The dumbest thing I've done

[Will Gilmore]

One of the dumbest things I have done in recent times {my youth is just a series of dumb thing after dumb thing} was, while renting a boat on the Homosassa River, I followed a bass boat outside of the channel to take a short cut and found an oyster bed. Luckily, no damage, but I was very surprised. The guy ahead of me was on a plane and I was in a pontoon boat. Local knowledge makes a difference.
If my friend were to jump off a cliff, would I jump too? Mmmayyybeee?????

-Will ("the follower?", Dragonfly)

 

[BarryL]

A few years ago.....

I move my boat from mooring to dock and I spend an hour or so scrubbing. A nice breeze came up, so after the boat looked reasonable (not great but it's more fun to sail than clean) I decided to go for a sail. The boat was facing east, and the wind was just north of east at about 10 kts. I got all ready to sail (winch handles out, lines ready, sail cover off, engine on, etc.) and then decided that since I was already head to wind, I would raise the main while still at the dock.

My plan was to release the main sheet, raise the main, step off boat and onto dock. Release bow line, let the wind blow the bow off the dock, release stern line, climb aboard and sail away. It all worked fine: main sheet off and main up, main luffing a bit. Then I released the bow line and the bow started blowing off.

Then it all went to crap

The blow moved away the dock, but quickly. So instead of strolling back to the aft line I planned, I ran back and quickly released it. But the boat, instead of just pivoting to starboard like I wanted, started to sail away with out me! I gave a good tug on the dock line, but the boat was leaving the dock, with me or without me. I did not want to lose the boat so I jumped and grabbed the stern pulpit. I slipped a little, but I was able to scamper aboard. I reached the wheel and all was well after that. Once aboard I saw that the main sheet had a kink in it, so once the boat was off the wind, the sheet didn't run out, but instead the main started to power up.

The 'funny' thing was that two people in a rowboat got to see the whole thing. I saw them starting to row away from the dock but I had already released the bow line. The boat was trying to run them down, but the guy rowing wisely backed off. Once I was at the wheel they congratulated me on a 'nice save' but I was too busy feeling like an idiot to thank them.

Barry

 

[Ron20324]

.... Once aboard I saw that the main sheet had a kink in it, ...

Barry, I try to always tell my crew you can't just un-cleat a line and drop it. You have to watch and make sure it runs free.

 

[capta]

One of the dumbest things I have done in recent times {my youth is just a series of dumb thing after dumb thing} was, while renting a boat on the Homosassa River, I followed a bass boat outside of the channel to take a short cut and found an oyster bed. Luckily, no damage, but I was very surprised. The guy ahead of me was on a plane and I was in a pontoon boat. Local knowledge makes a difference.
If my friend were to jump off a cliff, would I jump too? Mmmayyybeee?????

-Will ("the follower?", Dragonfly)

Entering the lagoon at Fakarava Atoll, Tuomotus Archipelago, you go from a normal chart to a big white blank space, or at least you did in 1972. The coral heads can nearly reach the surface in 90 feet of water and there wasn't even a measly stake stuck on a bit of coral anywhere in the world's second largest atoll lagoon to guide you. You really could only move with the sun at your back.
Fortunately for me, there was a small ship some distance ahead and I figured anywhere she could go, I could too, so I steered to fall in behind her. But things did not go exactly as planned when I realized, just in time, that that ship was on a reef and had probably been there for a dozen years. That was the last time in a career at sea, which continues to this day, that I have ever followed another vessel thinking that "anywhere she could go, I could too".

 

[Simon Sexton]

The most STUPID thing I've done on a boat...oh boy. Well, I'm only eighteen years old, so my experiences are still just beginning, although I've been sailing since I was in elementary school. I was working aboard our ship's Tartan 30, "Flyin' Anne"; the mainsail that the previous owner had bought was brand new, and he said he'd never even rigged it up...brand SPAKIN' new. So when my crewmate, Jason, and I got the idea of hoisting the new sail and seeing if it was even the right one (there were six different sails that came with the boat), we decided to turn the boat around in her slip, as the wind was coming from astern. This was stupid because:
1. There was no one around to assist us besides ourselves.
2. There were six different lines tying the boat down (springs and bow and stern)
3. There was no functioning motor onboard yet.
Soooo we remove all the spring lines and cast off the dock; with Jason holding the only stern line and me holding the only bow line, we swung her around and went to tie her off. However, when Jason went to cleat his line off, the cleat on the stern of the boat broke off (dunno how that happened) and we both panicked and dropped our lines in trying to assist each other. As we ran to help, we met each other on the pier in front of the boat, and watched in utter confusion as she floated out of the slip and began to make her way down the fairway. I sprinted to the end of the dock and managed to meet the boat at the end of the pier, and I jumped onboard and went for a little ride as the wind carried me away from the docks and down the long fairway. It was blowing from abeam, so I had to sail the boat without any actual sails to stay centered in the fairway. Eventually, I was able to skowl the rudder enough to make about a knot of headway, and I got back to the dock using nothing but the rudder.

 

[pateco]

Most stupid thing recently was pulling away from the dock with the bow whip line still attached. I have to power out from the dock somewhat quickly to avoid the boats docked in front of us. So when I released the last dock line, and goosed her forward hard to starboard, the fiberglass whip just started bending over sharply, and the bow began heading back into the dock. I threw her in reverse but had too much momentum. I was sure I was going to break the whip pole, but then all of a sudden SNAP!! the small carabiner attaching the pulley at the end of the whip gave way, giving me time to slow her down, and disconnect the whip line. After that sail, I had to re-rig that whip pole, and now they are the first things disconnected when leaving.

You can see the offending whip attached to the bow pulpit.

Lesson learned.

 

[CloudDiver]

Dumbest thing I've done with a boat... I bought one.

 

[Kermit]

The most STUPID thing I've done on a boat...oh boy. Well, I'm only eighteen years old, so my experiences are still just beginning, although I've been sailing since I was in elementary school. I was working aboard our ship's Tartan 30, "Flyin' Anne"; the mainsail that the previous owner had bought was brand new, and he said he'd never even rigged it up...brand SPAKIN' new. So when my crewmate, Jason, and I got the idea of hoisting the new sail and seeing if it was even the right one (there were six different sails that came with the boat), we decided to turn the boat around in her slip, as the wind was coming from astern. This was stupid because:
1. There was no one around to assist us besides ourselves.
2. There were six different lines tying the boat down (springs and bow and stern)
3. There was no functioning motor onboard yet.
Soooo we remove all the spring lines and cast off the dock; with Jason holding the only stern line and me holding the only bow line, we swung her around and went to tie her off. However, when Jason went to cleat his line off, the cleat on the stern of the boat broke off (dunno how that happened) and we both panicked and dropped our lines in trying to assist each other. As we ran to help, we met each other on the pier in front of the boat, and watched in utter confusion as she floated out of the slip and began to make her way down the fairway. I sprinted to the end of the dock and managed to meet the boat at the end of the pier, and I jumped onboard and went for a little ride as the wind carried me away from the docks and down the long fairway. It was blowing from abeam, so I had to sail the boat without any actual sails to stay centered in the fairway. Eventually, I was able to skowl the rudder enough to make about a knot of headway, and I got back to the dock using nothing but the rudder.

What happened might have been stupid at the time but it sounds like you handled the situation quite well. Seriously. I’m proud of you.

 

[Kermit]

You can see the offending whip attached to the bow pulpit.

View attachment 147013

Lesson learned.

Whips don’t wreck boats. People wreck boats. ;-)

 

[Meriachee]

Whips don’t wreck boats. People wreck boats. ;-)

@Kermit I didn't know you were into that kind of thing. What's next, black leather sails with Tenax studs?

 

[Kermit]

@Kermit I didn't know you were into that kind of thing. What's next, black leather sails with Tenax studs?

Busted!

 

[Meriachee]

Yeah, but the Tenax studs, while a little pricey, are the coolest things going.

 

[Kermit]

@Kermit I didn't know you were into that kind of thing. What's next, black leather sails with Tenax studs?

And the best part is they’re available as a custom order through SBO. @Dave Groshong will be glad to work with you.

 

[mz4wheeler]

Starting pulling out of my slip with my power cable still hooked up. While going in reverse, a guy just happened to be walking by and said "hey, your power cable is stilled hooked up!"... I switched to forward and gunned it... Saved it... Good thing my power cable had some slack!!

 

[jon hansen]

got myself within 100' of the side wall of a class 5 tornado. it change my outlook of storms forever

 

[DayDreamer41]

Who here has made a mistake of thinking that sending a line off the transom with a loop in the end of it, that you hold on to and then jump in the water, while the boat is sailing downwind with the jib on a whisker pole the a preventer on the main was a good idea.
Thinking that the boat would slow down, you would cool off and then you could just hand over hand up the line back to the boat.
Well I can tell you first hand the boat doesn't slow down your swim trunks will come off and eventually you will have to let go of the line as you just can't hold on any longer.
While waving at your boat goodbye, swimming in your birthday suit and yelling at the top of your lungs to your almost deaf father to take note that you are no longer the catch of the day, you start to look at the expanse of water around you, middle of Lake St. Clair and ask, do I really want to be rescued or which way do I need to start swimming.
It did take some time but dad finally got the boat turned around and then found me, then he couldn't stop laughing, not sure if it was at my current situation or the extreme shrinkage...... will never know, he has passed on to calmer waters now.
That's my contribution to this thread from some 35 years ago while sailing our 22' Viking.

 

[Kermit]

Who here has made a mistake of thinking that sending a line off the transom with a loop in the end of it, that you hold on to and then jump in the water, while the boat is sailing downwind with the jib on a whisker pole the a preventer on the main was a good idea.
Thinking that the boat would slow down, you would cool off and then you could just hand over hand up the line back to the boat.
Well I can tell you first hand the boat doesn't slow down your swim trunks will come off and eventually you will have to let go of the line as you just can't hold on any longer.
While waving at your boat goodbye, swimming in your birthday suit and yelling at the top of your lungs to your almost deaf father to take note that you are no longer the catch of the day, you start to look at the expanse of water around you, middle of Lake St. Clair and ask, do I really want to be rescued or which way do I need to start swimming.
It did take some time but dad finally got the boat turned around and then found me, then he couldn't stop laughing, not sure if it was at my current situation or the extreme shrinkage...... will never know, he has passed on to calmer waters now.
That's my contribution to this thread from some 35 years ago while sailing our 22' Viking.

I guess 11 year old grandchildren are better at that. I’ll keep your story in mind if they ever encourage Grandpa to do the same. (I almost said follow suit. But I won’t go there.)

 

[DayDreamer41]

(I almost said follow suit. But I won’t go there.)

Hind sight is 20-20 ..........

 

[Roland5048]

It wasn't lately, but it was a prime example of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"!
My tri had a Kubota diesel with no screen on the air intake. One day, feeling very good about myself, I pulled a nylon stocking over the intake. Boy was it tight, so tight I decided to forego a hose clamp or even some duct tape.
Cranked her up and that nylon stocking disappeared so fast I wasn't sure I'd ever put it on there. Right into the intake valves! Engine died immediately because there just wasn't enough compression.
Of course, I had no spare head gasket, but it needed to be cleaned up if it was ever to run again. So I spent hours and hours picking melted nylon off the valves and seats and replacing the head. Strangely, the engine never did run very well after that, so I replaced it with a new one a bit later in Bundaberg. It was years later that I realized that I could probably have replaced the head gasket and the motor would have run just fine!
It wasn't the last time I fixed something that really didn't need fixing and came out worse for the attempt, but it was certainly the most expensive one!

Did the same thing a few years ago but it was a paper towel instead. Thankfully. Every time going out motoring down the river, I would go below to check the old one-lunger. Noticed some oil on the engine and decided to wipe it up. In the blink of an eye that air intake had swallowed the p-towel. Put the anchor out, unbolted the intake and preceded to pull as much towel out as I could. Put the intake back on and cranked it a few times thinking that the diesel would dissolve the paper enough. Well, after an hour or so cranked it and after a couple of coughs she started right up. Looked at the exhaust and out came some very scorched P-towel remnants. Got lucky. That diesel was a beast. Not sure that would be the case with my brand new 3 cyl. Yanmar.

 

[Kermit]

Hind sight is 20-20 ..........

My eyes! My eyes! No more hind sight. Please!