Oops! What spring line?

[LADYBUG TOO]

Sometimes it's embarrassing but my confession might help someone else so, here goes. We used two short lines looped through the mid ship and aft cleats to moor adjacent to the fuel pumps. We flipped them around the pilings and secured back to the cleats so we could "unhitch" and pull up with minimal effort to clear the pumps for the next vessel. I had another longer line that I intended to use for a spring line after we finished fueling. We put on 90 gallons, paid up and pulled forward as planned so we could get lunch. Only thing is, I forgot all about the spring line and just moored as we had for the fuel pump. As we were in the restaurant eating, I looked out and Ladybug, Too was at an odd angle to the fuel dock, not going anywhere but also not looking like anyone with any sense moored her. After we finished our lunch, I "slinked" back to the boat, hoping no one noticed my poor seamanship. No harm to anything but my pride but it just goes to show that I need to be a bit more careful if I want an undamaged boat when I come back to her. I guess "haste" does make "waste" when it comes to safe boating. Just saying......

Pat
Ladybug, Too

 

[trailertrawlerkismet]

Pat:

I bet if the truth were to be told we've probably all done something like you've described. I recall backing out of slip and the boat wouldn't go anywhere, forgot to untie a line, then the time I went to launch Kismet and Lisa told me the trailer was floating....forgot to take the strap off of the transom. Anyone else care to come clean?

Jim

 

[knotflying]

Boat launched, park trailer and truck. both bilge pumps going on return to boat. I now have etched at the winch in several places, "INSERT PLUG"!!

 

[walldog]

Willie's Tug does not have enough power cord length to go cruising without unhooking.....Friday Harbor 2012

 

[dialtone]

Pre heated oven with plastic bowl inside. That was a mess. Oven now reads "check inside before turning on"

 

[Hydraulicjump]

Inaugural launch from the trailer after studying every detail of the Ranger Tugs YouTube launch and retrieve video. Much nervousness. Fire up the engine, check exhaust, all systems go, put it in reverse to back off trailer only to find lots of resistance. Increase revs, nothing. Break out in sweat as boat refuses to come off the trailer (line up of about five other boats waiting to launch, all staring at me). Dearly beloved walks up to the window and says "aren't you supposed to take off that thingy on the trailer that is hooked to the bow"?

 

[H28]

My Hobie 14 had a plug in each hull to drain out water. I would unscrew them and drain the hulls after use. Forgot to put them back in one time and "Sea Dog" was getting more sluggish and lower into the water with every passing moment. Luckily it was a small lake and I wasn't too far from shore when I realized my mistake. But it could've been Lake Michigan or the Illinois River with a barge bearing down on me.....

 

[pugtug613]

It never fails with me. The days I do a perfect docking maneuver, there is never anyone around to witness my brilliant seamanship. The day it takes me 4 attempts and then you bump into the dock too hard, there's about 2 dozen people on the dock. Of course they were all giving instructions as you were pulling in!

 

[rporterfield]

We were involved in the hydroplane races at the Tri Cities on the Columbia river. We were one of 13 USCG Auxiliary vessels, and four USCG vessels, plus several sheriff boats from several counties, Fish and Game and Tribal Police. We patrolled for three days, interacting with all of these agencies. As I was pulling the boat out of the water my wife said, " These state tags are expired!" Yes! It was true. With all these law enforcement agencies around our boat for three days, no one had noticed our tags were expired. Part of that is Washington no longer notifies one it time for new tags. So do not forget.

 

[Oregon Trail]

As the proud owner of a brand new trailerable sailboat, I hitched it up to my truck and pulled out of the dealers lot, full of excitement and possibility. About three blocks down the road, I hit a small bump, then heard a loud crash and felt the truck bouncing all over the place. The trailer had come off the hitch ball and was dragging along by the safety chains. Apparently the little locking tongue was closed on top of the hitch ball rather than under it. No real damage, but a good lesson.

Another time, trailering home from a mountain lake, I looked in my rear view mirror only to see the front of the mast hanging way off to the side of the boat, fastened neatly at the mast crutch at the stern, but supported only by the thin lifelines on the side of the boat. Had forgotten to tied down the front of the mast.

The best may be a lazy afternoon sailing on the river with my daughter and her friend. It was warm and the wind was fickle as it tends to be. Our little 3hp kicker ran out of gas (internal tank) but there was just enough wind to ghost along so we just lifted the motor out of the water and sailed in the quiet breeze until it gave out too. We were in no hurry, so we just drifted and chatted, enjoying the sunshine and some snacks while we waited for the wind to pick up again. We were roused out of our daydreams by the deafening blast of the horn from a large tug bearing down on us, pushing an enormous barge right at us. I quickly dropped the outboard into the water and gave the starter a pull. Then another more frantic pull. I soon realized I had not refilled the fuel tank. Let me tell you, that was the quickest refueling ever achieved by man. The adrenaline was flowing so strong, I pulled the fuel cap right off the motor, safety chain and all and watched it sink into the river. I got the motor going and putted out of the channel just in time to watch the tug captain shaking his head at me and undoubtedly muttering a few well deserved expletives.

 

[Cruzerboy]

There should maybe be a companion thread titled Disasters Averted: I read somewhere you should always run your transmission into forward and reverse before casting off. I was skippering a 40-foot fly bridge bareboat charter. Leaving slip from fly bridge bow first. Fuel dock/pumps dead ahead. Lower helm had a free-standing seat with arms. I ran transmission into forward--no problem. Reverse--frozen. Someone, seeking a little more room below, had pushed the captain's chair forward such that the chair's arm prevented the shifter from engaging reverse! Had I not checked, I would have been unable to stop my forward progress as I left the slip, and probably run into the fuel dock. Lesson learned!

 

[Boatagain]

Years ago, when my parents were still with us, I proudly invited them to join my wife, daughter and I for a day out on my new SeaRay 268 Express Cruiser. They were in their late seventies, spry and looking forward to a day of boating. It turned out to be the Day of Boating in Hell.

The boat had a fold-down transom seat in the cockpit, but it was narrow and uncomfortable, so I borrowed a pair of folding deck chairs for them to sit in - the good kind with the double-aluminum frame and sturdy (or so I thought) footprint. As we idled out of the marina on a beautiful summer day I remember thinking that it doesn't get any better than this. I glanced back at my folks, gave them a grin and a "Here we go..." and opened the throttle. Almost immediately we hit the first wake of the day. What can I say? I was young and stupid. Over the roar of the engine, I heard a muffled cry. Turning around, there was my poor overweight mother pinned against the portside cockpit coaming, still in the chair which was now leaning over on its two port legs. She wasn't hurt but her arms were flailing like a turtle on its back that couldn't right itself. I chopped the throttle and rushed back to help, but the sight of her in that position had me laughing which, of course, pissed her off to no end.

The day did not get any better after that.

My daughter, who was about five at the time, kept complaining she wasn't feeling well. She was below, lying in the v-berth and, as the day progressed, she seemed to be getting worse. Dealing with a sick child is never easy, but having her grandparents around, now sporting a bit of attitude after the turtle incident, only made it worse. We learned later that she was coming down with a bad case of chicken pox. My mother tsked, tsked for months after that.

To cap this wonderful day off, we pulled up to a waterside restaurant and tied up at their dock for dinner. The tide was low so it was a particularly long way up from the boat to the dock. With my help, everyone, including my, ahem, rotund mother, got off uneventfully and went into the restaurant to get a table, leaving me and my dad to tidy up the boat. I got off first and offered him a hand down in the cockpit to help him up to the dock. Now, my dad was a proud man and would not take my hand. He waved me off, grabbed a handhold, hoisted himself up onto the step in the cockpit and promptly fell, feet first, into the water. Dumbfounded but not panicked - dad was a good swimmer - I jumped down onto the swim platform, got on my knees and waited for his return to the surface...and waited...and waited...and waited. Panicking now and about to jump in after him, he finally surfaced after what seemed like an eternity. This time he accepted my hand and allowed me, with the help of the swim ladder, to get him back onboard. He seemed dazed but okay so, as any good son would do, I started to yell at him, "What the hell is the matter with you! I tried to help you up but...why did it take you so long to come to the surface?!" He just shrugged, declined an offer of dry clothes and allowed me to help him up on the dock. Then, with soaking wet clothes and the air of a man without a care in the world, he marched into the restaurant and took his seat with the rest of the family who were looking at me as if I was from Mars and wondering what the hell had just happened. This was a nice seafood restaurant, but he ordered, with water dripping off his brow onto the menu, a ham and cheese sandwich...the first time in his life he had ever done so.

We never did find out why he was under for so long or what was with the ham and cheese, but It was the last time I ever spoke about the boat to my parents.

 

[S. Todd]

Anybody else ever take off from lunch and forget to first retrieve the anchor?. A Danforth on a seventy five foot rode will follow along like a playful porpoise just to the side and about 25 feet in front of the skier until the captain gets his head on straight. Once was enough for that stupid trick that could have been a disaster but was without any harm.

 

[REO6205]

It never fails with me. The days I do a perfect docking maneuver, there is never anyone around to witness my brilliant seamanship. The day it takes me 4 attempts and then you bump into the dock too hard, there's about 2 dozen people on the dock. Of course they were all giving instructions as you were pulling in!

That's always the way. The best boat handling I've ever done was at two o'clock in the morning and not a soul around to witness it except the deck hands.

 

[Dave Patstone]

Upon the first launching of my new Ranger R25SC I very quickly learned a couple of very important things. Firstly when having that orientation cruise with Dave no matter how experienced you are pay attention. Now for my embarrassing moment. I launched the boat by myself, pushed her back tied her up and moved truck and trailer out of the way, of course it was a busy day at the launch ramp. Came back, started the engine and cast off, had to back out and make a sharp turn. When I went to straighten out, the wheel would not move no matter how hard I tried and I could not get the thrusters to work. I very quickly went into forward but the boat of course did not follow the same arc and was headed for the end of the dock. Most people just stood there wondering what the heck but a couple saw I was having a dilemma and grabbed the boat at the dock and took me to the off side. Now being totally embarrassed and swallowing my pride I set out to figure out just went wrong as now the wheel turned freely (with one finger) in my panic I never did try to steer after I put it in forward. I played with the thrusters could not make them work then I discovered you have to hold both buttons down to activate them (probably was shown this but was not paying attention)
Now feeling somewhat confident I was ready to try this again, all went well. Later on and not in the Marina I simulated the same situation with the same results. If you have the rudder hard to the port, in reverse and a fair amount of power on the power steering will not overcome the force of the thrust against it. Lesson learned nothing hurt except my pride.

 

[McThomas]

My confession: Charter catamaran, anchoring for the first time. Anchor set, all looking good, reversed to confirm, put engine in neutral and went forward to check on our good work. "Wow, some weird tidal/wind action around these parts" I'm thinking, as the boat orbits the anchor repeatedly.

Yes, you guessed it, the engine was not, in fact in neutral… Which raises the question - if the First Mate is below and didn't notice, am I still an idiot?