Lessons Learned After Running Aground . . .

[SabreKai]

If you go aground, take the dink and go set the anchor out as far as you can.

Then tell the girl who really really wanted to go there against your advice, to start cranking on the windlass while you paddle back n forth to "make sure the anchor doesn't drag."

[S/V Alchemy]

Am I hearing the voice of experience?

[Dkdoyle]

Ok I did it again. Add to list pay attention to stay away from the green channel marker that you know shoals. Obviously not paying good attention and it was low tide I hit the bank of sand. Now I only draw 4 ft so the last time I cut it too close I just bumped and kept going. No such luck. Put both sails back up and close halled to get maximum lean but the wind was not hard enough. Since this is a short channel to my marina I didn't have to wait long for a power boater to leave the marina. I waived him over and asked him to make some wake to bounce me off. After he told me it was a no wake zone and I told him not to worry about it it took two tries and I was free. Guess I can't complain any more about the lunch bunch that shows up there on the weekends. To self PAY ATTENTION.

[Corpus]

I'm still kicking myself for not cleaning the bottom when I was aground. It would have been so much easier to stand there on the nice sand then trying to paddle around the boat.

[Dkdoyle]

Trust me you'll do it again. Kind of like getting a speeding ticket. As long as your driving it going to happen.

[Krieger]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

If in danger or in doubt, run in circles scream and shout.

LOL. Now thats funny.... 2

[Krieger]

Originally Posted by SabreKai

If you go aground, take the dink and go set the anchor out as far as you can.

Then tell the girl who really really wanted to go there against your advice, to start cranking on the windlass while you paddle back n forth to "make sure the anchor doesn't drag."

LOL ... you guys crack me up. LOL

Thats Right!

[andreshs1]

Lesson learnt, as an unexperienced sailor don't take your 9month pregnant wife with the parents (hers and yours) sailing...

Neither the wife or myself have much experience sailing a few months back we bought a Shipman 28, but don't have much experience sailing, enough to take the boat to my desire destination and back.

A week before she was due to give birth our parent came to visit, and we decided to show them the boat and take them sailing,big mistake.....
We got moving with the wife on the tiller, I was getting ready to hoist the Jib when suddenly the boat came to a stop, initially I though that we have caught a rope on the propeller, as we were just 10m away from the pontoon of the club, but to my surprise, we were totally stopped, with the stress it took me a few minutes to realise that the boat was banking to the port side and the waves were pushing us to the rocks; we were aground, with a 9 month pregnant and the psychotic parents!!!

I ended up screaming over the phone to the marine staff from the club to come to the rescue, what is not as easy as you might think, mainly due to the language barrier, they barely speak english (I live in Hong Kong)
You should have seen the face of the guy when came running to the pontoon and saw the boat 10 m away

Cheers
Andres

[mrohr]

LONG DAY......night falling, decided to anchor in an attractive cove where some seagulls were swimming. Seagulls were STANDING!! ..... LONG NIGHT.

[John A]

I anchored at a remote anchorage on the west side of Costa Rico in 20 feet of water. Shortly after midnight I realized that I'd anchored at high tide and the tidal range was close to 16 feet!

[Dkdoyle]

Originally Posted by andreshs1

Lesson learnt, as an unexperienced sailor don't take your 9month pregnant wife with the parents (hers and yours) sailing...

Neither the wife or myself have much experience sailing a few months back we bought a Shipman 28, but don't have much experience sailing, enough to take the boat to my desire destination and back.

A week before she was due to give birth our parent came to visit, and we decided to show them the boat and take them sailing,big mistake.....
We got moving with the wife on the tiller, I was getting ready to hoist the Jib when suddenly the boat came to a stop, initially I though that we have caught a rope on the propeller, as we were just 10m away from the pontoon of the club, but to my surprise, we were totally stopped, with the stress it took me a few minutes to realise that the boat was banking to the port side and the waves were pushing us to the rocks; we were aground, with a 9 month pregnant and the psychotic parents!!!

I ended up screaming over the phone to the marine staff from the club to come to the rescue, what is not as easy as you might think, mainly due to the language barrier, they barely speak english (I live in Hong Kong)
You should have seen the face of the guy when came running to the pontoon and saw the boat 10 m away

Cheers
Andres

I am sure it wasn't funny at the time but you can laugh about it now. I figure if you have not run aground then you aren't taking your boat out.

[karenmccraw]

Cat's Eye - maybe I missed it....but how did you get the floating dock pieces out from under your boat after you were floated????

[Tingum]

First off, if you are stuck for less than 24 hours it was just a bump! If it takes a couple of tides to get off then you were actually "aground". IFFF it takes a whole lunar cycle you now know the need to have a properly stocked bar!

[gixerjen]

This is an awesome thread - I'm loving the fact that everybody does it. I am absolutely scared silly about taking my boat out for the first time, it's sooooo good to know that everyone screws up sooner or later. Cheers guys!

[John A]

There are, basically, two type of boatowners: those who have run aground and those who will.