Discussion Stories of stupid happenings!

[A.B.]

Thought I would share my stupid sailing day (today) with you all and I would thing a few of you might have some to add.

Went sailing today before we get Ice up, ended up sailing my A rig in a C rig day, boat would not tack or gybe, so I ended up having to pick it up on the other side of the lake. Well over a km, good thing it sails straight with out control. ende up driving around to the other side.

Andrew

[Darkside]

Good thing you're a lake sailor, ot it would be on a world tour by now..

[PrairieSchoone]

Didn't realize how fast a Subaru Forester could drive, or how quick you could sprint to it in your rubber boots!
Chris

[A.B.]

Lucky I was not wearing my hip waders.

[Sea Devil]

How is this for stupidity;

I made a lateen sail for my 32 inch jibhead but didn't take helm balance into consideration when I designed it (I know better now). When I launch the boat the sail acted like a weather vane and turned the boat into the wind. I stood there helpless as it slowly drifted away in the harbor. I tried to flag down some boats but they ignored/didn't see me, so I drove home and got my dingy.

When I got back I spotted the little guy heading out towards the big bad Atlantic ocean and with all my might I tried to row out there to rescue my orphaned rc boat only to be rescued by a passing sailor as I struggled in the choppy waters.

I could still see the white boat with its big orange nylon sails bobbing as we sailed away but I was too embarrassed to admit that I had risked my life for a toy.

I know a lot more about boat design now and always take helm balance among other things into consideration, but even now when I design a new boat or want to try out a new sail/keel design I attach a small line to the boat just in case

[k4s]

This is my entry in the retard of the year contest....
Just got my IOM back together after a winch upgrade,new digital rudder servo,nice nearly new race set of A rig sails,brand new 5 pack of rechargable boat batteries.
Nice day,sun shining,gentle 5 to 8 knots of breeze,water as close to calm as we get on a lake that is 40 km across.
The boat(Vapour 2) is sailing about the best I've ever seen it,I must have lucked into the perfect tune.Hunting the lifts and pulling down in the knocks with little to no input from me.
Really enjoying the bow wake just peeling off the boat,huge grin on the face.
A submerged rock leapt out and grabbed the keel.Bow goes way down,rudder flapping in the air.The boat settles down,backs off the rock,quivers,leans to the wind and takes off.Whew lucky escape,water is still to cold to go swimming.
Sailed the boat back to the jetty,all seemed ok as she tacked close in for inspection,looks good(should have pulled her out and really checked)
A few more minutes of idylic sailing then.....no control...boat heading for the far shore,remember 40 km away,perfect balance and going like a rocket.
Hurry away and get dingy,engine etc,franticly assemble ,launch and we're away in hot pursuit.
Motor is going as hard as it can and we are slooooowly catching the wayward yacht.
Then we lose site of it...oh oh..search and search and search..no luck.
Motor coughs,stutters,,,stops....should remember to check fuel in the future doh,,
End result...Davey Jones has a new boat..we are 5km off shore,no petrol and a dingy that rows like a brick.
Then things get good...a friend sails out of the lake in his nice new 30 footer.We wave him down and he offers a tow.We gratefully accept and are handed a cold beer as we climb aboard.
Amidst much teasing we tell our story and he kindly offers to sail around for the next few hours to search,,,as time goes on and the fridge is emptied the search becomes less than serious.
New job is to replace the boat,
learn where the rocks are
and check properly when an accident occurs.
Lessons learned...possibly the most expensive hangover I've achieved so far.
Richard

[boater_dave]

K4s, sorry about your loss. That is a really hard lesson.
My story isn't so bad...
We were at a local regatta of mixed power and sail boats. A friend asked if he coould sail my Victor Stars and Stripes. Sure, I say. Here's the TX. He takes the boat and sets it in the water and it immediatley takes off. I ask if he switched on the rx in the boat. He said, um... no. We both stand there watching the S&S reach out across the lake. The lake isn't too big so it's only a brief walk around to catch it.

Dave

[Schrott]

I went sailing yesterday, kinde.

I wanted a day without 15 miles winds so I could play with the double servo setup.

So I got to the lake, it now very far down, maybe 20 feet. Well they had hauled up the dock I used to launch from for the winter.
So I drove over to a nother spot.
Got the boat ready, planted the beer in the mudd, took of the boots and Jeans and walked into the water, cold water and launched the boat.
I got out of water scraped the mudd of my feed and the wind droped dead.
Now there I stood in my undies, muddy legs and my boat slowly drifted into the bushes.
My dogs loved the late afternoon at the lake and were raising hell. So I was looking for my beer, boat still helplessly drifting towards the brushes, when one of my dogs came out of the water, racing across the mudd, plowed straight across my beer.
So, muddy legs, in my undies, boat drifting into the brushes, beer spilled in the mudd, wet happy dogs, which meanwhile had made a bed out of my jeans, I tried to light a smoke, well the lighter was empty.
I looked for the boat, still drifting.

No beer, no wind, no lighter, happy wet dogs on my jeans, boat drifting, sun setting, I striped and went for the rescue.
5 minutes later me and the boat were back. Meanwhile one of my dogs was lying on my shirt.
Wet and muddy jeans, wet and muddy shirt, wet undies, no beer, no lighter I took my wet undies of, put my Redwings on, grabbed my cloth and the boat and walked the mile back to the car.
On the walk back my dogs found something to chase and raced of in wild blue and yonder.
At least the lighter in the car worked and while I waited for my dogs I got my smoke and watched the beautiful sun set.
The dogs came back and we drove home.
Halfway home I got stoped by a Forest Ranger, somebody had called about the naked man, with a boat in his arm and 2 dogs.
I was still naked and I know the guy. So he looks into the car, sees me naked and starts to giggle.
I explained to him what had happened, he turns red and than blows up hangs over the hood of my car laughing. I thaught about calling 911, I was afraid he would blow something.
Once he got a hold of himself he let me go. When I left I still could see him in the rear mirrow hanging over his vehicle laughing.

This morning I was in my business. A kid took a sip out of a glass with clorox, had to call the ambulance.
The EMT came in, she started to snikker and when she walked past me she asked " found your undies ", her partner came in walked past me and asked " scared any old ladies today "

The whole county will know by the end of next week.

Business was very good today

[k4s]

Originally Posted by boater_dave

K4s, sorry about your loss. That is a really hard lesson.
My story isn't so bad...
We were at a local regatta of mixed power and sail boats. A friend asked if he coould sail my Victor Stars and Stripes. Sure, I say. Here's the TX. He takes the boat and sets it in the water and it immediatley takes off. I ask if he switched on the rx in the boat. He said, um... no. We both stand there watching the S&S reach out across the lake. The lake isn't too big so it's only a brief walk around to catch it.

Dave

Really was a hard lesson....However...You know the big bad nasty insurance companies?...the ones who turn down any and every claim at the least reason.
Well,thanks to the gold plated contents cover I have on my home,the big bad nasty insurance company has bought me a brand spankin NEW boat
Now all I have to do is learn how to best tune it..will take many many hours of toil I feel...not sure I'm up to it but will give it my best shot