Fell of boat while boarding yesterday

Billfletcher

Billfletcher

New Member
Feb 20, 2011
913
San Diego, CA
Boat Info
2014, 44, EC.
Engines
2 X 370HP Volvo D6, DPH Duo Prop's
I am normally careful, but while stepping from my dock to the swim step last night I was preoccupied and fell in between the boat and dock. I got banged up, But I am fine. One of my legs got bent back, so I got lucky as it did not break.friendly reminder, be careful and don't let it happen to you.
 
Glad you're doing OK. I've done the same thing (preoccupied & not watching) stepping off a dock into the dinghy. Hooked my foot on a line and went headfirst into the water through a very small area between the swim platform and the dock. I ended up coming up beneath the boat in the next slip, recognized where I was and was able to swim back to the surface. I was lucky because I wasn't hurt. The only thing I got was a scrape on my back as I went past the dock. Scared the bejesus out of GW. She thought I was dead because I was under water so long.
 
Glad you were not hurt too bad. There's only two types of boaters out there, the ones who have fallen off their boats and the ones who just refuse to admit they fell off their boat.

I went for an unplanned swim once when I was waxing the transom. My blackberry did not survive the trip, and I got a nice slice up one leg from the sharp barnacles on the floating dock.
 
I was climbing up off the boat 320 that I had, in the rain slipped fell back on to the swim platform and tore a rotator cuff in my right arm , still has a lot of pain 6 years later still torn
 
I was snapping on my mooring cover in the rain once and stepped backwards right off the swim platform. Lucky the water was only 3 feet deep at the dock.
 
Happened to me too Labor Day weekend. Stepped on the dock right on top of the shore power cord which rolled. Did the splits with one leg going between the dock and swim platform. Scraped the crap out of my shin on the side of the dock, landed on my butt on the swim platform half way in the water. Scabs are just now falling off.

Yep, I slow down a little now when getting off or on the boat now.
 
Bill, Glad you weren't hurt too bad. :smt001

After my bug bomb stunt and falling/passing out on the dock. :smt021.

I won't go near the boat/water without a PFD vest on. :thumbsup:
 
Glad to hear you are not too hurt. Falling between the dock and a boat can be very dangerous. I fell in the River Thames once, quite close to a weir. Went down 15', lost my glasses and came up in the middle of a bevy of very nasty swans who scared me to death.
 
Glad you're ok. It reminds me of an oops I performed this summer. We were anchored in Port Rawson (fairly popular anchorage) My wife and the folks we were rafted to were on shore enjoying a camp fire. I went back to the boat via dingy to check on the kid, and to grab a fresh bottle of wine. I was in cargo shorts and a shirt. Kid checked fine, bottle of cold white in hand I step back into the Zodiac. As I stepped down the dinghy shifted a bit and my balance went forward, right off the other side I went, it made quite a splash. Lucky A) the water was warm B) I went over on the far side, and not between boats and C) I didn't drop the wine! I changed and got back to the shore to hear "What took you so long?" Only about 100 yards away and they didn't even hear the splash.
 
Glad you didn't get hurt worse! Thanks for the reminder.
 
Glad to hear you are ok and enjoying the stories so I'll add mine.

My buddies boat was on the hard. I told him I would put something on the boat for him and his wife. As I am stepping off the boat I miss his swim ladder and fall backwards (I had not been drinking) and hit my head. I proceeded to passout. Not sure how long I was out but when I got my sense back I tried to move and couldn't. I was paralized from the neck down. Eventually, Gary (he feel off his boat and drowned three years ago) found me. He got help and an ambulance and off to the hosptial I went. Good news it was just a stinger but it lasted about 4 to 5 hours. Yes, I was scared, one because I have very active, with skiing, golf, swmming and this boating thing and two my brother in law had a stroke 19 years ago and it left him a quadraplegic. He can't move or talk and yet he is one funny guy. I took anothe fall on the boat but didn't land in the water. Banged my head, knee and elbow. But all ok - except for the ringing. HA - I haven't fallen off the boat into the water - Yet.
 
I'm sure glad you're ok. Falling is never fun.

Heres my story...

on Fathers Day weekend we were getting ready to go out for the weekend. I was removing my clear windshield pieces and cleaning as I went. After cleaning the 2nd large piece I laid it on the towel on top of the other. As I reached for another towel to put on the piece, my foot caught n the corner of the stack. My foot slipped and I went down. I dislocated my right knee, slammed my head into the stainless rail around the sink and went down out cold. It ended up I cut my head and needed 6 stitches. I tore my ACL even further than I already had a few years ago. That and an ambulance to the hospital, concussion and felt like a total idiot.

At least I didn't go in the water! But it did screw up boating for awhile.

Mark
 
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Wow, those are some serious falls. This is a good reminder to be careful, so thanks for sharing. My 50 year old body cant take the hits like it use to. I am still very sore, and every few hours a different body part starts hurting. But it is nothing in comparison to what some of you guys have been through.
 
Billfletcher said:
Wow, those are some serious falls. This is a good reminder to be careful, so thanks for sharing. My 50 year old body cant take the hits like it use to. I am still very sore, and every few hours a different body part starts hurting. But it is nothing in comparison to what some of you guys have been through.
Click to expand...

I hear ya there Bill! 55 year old body, knee that's had multiple surgeries...it takes a little bit longer to get over this stuff.

Glad you're ok!

Mark
 
Two wks ago I pulled into the slip, was attaching the stern lines and my wife went to put one on the port bow cleat. I thought I heard a noise and at the same time the grankids, 8 & 11yo hollered 'gramma' and started out onto the dock. I looked again, all I could see were her hands and arms because gramma was hanging onto the bowrail, dangling over the side.:smt043 I grabbed her wrists and said let go so I can set you on the dock. She said don't "drop me I don't want to get my hair wet". :smt101 She got bruised up a little, laughed a lot, and still isn't sure what she did that resulted in her hanging over the side.
 
I feel off boarding a few years ago. It was early morning and dew was on the gunwales. I stepped with my foot perpendicular to the side instead of (as normal) parallel. My foot slipped and down I went. I had forward momentum into the cockpit. I landed with the gunwale in my left armpit. All my weight was outside of the boat. Luckily, I was able to pull myself up and in. Bruised ribs and very lucky.
 
Glad your ok, Im never to sure what hurts more, the injury or the Pride!
 
Happened to my wife last year. Luckily she wasn't hurt. I dock alongside the bulkhead, so she wound up between the boat and bulkhead. Could have been real ugly.
I know it's only a matter of time before I go in.
 
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