H2O with no H2O

[Steve Waters]

Okay I give in I have to cough...............the damage to the prop.....
I admited to being hooked and now it cost me...
Come Tuesday I decided to take my other half Denise out. Only the second time for me and everything was right I had the lot! I wrapped the trubble up in everything i could find to keep her warm the SR4 now has radio, flares, first aid, fire extinguisher, tools even an anchor! and my last great expense I bought a drysuit.
Perfect launch off the Hamble (Tides checked, weather checked route planned and told) just a bit chilly at 1 degree when we left. The sun was shinning and after a small amount of launching struggle (it was only the second time!) we plodded off down the Hamble at a steadfast rate whilst we warmed to the winter sun. We shot off to the right round the Hamble Point and up the river to Southampton flapping the Honda 4 stroke at about 25 mph according to the speedo. We had a fantastic time with Denise wimpering with delight as we pounded a few waves up towards the grain silos. Down the Hythe side and back across towards the oil refinery.
Now those of you that have done this before will know about the effect the moon has on water and how as my prop churned mud as we rounded the point what was going to happen next!
With 10 minutes of discovering my mistake the RIB was on its side and I was standing on a mud bank wondering how I could have been soooo stupid!. The sun was dropping the water literally vanished and I was left with no choice as the temperature dropped with the sun but to call HM Coast Guard who very rapidly and with little todo called out three of Hampshires finest from RNIB Calshot.
Embarrassed? YES! They carried the trubble to their RIB!!(still afloat in WATER!) and took us both back to the slip (which incidentally was now some 3 METRES! lower than when we had left it. I took Denise home to warm up and returned to the Hamble some 3 hrs later with my son Phil to meet the guys from Calshot with my sad little RIB recovered undamaged except for a slightly smaller prop.
4 lessons for a beginner:
1. Never assume you know anything! (You never know enough whatever!)
2. Learn the difference 2 weeks makes to a tide! (3 metres!!I used to like the moon)
3. Always be happy to be embarrased when the RNLI send 3 good men to rescue you; even if they do carry your wife and make you get wet....
4. Make damned sure after buying your RIB you have enough left to buy the beer and contribute accordingly.....................THANK YOU RNLI CALSHOT!!

Lesson learned!
Regards
to you all
Steve (& Denise) Waters
H2O

[Richard B]

Steve, so was that your RIB in Robin's photo? http://www.rib.net/forum/showthread.php?t=12244

[Shaggy]

Glad everyone was OK!

The RNLI does a fine job and I'm sure had some very good advise.

I almost got caught out near Spings last summer on the way back from St.Ives to Hayle at 22:00 with a full moon.

What a night the stars were out the moon was glimmering on the sea it was truly a fantastic night, however whilst being struck by the beauty of it all I completely miss judged the entrance to the channel and ended up on the edge of Hayle sand Bar.

Luckily my budding crew mate Andy "the bear" jumped out of the boat (into about 500cm of water ) and started to push her off into the channel again which wasn't too clever as its a really steep sand bank on the edge and promptly ended up to his neck in water, at which point the Crewsaver Auto decided to save my crew by inflating itself, have you ever tried to get someone back into a RIB with an inflated lifejack, I couldn't help I was laughing so much and it was my fault!

After a bit of pulling got him in OK and duly noted to ensure I have the right passage plan in place next time, and it cost me 16GBP+VAT to rearm the jacket.

A humbled Shaggy

[Tim M]

Steve

The second time I ever took a boat out on my own I drove it into a sand bar and snapped the prop shaft.....

Buy a deth sounder
Tim

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by Tim M

Steve

The second time I ever took a boat out on my own I drove it into a sand bar and snapped the prop shaft.....

Buy a deth sounder
Tim

Or a chart plotter!!!

I think I would be better driving supertankers than RIBs - even in my little quicksilver I was paranoid about straying into the shallows marked on the charts!!!

[robin]

Glad to hear you all got home safe and sound.

Robin.

[Nate]

Originally Posted by Tim M

Steve

Buy a deth sounder
Tim

How close to dying before one of these goes off? Can you adjust it from say, "possibility of pain" to "fatality imminent"? Should be standard fit on all pwcs if you ask me - linked to the driver with a catheterised anal probe!

[Simon Hawkins]

Sorry to hear about your unfortunate grounding. Everyone learns from their mistakes, but capitalise on those mistakes so they dont happen again.


Your story illustrates the importance of preparing a passage plan if boating in an area you are not too familiar with. Include in this passage what the height of tide will be for yor passage remembering to take off the Chart datum from the height of tide on your table if their is on your chart small figures with an undeline underneath the figure after the decimal.
Simon

[pressman]

It was our pleasure to come and sort you out Steve, and thankyou for your generous donation, you will be getting a receipt for that soon.

Steve Harvey(Calshot LB)

Originally Posted by Steve Waters

Okay I give in I have to cough...............the damage to the prop.....
I admited to being hooked and now it cost me...
Come Tuesday I decided to take my other half Denise out. Only the second time for me and everything was right I had the lot! I wrapped the trubble up in everything i could find to keep her warm the SR4 now has radio, flares, first aid, fire extinguisher, tools even an anchor! and my last great expense I bought a drysuit.
Perfect launch off the Hamble (Tides checked, weather checked route planned and told) just a bit chilly at 1 degree when we left. The sun was shinning and after a small amount of launching struggle (it was only the second time!) we plodded off down the Hamble at a steadfast rate whilst we warmed to the winter sun. We shot off to the right round the Hamble Point and up the river to Southampton flapping the Honda 4 stroke at about 25 mph according to the speedo. We had a fantastic time with Denise wimpering with delight as we pounded a few waves up towards the grain silos. Down the Hythe side and back across towards the oil refinery.
Now those of you that have done this before will know about the effect the moon has on water and how as my prop churned mud as we rounded the point what was going to happen next!
With 10 minutes of discovering my mistake the RIB was on its side and I was standing on a mud bank wondering how I could have been soooo stupid!. The sun was dropping the water literally vanished and I was left with no choice as the temperature dropped with the sun but to call HM Coast Guard who very rapidly and with little todo called out three of Hampshires finest from RNIB Calshot.
Embarrassed? YES! They carried the trubble to their RIB!!(still afloat in WATER!) and took us both back to the slip (which incidentally was now some 3 METRES! lower than when we had left it. I took Denise home to warm up and returned to the Hamble some 3 hrs later with my son Phil to meet the guys from Calshot with my sad little RIB recovered undamaged except for a slightly smaller prop.
4 lessons for a beginner:
1. Never assume you know anything! (You never know enough whatever!)
2. Learn the difference 2 weeks makes to a tide! (3 metres!!I used to like the moon)
3. Always be happy to be embarrased when the RNLI send 3 good men to rescue you; even if they do carry your wife and make you get wet....
4. Make damned sure after buying your RIB you have enough left to buy the beer and contribute accordingly.....................THANK YOU RNLI CALSHOT!!

Lesson learned!
Regards
to you all
Steve (& Denise) Waters
H2O

[Rodan]

Hell everyone has made mistakes.

How about a thread on most embarrasing moments, this is mine:

Every morning I used the same (and rather careless) sequence to collect a large diesel rib which I worked on. The method relied heavily on me being used to the engine always starting at first turn of the key (and a lack of sensible checks). 10 steps to true humiliation:

1) launch out to rib
2) jump from launch into bow of rib on mooring
3) unhook mooring bouy and cast off
4) walk back to console, hand in pocket to get keys
5) retrieve house keys from pocket. ooops, boat keys not in pocket
6) start drifting out of cowes on fast ebbing tide (mooring in mouth of harbour) - launch has dissapeared up river so decide to wait until I have cleared the harbour mouth (tons of chain on the seabed) and chuck out the hook. Then sit humbly waiting for return of launch
7) chuck out anchor
8) watch anchor sink
9) watch anchor line slip over the side (rule 1 - tie it on)
10) eventually get towed back from gurnard by gleeful launch

That was a real day for ribbing - or getting a ribbing

[Steve Waters]

Originally Posted by Richard B

Steve, so was that your RIB in Robin's photo? http://www.rib.net/forum/showthread.php?t=12244

Sadly it was!
Thanks for everybodys nice comments! and Steve Harvey at the Calshot Lifeboat. You were also right about the Gel coat it took a bit of a grazing but all is pretty much intact. Any suggestions on repairing would be appreciated. I think I am going to clean the prop up for the time being a bit of filing on the edges and a lick of paint should keep it going for a while longer! Special thanks to Robin for such a beautiful picture....and there was me thinking I had avoided photographic reminders by not taking any myself!!
Steve Waters

[robin]

Originally Posted by Steve Waters

Special thanks to Robin for such a beautiful picture....and there was me thinking I had avoided photographic reminders by not taking any myself!!
Steve Waters

Steve....hope the damage is just superficial, particularly as it looks so tidy in other respects.

It's sods law really......there is always some smartarse with a camera prepared to record embarrassing moments for all to see.


I will email the high res ones when I get a moment.
Paul (jackeen) may have taken some better ones on his.

[codprawn]

Maybe I wasn't so far off the mark about getting over the side and digging in the anchor.......

[Steve Waters]

You were spot on it was pushed in with a boot.................

[Steve Waters]

Originally Posted by robin

Steve....hope the damage is just superficial, particularly as it looks so tidy in other respects.

It's sods law really......there is always some smartarse with a camera prepared to record embarrassing moments for all to see.


I will email the high res ones when I get a moment.
Paul (jackeen) may have taken some better ones on his.

Thanks Robin you can email to: stevewaters@v21mail.co.uk if you like. I know when we left there was still water about dare I ask did you walk out to the RIB?

[robin]

Originally Posted by Steve Waters

I know when we left there was still water about dare I ask did you walk out to the RIB?

I could have walked from the shoreline but Paul dropped me off from his Rib a bit closer.

I'll email the pics later this evening.