Your scariest boating moment ever ?

[will9000]

Hi there, just wondering if anyone has been on a boat trip from hell or maybe just had a close call with a boat or any other experiences even fun ones...

Please post here thanks

[gonzo]

In March last year I was cruising solo in the southern Caribbean and got capsized and thrown overboard. I don't think it was scary, but it required some quick thinking to get back onboard. It was a really dark night and hard to figure out where the boat was.

[gunship]

we were out in an old, just restored triss dighny. Sea trials, if you want. Her inside hull floatation was soaked so we cut the inside open, cut it out and refilled with new stuff, and resealed. the mast was a little dented and the sails were badly in need of replacement, but it was a nice day, hardly any winds, and according to the forecast would continue to be so, so we'd thought we try the little thing.

but in two minutes, the sun dissipated and the a sudden gust of wind almost capsized us, and more followed. as we came closer to shore, turbulence grew, and since the wind was from land we had to tack up to the harbour, with no real wind direction due to turbulence. almost capsized several times due to gust from either starboard or port - we basically had to throw ourselves across the boat to compensate, with the boom leashing out overhead.

luckily after a lot of zig-zaging we came under relative lee from the trees at the shore and could begin to row. to the nearest bridge and dock there.

[will9000]

Some scary moments so far from you guys!

For me i have had many scary moments on my friends boat, he scared me by doing 70mph full speed straight heading for some rocks in the sea and he wasnt looking he pretended to be cleaning the gauges and everyone thought he was going straight into it then he swiped away last second ! all part of the fun !

There is nothing scarier than being on the front seats of my friends boat, 850hp up a wave then slammed down onto the floor - you can feel it !

[gunship]

Originally Posted by gonzo

In March last year I was cruising solo in the southern Caribbean and got capsized and thrown overboard. I don't think it was scary, but it required some quick thinking to get back onboard. It was a really dark night and hard to figure out where the boat was.

Arent those the kinds of situations where you simply dont have time to get scared?

[cthippo]

Originally Posted by gunship

Arent those the kinds of situations where you simply dont have time to get scared?

That's pretty much my experience.

Earlier this year I took my kayak out in bigger seas than I should have. It didn't take me long to figure out that was a bad idea, but on the way back in I dumped it. So, here I am in 3-4 chop floating along merrily. I tried to get back in the boat once, and when that didn't work I started swimming. Fortunately I knew the bottom was pretty gently sloped there so I only had to go maybe 50 yards before I could put my feet down and walk out.

It was actually a confidence builder. Everything worked. My PFD kept me afloat, my VHF was still working despite having been underwater, and the gear I had on kept me warm.

There were a couple of guys out there that day playing with new gear, one of those stand up paddleboards and a surfski. When I got my feet down and made the beach one of them was there in his wetsuit ready to go in after me had I needed it. I've always felt good about that.

Originally Posted by will9000

Some scary moments so far from you guys!

For me i have had many scary moments on my friends boat, he scared me by doing 70mph full speed straight heading for some rocks in the sea and he wasnt looking he pretended to be cleaning the gauges and everyone thought he was going straight into it then he swiped away last second ! all part of the fun !

There is nothing scarier than being on the front seats of my friends boat, 850hp up a wave then slammed down onto the floor - you can feel it !

When do we get rid of that advertising your "friends" boat sh!t?

I was on a stranding ship, for about 16hrs hammering on sandbanks in a 135kn storm. Every other moment we fell from several meters waves to the concrete hard sand bottom. Made a few miles across the sandbanks with both anchors out. Top speed (with both anchors holding) was 4 knots!
Flying water up to the radar antenna (about 12m above WL), you know what that is?

It hammered the **** out of us, no, not the common way, out of the mouth.

Go, get some sealegs, and stop promoting your senseless toy!

Richard

[gunship]

Originally Posted by apex1

When do we get rid of that advertising your "friends" boat sh!t?

I was on a stranding ship, for about 16hrs hammering on sandbanks in a 135kn storm. Every other moment we fell from several meters waves to the concrete hard sand bottom. Made a few miles across the sandbanks with both anchors out. Top speed (with both anchors holding) was 4 knots!
Flying water up to the radar antenna (about 12m above WL), you know what that is?

It hammered the **** out of us, no, not the common way, out of the mouth.

Go, get some sealegs, and stop promoting your senseless toy!

Richard

scary! but may I ask, why did the ship strand? sounds like more story there, or?

Originally Posted by gunship

scary! but may I ask, why did the ship strand? sounds like more story there, or?

There was a shallow in the main approach, not charted. We went stuck when the weather was not too bad, but we did know what was coming up.

We deployed both anchors with all chain, to make sure we will not leave the narrow channel, when the storm comes in. (on 2,4 meter water, 120, and 150 meter chain)

It was a wrong decision, my decision.

Ground tackle held, as long as the storm was just a animal.

Can you imagine water coming through a watertight window seal? Seawater? Like a garden hose?

Have you ever heard a train falling off his track, right besides you? The sound of violent wind, is worse.

Do you know flying water? Nothing to breathe up to 12 - 15 meter above water surface?
You are only inside a vulnerable old steel structure, held together by 65000 rivets, 80 years old, keeping you from the elements.

Water temp was -1°C and within 20 miles, 90 people lost their life.

I brought my crew home without any injury, but that was luck! Not expertise!

Leave those premature ****** live their dream about the thrill on the open ocean. (his friends boat, ha ha) And let us hope they never go to sea!

Regards
Richard

[will9000]

Richard thats pretty bad !, sorry for advertising

[michael pierzga]

I was anchored in a the head of a narrow Fjord like, high walled, shallow, sandy bottomed bay with plus or minus one meter below the keel. In early morning a front with its associated squall line swept thru. The wind blew very hard, funneled directly into this bay , hitting 60 knots, the sea rapidly build, exceeding the depth of water under the keel. The yacht was grounding out in the wave troughs, taking a terrific beating. The bow of the yacht was awash... No way to lift anchor so we dumped chain and motored...full power... directly into the wind..stopping dead in the water whenever the keel bottomed out. Slowly, slowly climbing out. In one bottom out the yacht lost way and I lost steerage. The bow blew off and no matter how much power and helm I gave her I could not get her bow into the wind. I reach to reach jibed back and forth in this narrow shallow bay, always loosing to leeward, unable to get head to wind, until it was looking like I was finished so I tuned the yacht dead downwind, full power, as fast as possible ,then did a wheel over, hand brake turn...the yacht went rail under, heeled over from the wind and turning force, but it made it thru the eye of the wind and we slowly bashed out. It was a terrifying hour... pitch black, all the shoreline lights went black from local power failure, , wind just screaming...so dangerous that someone onshore alerted the rescue authority of my situation and they prepared to initiate a rescue. When I look back at it the only thing that saved my ass was that the ferocious wind blowing directly into this bay, pushed a wall of water and raised the water level just enough to keep me from grounding out for the head to wind maneuver. When the sun came out the boat looked a mess...blow out canvas dogger, VHF ariel laid flat, bent stanchions, no anchor, sea shells and small stones on deck that were blown off the shoreline..a mess.

[gunship]

Scary stuff apex. It's easy being wise in hindsight, but not when you're actually there.


I got a few that were pretty scary, but turned out well. this is not from my own experience, old family (the only ones who sailed) told me these.

First, my grandfather worked as a NA, and this was a job at a German yard building a large cruise ship. The ship was of the most modern kind, with stabilisers and autopilot (course holder). The skipper was an old hardened sub captain, not afraid of anything. when they were passing through a large minefield outside the coast and everyone were nervous, some people had bullishness with the captain. when they went to the bridge to find him, their faces turned pale, as there was no one on the bridge! they had just put on the autopilot on the course and went off having lunch!

Secondly, as an answer to that, I heard of one of his friends how they were sailing to Poland, and it turned out they had to beat to windward along a swept channel through a minefield - only that it wasn't marked. they had to navigate by dead reckoning.

[will9000]

Originally Posted by gunship

Scary stuff apex. It's easy being wise in hindsight, but not when you're actually there.


I got a few that were pretty scary, but turned out well. this is not from my own experience, old family (the only ones who sailed) told me these.

First, my grandfather worked as a NA, and this was a job at a German yard building a large cruise ship. The ship was of the most modern kind, with stabilisers and autopilot (course holder). The skipper was an old hardened sub captain, not afraid of anything. when they were passing through a large minefield outside the coast and everyone were nervous, some people had bullishness with the captain. when they went to the bridge to find him, their faces turned pale, as there was no one on the bridge! they had just put on the autopilot on the course and went off having lunch!

Secondly, as an answer to that, I heard of one of his friends how they were sailing to Poland, and it turned out they had to beat to windward along a swept channel through a minefield - only that it wasn't marked. they had to navigate by dead reckoning.

Haha that is scary !

[War Whoop]

I had a large Sportfishing boat was taking from Miami to New York for a sale ,anyway off No Carolina we ran into a huge storm the boat kept getting laid up on its side (had a huge tuna tower) and a plank got stove in right along side the engine, weather we hit something who knows, water came in like a water fall.

I had about 6 inches clearance to the oil pan over my back, I spent the longest hour of my life stuffing clothing and boat nailing the seam under a revving Turbo Cummings getting it to a point where the Pumps could handle the water and we could turn to a inlet.

[PAR]

Standing under the travel lift, inspecting a recent grounding impact on old universal rule 40' war horse, when the forward sling slipped. I don't know how many years that shaved off my life.