What's Your Strangest Boating Experience?

[Sadler]

Mine was about 18 months ago. Weather was warm and skies clear. Couple of buddies and I were anchored off Snake Island near Folly Beach finishing grilling out dinner. Darkness had just fallen, when we heard a small john boat approaching slowly. It was a very remote location on a tidal creek and we wondered who it could be; plus whoever it was had no lights on the boat. The anchor light of our boat let us see him as he drew near--a very scruffy guy alone in the boat except for a big dog. I said hi and he didn't answer. He circled us, dropped to an idle, and then said in a slow scratchy voice: "Are you friend or foe?" One of the guys laughed nervously and responded "Friend dude!" I started thinking this was not good, when suddenly he peeled away and motored back into the darkness.

Unanimously we decided to pull anchor, and in the dark I threaded our way out of that creek and anchored back on the Stono River for the night about five miles away. Next day we went to the nearby marina (Mariners Cay) to get ice. They told us the guy was a homeless person living on an old boat that had blown ashore nearby. They said he was harmless. We weren't so sure. A few months later the tide and wind took that old boat, and I've never seen him again. Pretty strange.

Anybody else have a weird boating experience?

Sadler

 

[lorenbennett]

Last winter on our maiden voyage of our 260da. After the shake down with the dealer we headed off to the far end of lake mead. We found a nice long narrow canyon to spend the night. As it was also our 5 year anniversary we had brought plenty of refreshments. Now we were a good 2-3 thousand feet back in this canyon. Before we fell a sleep I brought the Admiral up top to view the remote spot light on canyon wall. Well next morning when we woke up, I went up top and found ourselves at the mouth of the canyon and foggy headed saying "hey this isn't were I parked last night". We both had a good laugh, bought an extra anchor (box anchor) and learned a good lesson on how not to anchor. :thumbsup:

 

[Hampton]

We borrowed a river boat and headed down stream from a site an hour's drive North of Anchorage. We hadn't had any luck until a guy passing on an air boat told us where to fish. We started catching Silver Salmon, and my buddies just couldn't leave.

When we decided to head out (11:30PM), the center console wires were fried. The battery was dead from the short. We used the wires and a stick to pull-start the 165HP V-4 (I used the wires....). We direct wired the battery to re-charge it.

We ran aground several times as the sun had finally set. The temperature dropped radically. We finally pulled the boat up on a sand bar in the middle - it was pitch black. We used wet wood and gasoline to build a fire and check for bears.

We were able to get a tiny fire going, and cooked fresh salmon on a stick while we burned our shins/rear ends (rotated on the 1/2 hour) for the 3 or 4 hours of freezing darkness. The sun came up around 3:30 or 4 or 5 or something. I was MISERABLE.

We loaded the boat back up, started it, and started heading..................back DOWN STREAM! Idiots! I don't remember catching any more fish, but I do know that the meal the night before was by far the best meal I've ever eaten in my life.

 

[RonF]

On our first out of town trip about two months after buying a boat, we went down to the heys. We were moving around between snorkeling reefs a few miles off Islamorada. We saw a small open boat with three guys, one waving to get our attention. On moving close enough to talk, they appeared scruffy, adrift and weatherbeaten. In broken English, one asked for some gas. when I said that there was no way to give him gas from our boat, he asked for a tow or to come aboard.

At this time my wife and I were becoming anxious, so I told him that I was calling for help. I moved a bit further away and radioed the Coast Guard. Islamorada Coast Guard agreed to dispatch a boat, and asked for us to remain in the area to help them find the spot. ETA would be about 20 minutes.

About 10 minutes later we heard yelling and looked over to see the open boat capsizing. (this was a very calm day) We approached again to find the three guys holding onto the overturned hull. I told them that help was on the way. My wife and I had decided that we would not be taking any of these guys on board, but we would throw them life jackets if necessary.

I advised the Coast Guard about the new situation. They were already getting close, so we waited for their arrival. Shortly after they arrived, a Sea Tow boat also showed up to bring in the overturned boat. Once the rescue was in progress, we just rode out of sight. We never found out who the guys were or where they came from. However someone from one of the marinas said that it's common for refugees to drift up in the area.

 

[Hampton]

RonF,

Good idea to be conservative. When they realized that "help" was on the way, it seems they took drastic measures to try to board your boat. Who knows how desperate they may have been at that point.

If they make it to land, they get to stay. If the Coast Guard skoops them up, they're returned to their homeland.

 

[mrtopknight]

This is a great thread; good reading :thumbsup:

 

[Converse48]

My Dad's carport collapsed onto his runabout during Hurricane Hazel in (I think) 1954.

My Mom went waterskiing when she was seven months pregnant with me.

I was on a sailboat with a 72' aluminum mast that just missed going under a 54' high voltage wire in Tangier Island, VA.

On that same trip, the same boat was struck by lightning FOUR times during one thunderstorm at Kitty Hawk, NC.

My Dad's 1968 31' wood lapstrake Ulrichsen almost sank on a seemingly benign trip up the Chesapeake. My grandmother (his mother in law!) was with us too... she tolerated the 2 feet of water sloshing around on the floor pretty well!

Also when I was a kid, we got lost in Vineyard sound, at night, trying to get back to the mainland in a 19' Glaspar bow rider. When we finally got back, there was less than a gallon of gas in the tank.

My grandfather's drop-dead-gorgeous 1952 38 Chris Craft burnt down to the waterline in 1977.

A friend of mine blew his arm off messing with "unexploded ordinance" that washed up on the beach in the vicinity of Aberdeen Proving Grounds (MD).

A sailboat we chartered in the BVI caught on fire on New Years morning after we had been at the "blowout" at Foxy's on Jost Van Dyke. If you've ever been to that party you can only imagine...

Oh yeah... I accidentally lost my sister overboard once. Luckilly she swam the two miles ashore, struggled through the thicket, copped a ride from some dudes in a pickup truck back to the marina and called us on the radio just as the Coast Guard had switched to "search and recovery" from "search and rescue."

And these are just off the top of my head. Nonetheless, I wouldn't trade the boating life for the world!

 

[Hotlanta]

Based on your past boating Karma,You might want to increase the limits on your Marine policy. After all FESTIVUS only comes once a year. and if I recall involves a large metal pole. :smt024

 

[keokie]

Prodigalson,

Wow! The only thing I can think to say is..... I hope it is safer to be around you on land. :smt043

 

[osd9]

Hey Prodigalson:

I know it wasn't funny at the time, but I gotta think that you and your sister have a good laugh about "losing her off the stern"....I can tell you that if it were me and my sister, we would spend the rest of our lives starting off every conversation with some juvenile reference to the time I "pushed off my boat".

 

[ImpulseIII]

Prodigalson,
I'll know its you on the Chesapeake by the "black cloud" that is always directly above your boat!! :grin: ....Are you joining us at BIH ????

 

[Converse48]

Don't be afraid of me... all of these things happened many many years ago... I've noticed that since I got married (15 years ago) that I haven't had as much bad luck. When you're on the water from birth to (at this point) 41 years, some stuff is going to happen! Also, I only highlighted the bad stories, for each bad experience I could name 50 good ones!

And yes, it took a decade before we could laugh about that incident, and it was incredibly scary [right before my sister called us on the radio my brother said to me "you know, if she's dead it's all your fault!" to which I responded, "gee, that thought hadn't occured to me"] but we do have some fun with it now.

Impulse, are you sure you want me to join you at BIH :wink: ? You may be off the hook becuase we're taking alot of other "work days" off this Summer and the Admiral may not be able to take the days off... we'll let you know!

 

[ImpulseIII]

Prodigalson
Absolutely would love to see you at BIH. We all want to see the new boat! As far as time off is concerned...you deserve several "optional ,meritorious, grandfathered "sick" days"...especially during boating season. Come join us !!!

I actually had to retire early because the owner of the company (my partner.....HA) complained that I was out too often. :smt043....but we can't talk about his golf.....or island vacations.... :smt021... or long weekends at his shore house....

So here I sit, no obvious source of income, poor, almost destitute, eating dog food and waiting for the warm weather to go boating......Life is tough. :smt043

 

[Dave S]

So here I sit, no obvious source of income, poor, almost destitute, eating dog food and waiting for the warm weather to go boating......Life is tough. :smt043

Frank...............I think your wife might have a different perspective since she still works doesn't she? Maybe she would call you a "kept man". :wink: :grin:

 

[ImpulseIII]

Dave,
She calls me that along with a host of other things (many of which I cannot post here). As long as she keeps working.............I can keep my toys!
(I must have been very good in another life because I do not deserve the great life I have now!!!) :smt043

 

[Sadler]

Okay, Prodigalson has raised the bar a lot, so I'll go back farther. About eight years ago five friends and I rented a 49' Holiday Mansion houseboat on the NC coast. Took that baby out to the Gulf Stream no less. None of us knew better back then. Cracked the hull to deck joint in six foot seas and water started pouring in. We had about a foot of water in the lower staterooms. Bilge pumps ran all weekend. We broke the anchor pulpit off, cracked the windshield, and grilled shrimp up on the flybridge on a CHARCOAL GRILL. The coup de grat was when we were bringing her back into Beaufort and were crusing down the waterfront. All of us were up on the flybridge enjoying the scenery, when someone remarked they smelled sausage cooking. Then another complained his feet were hot. I noticed someone ashore waving frantically at us. I looked down and smoke was pouring out of the galley window. Six guys and total chaos getting below. Someone found a fire extinguisher and eventually we got it out. The galley counter and curtains were destroyed and smoke soot was everywhere. Burner left on, tupperware container fell.

As we circled wondering what to do, the marina we rented from called us on the radio asking if everything was allriight. No one wanted to take the call. The unlucky taker assured them everything was just fine. Not so when we got back the next day.

Our $1000 deposit was toast, but divided by six, the story of survival I think was worth it.

Sadler

 

[Big Al]

... I've noticed that since I got married (15 years ago) that I haven't had as much bad luck. When you're on the water from birth to (at this point) 41 years, some stuff is going to happen!

Give me some of your bad luck if at the end the result is to get a beautiful 2007 SR 44 SB :smt001 :smt001 :lol:

 

[Hampton]

My dad and I were sailing in my 1972 (new) Sunfish next to Jamestown, across from Brenton village and Fort Adams (where we lived), and we were running (pointed straight down wind). My dad was at the tiller and I was manning the sail. We were admiring the big tug boats up on shore and noticing how they backed them into the water on railroad tracks.

Just when the realization hit us, the boat stopped - instantly, from a full speed run (5-6 knots). My dad slammed me against the mast - it hurt. The center board had hit a rail - OUCH!

Note to self: The railroad tracks don't end at the water's edge.

 

[Hampton]

We did Foxy's a couple of years ago, but we didn't burn the boat down. We would have liked to, but we had our two girls with us and we couldn't push it up that much.

The oddest part about the trip was that we brought the boat back unharmed after a solo week in the BVI - a 43'. I had sailed a sunfish before!

 

[Bridog]

Okay, Prodigalson has raised the bar a lot, so I'll go back farther. About eight years ago five friends and I rented a 49' Holiday Mansion houseboat on the NC coast. Took that baby out to the Gulf Stream no less. None of us knew better back then. Cracked the hull to deck joint in six foot seas and water started pouring in. We had about a foot of water in the lower staterooms. Bilge pumps ran all weekend. We broke the anchor pulpit off, cracked the windshield, and grilled shrimp up on the flybridge on a CHARCOAL GRILL. The coup de grat was when we were bringing her back into Beaufort and were crusing down the waterfront. All of us were up on the flybridge enjoying the scenery, when someone remarked they smelled sausage cooking. Then another complained his feet were hot. I noticed someone ashore waving frantically at us. I looked down and smoke was pouring out of the galley window. Six guys and total chaos getting below. Someone found a fire extinguisher and eventually we got it out. The galley counter and curtains were destroyed and smoke soot was everywhere. Burner left on, tupperware container fell.

As we circled wondering what to do, the marina we rented from called us on the radio asking if everything was allriight. No one wanted to take the call. The unlucky taker assured them everything was just fine. Not so when we got back the next day.

Our $1000 deposit was toast, but divided by six, the story of survival I think was worth it.

Sadler

Reminder to self....NEVER take Sadler and his buddies out for a boat ride. Unless of course you are "upside down" on your loan and you want to get out of boating all together, then it makes good sense. :thumbsup: