Worst day on the water

[Ian Cameron]

Anchors aweigh

Every bad experience (at least every REALLY bad experience) I have had sailing has had to do not with sailing but with anchoring. I've anchored in shallow water and awakened with the boat on its side; I've dragged the anchor and had the boat bumping on the rocks in the dark; I've swatted mosquitoes to the point where my mate and I decided to do something interesting enough to take our minds off them (well - that might not have been such a bad night); I've had other boats drag down on me; I've had other boats foul my anchor (at Cabo San Lucas in 25 knots of wind at 3:00 AM) and - wait! I've just remembered the worst day's sailing! My 8 year old daughter and I had spent the night in a little bay on the south end of James Island (off Victoria). We picked the spot because it had a nice sand beach for her, but it was open to the south and we spent a pretty restless night. In the morning I hoisted sails, hauled the anchor while she steered, and was about to stow the anchor when we got a gust, so I dropped the anchor on deck and went back to sail us out. We got out of the bay, made a long board into mid channel, met some chop, tacked, and ....the god-dammed anchor went over the side, took all the chain and line, and disappeared. I'd never actually fastened the line to the boat: just wrapped it on the horn cleat when anchoring, and of course had undone it to stow the anchor. New anchor, new chain, 200 feet of line. There. Even my worst experience sailing involved the anchor.Ian Cameron

 

[Joe & Judy Lynch]

Worst Day Sailing

Our worst day on the water had nothing to do with fog, rough seas, mechanical problems or dumb things. Well maybe dumb. We left port early in the morning with the intent of getting home a little early. What we ended up in was 7 hours of mirror like water no wind, hot humid weather.We never expected Long Island Sound to turn into a bathtub. Resulting in a very long slow motor ride home. When we finally made it to our marina we didn't want to look at another boat or water for a long time.

 

[Jim Stocks]

Hurricaine/TS Dennis

My worst day was getting caught on the Chesapeake Bay, Labor Day 1999 when Hurricaine/TS Dennis decided to move inland. I was by myself and the first time alone on the bay and it scared the s*** out of me. I didn't flip the boat, but came close and survived. Check my web site for the story. http://www.jimstocks.com Jim

 

[Gilbert]

My worst cannot compare to the rest but

My wife and I learned to sail the way we do everything else...we get a book , read as much as we can, talk to as many people as we can and then jump in feet first. On our 3rd or 4th time out in our 22ft we had our 22 yr old son with us. It was right on the edge of being too windy for us "beginners" but we decided to go anyway. After "sailing" in rough water for about an hour we decided to come in. We had been sailing only on the jib for about 30 min. I got the motor started just as we came into the cove and got my son to steer while I lowered and put away the sail. Just as I got the jib wrapped up the engine quit and while trying to start it my son flooded it. I thought no problem I'll just drop anchor and deal with it. After diverting my attention for just a few minutes my wife excitedly tells me we are being blowned toward a near by beach. The anchor is not holding. I had the presence of mind to raise the centerboard just as we crash up on the beach amid a few startled sun bathers. My son takes off down the road to the marina to get my trailer. I tell my wife I am going over to see if I can push the boat back out but the waves are too strong. All this time my wife is yelling at me to get back into the boat because she fears I will get trapped under it. I get back into the boat and manage to start the engine and tell my wife tthat I am going over again to push while she guns the engine in reverse and instruct her to put it in neutral as soon as we are free from the beach so that I can jump back on. She argues loudly that she's afraid she might not be able to do it. I give her as much instruction as I can. She is very resistant but I just jump and she has to comply. Amazingly she does it, all the while yelling at me and all the people on the beach who are not helping and after I repeatedly warn them to keep their children back in case the boat lurches up onto the beach again. (this time under power in case my wife puts it into to forward instead of neutra)l. But luckily she does just as I instructed and I just manage to haul myself back on as the boat moves out into water to tall for me to stand in. I gun the engine in reverse and turn us around to head back to the marina. We argued all the way in. But I learned to always keep a sail ready to hoist. The easiest thing to have done was to raise a sail and sail out. We were very lucky because if the wind had been a little different we could have been blown up on a near by point that is nothing but rock.

 

[fletchdoggie]

mas tequila!

We were leaving the dock and the stern tried to go under it, I pushed away and my thumb caught a large splinter of wood ripping it up pretty bad.I decided to try and sail anyway, however the blood was everywhere.I wrapped it up with gauze to stop the bleeding but my thumb turned blue.We returned home and I got three stitches.When I returned to the boat my friends had left.I hosed down the boat and started to leave when I noticed a bottle of cabo wabo and some triple sec. The perfect anasthetic!The day turned out pretty good after all.

 

[Carol]

I remember that day!

Our club had planned a social. It was our first year sailing. We decided to join the club for a motor/sail journey to Paducah. Lot's of festive plans had been made. Dinner, coctails, live music in the streets and a night stay. All of us met just outside the harbor of Grand Rivers. We motored thru the canal to Barlkey Lake. And then up to the locks. The lockmaster opened the locks and all of us entered, tied off and we were all set. The schedule called for a 25 mile motor trip on the Cumberland River to the Ohio River. And another motor trip of 12 miles to Paducah. Our boat is a "84" Hunter 27 with a diesel 10 hp. After all of us were safely out of the locks, the parade proceeded. With our small engine we could not keep up with the pack. With each curve in the river we watch all the other boats move out of sight. Guess you might say we were dragin' along. Then we had engine problems. She died and did not want to start. Had some guest on board that weekend and I am glad we did!! We let the engine rest for a short while, checked the diesel again. And she started again. Only problem was that she didn't want to run long. Then out of nowhere "Mr. Barge" appeared, and blew his BIG horn at us. We had our radio on the whole time but never heard anything.......she wouldn't start! And like other sailboats we did not have any ors on board. I began to panic....My captain and our male guest kept their heads on straight.....and all of a sudden she started and we just barley were able to move out of "Mr Barge's way......it was close. After a almost collision with "Mr Barge" we decided to turn around and head back. The engine continued to be contrary....off and on....and with the rivers current we had to drop the hook as not to loose ground every 10 or 15 minutes, thats where I was so glad our guest were on board. With my captain at the wheel I don't think I could have handled the anchor soooooo many times! Finally we made it back to the locks and hailed the lockmaster. But got no reply from him.....So again we had to drop the hook and just sit there......about an hour later another "Mr Barge" came into our view....but there was lots of room for both of us. We had managed to anchor off to the side...."Mr Barge" came closer and we could here him and the lockmaster talking about that sailboat that had been sitting there for so long...had a short in the radio..no one could here us calling out..the crew on "Mr. Barge" shouted to us....."are you having problems"..then he explained...let them get in, tied off and then we could enter.......That all worked great.....after several more dropped hooks and the off and on engine we were back on Kentucky lake. We escaped the encounter with all of us being all in one piece.....Yes, this was a bad day on the water, we learned a lot, my confidence increased and what a challenge!!!!!.....I would take that any day over the office.Smooth sailing!

 

[captkimo01]

Low Water on Lake Mead

I had just drop off my passengers and crew at the Las Vegas Bay Marina and was heading back to Callville Bay Marina to recover my boat on the trailer.Normally I slow going through the cut between Black Island and the Northern shore, but it was getting on to sunset and I wanted to recover the boat in daylight. I got through the cut at WOT alright, but turn up the lake too soon and hit a shoal area.Destroyed the lower element of the 50 HP outboard. Fortunately, I was able to raise on my handheld 5 Watt VHF, a roundabout that was headed for Callville Bay and he towed me into the dock at the ramp. $3500 repairs with $300 deductable with insurance. Bought a 100SX HumminBird fishfinder NOW to look for these shoals at low speed, LOL.Lake Mead water level down the lowest in 30 years and still dropping due to light seasonal snow pack in the upstream mountain range and increase demand for water in the Southwest.

 

[BILL ROBB]

A BOILING POT OF ERRORS!

If you've ever been hit by a fast-moving squall, you know how quickly things can go from calm to frenzied! It happened to me, and everything that could go wrong - did! I had a "Luff-wire" furling system at the time and it got snarled so I couldn't furl the headsail. While fighting to get the sail down in the 45+ knot winds, the sheet wrapped around the prop! Trying to sail home, I ran into rocks! I'm sure there were other things that went wrong too but those were the highlights! Bill

 

[Dave Teal]

Caught in a Tornado

In 1980 we were sailing a chartered H30 to Pelee Island, on Lake Erie when we spotted ugly, black clouds to the Northwest at about the same time NOAA announced tornado warnings. We decided to make for Scudder, on the north side of Pelee. Just after rounding the NE point, the tornado hit. The sails were down, but the jib was not properly secured, and set itself.The "one-lunger" was not strong enough to hold us into the wind, but could keep us beam-to. The waves were motionless piles of water because the wind was too strong for them to move; rain and hail felt like shotgun pellets and lightning seemed to be flashing five feet overhead.The boat layed over almost 90 degrees. (Much later, we would say the boat was "mooning" the tornado.) I couldn't let the boat run before the wind becauses I could no longer see Pelee--I could hardly see the bow! I grabbed a life stanchion that was now over my head, and Nancy, my wife, grabbed my neck. For about 5 minutes--an eternity--we were merely concerned spectators in an epic battle between our boat and the storm. Eventually, the storm surrendered. We swore after that, if we ever bought a boat (unlikely at that instant), it would be a Hunter.

 

[Bruce Jay Bartley]

No Such Thing Exists in 60 Years

In sixty years of boating, mostly in sail boats, I have experienced the following: Demasted three times. Lake Davenport, Iowa, Lake Pleasant, Arizona, and Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. Over-turned twice in tornados on the Mississippi. Once in a C-scow, and once in an M-16 scow. Fractured fuel-line at night, in kelp beds, between Mission Bay and Oceanside, Calif. with no wind. A hail storm on Lake Pleasant in an M-16. Boy does that hurt. Hit a telephone pole in the Mississippi at night in a Crist-Craft 19' run-about at night, just above the Rock Island Dam, with scared wife and parents. Hit another one that was 10' out of the water, in the same boat when the bow took over in a narrow passage in the slews of the Mississippi.  Wife fell off an aqua-plane we were pulling with a C-scow in the channel of the Mississippi, with a loaded tow boat a 1/2 mile away. She couldn't swim and Parents had never sailed a boat in their lives. I dove in to get her and then had to instruct Dad on how to sail close enough for us to get back on board. Ripped sails, broken rudders, no electric at night, feet rapped up in main sheets of an over-turned E-scow, out of gas, and a whole flock of broken stuff, angina attacks, at night off Charleston, SC. I would not trade any of the above for the absolute best day of working. And I enjoyed most of that.

 

[Bob Camarena]

16 Hours of Misery

I was seasick plus had a migrane headache once on an overnight race for 16 hours. Definitely would have preferred the office.

 

[Nathan Love]

Lake Erie's rage

Rookie Season. Fast moving squall coming up fast. My wife and I saw it- she ran below to grab life-vests. We were at least five miles out on the lake. I was up at the bow wrestling with the 155% when the winds hit. From 10-15 to 40+ in less than five minutes. The waves went from 2-3 to 6-8. I couldn't get the jib down-the main was spilled, but it wasn't enough. We rocked over and put the mast into the water. The rudder came out and she rounded up into the wind. She fell off, the wind caught the sails and over we went again. And Again. And Again. And yet again. I finally got the jib down, stuffed it down through the forward hatch into the v-berth and struggled back to the main. Once the jib was down, the main fell quickly. I started the motor and turned her to take the waves under the transom and we surfed home peaking at 9 knots on the backside of the waves- My boat has a max hull speed of only 6- needless to say- it was exhilarating. Docking was fun- my wife jumped into the water to retrieve the windward bowline while I fended off my neighbor. Tied off, cracked a beer and thought about selling while shaking like a leaf. Now, having put some seasons in between us and that day- I am thankful that we got back out there and grew beyond our fear. Having seen how the boat behaves under those conditions, I have a remarkable amount of confidence in and respect for the boat (26' O'Day). Oh, and the Lake, too.

 

[LaDonna Bubak - CatalinaOwners.com]

Stormy weather

Stormy weather has far & away been the biggest cause of bad on-water days. Anything stupid I've done (ie: running aground) actually makes for good stories but just ain't nothin' good about storms!LaDonna

 

[Steve Dion]

Bruce Jay

Bruce:It sounds like you moved to the desert to get away from the water! Maybe your wife decided for you!! <g>

 

[Steve LeBlanc]

Worst day on the boat

Lets start off. Wanted to launch from a friendly marina but due to boat races we couldn't so we drove south, 50 miles and launched from a marina ht had no dock. The motor would not start right away, so 5 minutes of pulling just to start the damn thing; Going out, father in law kept getting way too close to the jetty and still hasn't learned how to steer a tiller; Coming back in, motor died while trying to get it to the trailer; couldn't get it started, boat ran aground at the ramp; turned sideway's; I had to walk out into the water, waiste deep, with keys on an electronic door lock now shorted due to getting wet to try to push the boat out. Ended up climbing into the boat, getting towed by another boat to streighten out out boat; finally got it on the trailer, by myself; Mother inlaw bitching; wife complaining; father in law useless and I'm soaked with a shorted remote to reset the alarm on the truck; Still, I would have rather been sailing than working.

 

[Carol]

Re: These article's

Fellow sailors.....I have really enjoyed these article's!!!! Thanks for taking the time to write them.Smooth sailing

 

[Jacob]

Christmas Eve Capsize

I was foolish enough to be sailing in the wters off Isle of Palms SC on Christmas Eve with my brother in a WWP 15. Those who know this boat know it has good initial stability, but a point of no return that sneaks up on you. Didn't have the mainsheet in hand when a gust blew us over. The boat floated both inverted and after righting, but not at an atitude such that it could be bailed. Foolishly attempted to swim to shore (200-300 yards) Tidal current put a stop to that. Fortunately someone on the beach had called the local fire and rescue team and they showed up on the beach with a Zodiac about the same time a CG helicopter appeared overhead. Water was about 55 degrees and we were in it for around 30 minutes. My brother had started to lose his vision about the time they pulled us out. We warmed up in the ambulance and in the hospital. Boat was lost. Spent the next several days meticulously writing down everything I had done wrong that led us to being in that place at that time and causing the casize and our brush with hypothermia. Bad day, good learning experience.

 

[Ed Smith]

Capsized at starting line

and it turtled immediately in 12 feet of water and 4 feet of mud. The mast stuch and I swam around while the fleet crossed the starting line looking solemnly at the poor sailor stuck in the mud. There was a delay before the harbor patrol could get to me and pul me out of the mud and my poor boat look like it had been through hell. I spent the entire race at the dock cleaning up and I still have some mud in parts of the mast. Personally, I would have liked to disappeared in a fog bank. I see from forum that I wasn't only one to capsize. Not much joy from that either.

 

[Matthew Christenson]

my worst day a cat 22???

My worst day on the water wuld have been my most recent birthday. To celebrate my birthday i entered my catalina 22 in the Lake Pend Oreille Yacht Club's night race to Pearl Island Forty miles total distance on beautiful Lake Pend Oreille, Id at night. The start was mellow 5 to 10 knots of winds. The forecast called for 20 later in the evening. The race was smooth nearly a full moon and a clear sky, yet in the distant north a thunderstorm was just sitting over the islands. Around 2:30 A.M. I reached Pearl Island. The winds had picked up to 25 gusting to 30 or 40. In the dark I had a hard time finding the island, but I met up with Stinger I think, or some other boat in the race. Together we rounded the island. I nearly broached once in the process, the winds were so strong and the current was flowing so strongly in the opposite direction that I could barely get enough momentum to break through. I finally made it around the island, only to realize my downwind shot to Pearl had turned into a upwind drive through 4 to 5 foot waves, gusting winds, and lighting. I had lost a halfmile in distance to the boat I rounded the island with, I could barely see them of my port bow in the moonlight. Soon enough I was alone in the storm again. I made the mistake of rounding the island flying my 150% Genoa, I should have dropped the Genoa and hoisted my storm Jib. Hindsight is always 20 20 I guess. Anyway after rounding the island I was sailing close hauled with my traveler spilling as much wind as possible, and twisting my headsail to reduce heal. I could handle the wind but the crashing of the waves was really beating the *#$%! out of me and the boat. I decided to drop the Genoa, and try to raise the jib. In the process it began to rain. I dig out my foul weather gear remove my life jacket and try to dress for the elements. Sure as !*#%lightning starts to crash on the shoreline and mountaintops to the east about 2 -3 miles away. I get on to deck the waves are seriously intense now I have forgotten to put my life jacket back on, and with the slick deck from the rain, and the rough seas I realize that I have reached the point to where I have to withdraw from the race. I try to hail other boats in the race on the vhf radio, but I am only using a handheld. I was out of range. I start the motor and head my boat into the wind. I am waiting for a smooth stretch of water, that seems to cycle every few minutes. I see my section of clear water and jump up to drop the main. As I am pulling down the main my stopper slug that holds the main blows out. So now my main being picked up by the heavy wind starts to fly free from the mast. Not to mention the motor can not push the boat fast enough to ride over the tops of the wave. They were big enough that a couple of times my stern was so far out of the water that my motor was free of the water. So I grab my main wrap it around the boom securing it temporarily so I can get control of the boat. Once I had it under control I rode the waves into a nearby bay to wait out the storm. Around 4:30 AM I Find a cabin that is for sale and put in at their dock, fix the boat, and finally sit down to relax while I wait out the storm. Around 10:00 AM I wake up from a nap, and head back out into the water. As I round Mineral point my VHF radio starts to pick up static. I am still 15 miles from Bayview. As I get close to Garfield the static turn into a signal that I can here. The first thing I hear is the race committee calling the Bonners County Sheriffs Looking for catalina # 10562. Hey thats me I yelled, and tried to hail the sheriff on the radio. It took a few minutes and couple of relays from other boats before I could check in, and let them know I was OK. I guess the storm was bad enough that they thought I had lost the boat or something. Anyhow four hours after the call I motored into Bayview, like a prodigal son coming home glad I was safe. This had to be one of the coolest races as well as the most intense I have ever been in. I am really upset that I had to withdraw. I would have done very well probably. Anyway I went to the captains table sat down and got drunk at the expense of the locals, listening stories of their storm encounters. What a great birthday I had. Anyhow I had to tell somebody of my ordeal. Hope you don't mind.

 

[SailboatOwners.com]

Final results

Final results forhthe Quick Quiz ending 8/18/2002:My worst day on the water was caused by... 42% Bad weather25% Problems with the boat18% Running aground, getting lost , or other errors16% Yelling, fighting, crew problems