldn't have
made it.
 
Warren Milberg

Warren Milberg

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Dec 1, 1999
2,391
Hunter 28.5 Chesapeake Bay
Roger: good story with an even better ending! Do you play the "what if" game whilst sailing alone?
 
Stu Jackson

Stu Jackson

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Feb 26, 2004
23,047
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Warren, we call it "situational awareness" but that's the bloody engineer in me! :doh:

I'm sure most of here do "what-ifs" almost all the time, and kinda do it in our sleep, based on our experiences. Heck, Roger could just have well run over a fishing line and had his engine cut out.

They didn't put the fuel dock too far away, they put the bridge too close in too deep water!!! :eek:

Guess there's a "Lessons Learned" in this one...;) Beats a "Postmortem"...:)
 
kloudie1

kloudie1

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Nov 6, 2006
10,093
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
Good Job ! so now is the time to break out the note pad and when filling, note where the needle is when you have a gallon left ..
 
drumbeater

drumbeater

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Jan 18, 2011
225
Hunter 26 Beaufort SC
My neighbor was coming into the Beaufort Marina from a week or so at sea coming from the Bahamas. He got to within a couple hundred yards and ran out of fuel. Oh yeah, at 11 o'clock at night. They managed to sail into the dock. I wish I was that skillful.
 
Tom J

Tom J

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Sep 30, 2008
2,325
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
drumbeater said:
My neighbor was coming into the Beaufort Marina from a week or so at sea coming from the Bahamas. He got to within a couple hundred yards and ran out of fuel. Oh yeah, at 11 o'clock at night. They managed to sail into the dock. I wish I was that skillful.
Click to expand
You never know until you have to do it!
 
Paul4414

Paul4414

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Aug 6, 2006
49
Hunter Legend 37 Severna Park, MD
Roger,
Remember, it is luck when the other guy does it. It is skill when you do it. Nicely done.
Captain Paul
S/v Lady Sara
Legend 37
 
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