"I learn't about Ribbing from that"

[Mollers]

Originally Posted by Downhilldai

Nothing a bucket of self-levelling won't sort out

No, it would've run out the holes.

[Bigmuz7]

Originally Posted by Mollers

Here's another. My first boat, that wasn't the Old Man's, was a late 70's 14ft Shakespeare with a 3cyl Suzook 65. I went to town on it. I had the deck pro painted Ford bright lime green, new seats, screen, floor and carpeting. When screwing and sikaflexing the floor in I thought that my s/s screws were a bit on the long side. I then checked the amount of void between the floor and the hull. Plenty and on I go. I then gave a carpet laying mate £10 to do a nice job of the nylon carpet.
Ready to launch now, back her in as far as poss and give her a shove. Umm, bunked trailers are always a bit reluctant. Gets in, fires up the Suzook and gives it a bit of astern, no good. Give it flat out astern, still on the trailer. Hauls it out wondering WTF was the matter with the thing. I rocked it from side to side on the trailer and all became apparent. I'd screwed the hull to the bunks. The floor at the edges sat over a spray rail, and directly on the hull. I'd only put about 1/4" of four screws through into the wooden bunks, but it was enough to hold her fast.

Shorter screws and gelcoat filler sorted it, i never got the Suzook to run properly though.

At least it was one of those .. ahem .. silent fauxpas that no one else knew about .. unlike loosing the boat off a trailer which I almost did meself

[Mollers]

Originally Posted by Bigmuz7

At least it was one of those .. ahem .. silent fauxpas that no one else knew about .. unlike loosing the boat off a trailer which I almost did meself

Yeah, but Jardon wasn't stood next to your boat at the time.

[Nos4r2]

The first time I ever launched my own boat from a trailer (many years back now) was at Baiter Park in Poole. Despite having sailed round the area all my life I'd never been there before.

I realised it wasn't a good idea to drive the Capri into the water and the slip at Baiter is long and a shallow angle.
I had a brainwave. I took the winch wire (quality winch! ) off the bow eye and hooked it to the towbar of the car, set the ratchet to unwind and started to wind it out. The handle came out of my hand and started spinning. Luckily I had enough sense not to try grabbing it.I'd only just bought the boat- assumed it was bolted to the winch. It wasn't.
Off goes the boat from the trailer,and off goes the trailer,only stopping when it hit the post at the end of the slip. I ended up chin just above the water hanging onto the boat with one hand and the trailer with the other while the 2 mates that were with me stood there laughing...

[Bigmuz7]

Originally Posted by Mollers

Yeah, but Jardon wasn't stood next to your boat at the time.

Ah .. hehe ... bugger

[Nos4r2]

Another one for you-make sure your drysuit neck seal is comfortable BEFORE you try and use it for the day after fitting a new one.

If it wasn't for meeting up with RickUK3 and him cutting down the seal while I was wearing it I think I may have garotted myself.

[codprawn]

So far I have been lucky - no major mishaps of my own doing. However I have made the mistake of assuming other people are of a similar nautical vein.

As we were approaching a pontoon i asked a landlubber mate to get the boat hook ready to grab the pontoon - he grabbed the anchor and chain and was about to chuck the lot towards a very startled looking harbour master.

The worst though has to be allowing a mate'e father to help me recover my boat. He offered to drive the RIB but I politely declined. He has driven LRs all his life so I thought he would be pretty safe. I asked him to reverse about 6' which he did. Then he got out and walked away - forgetting about this thing called a handbrake!!! It was a steep slip into deep water - my yell must have been loud enough - he moved pretty quick for an old codger and grabbed it just in time.

I wonder what would have happened with an electric handbrake - how long would it take for him to find the switch? Then again they don't engage if the vehicle is in motion..............

[Mollers]

Originally Posted by codprawn

So far I have been lucky - no major mishaps of my own doing.

Eh? You bought a Prosport!

[jyasaki]

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

Another one for you-make sure your drysuit neck seal is comfortable BEFORE you try and use it for the day after fitting a new one.

Bought my first drysuit, and tried the neck seal on at home. Got it on: way too tight; got it halfway off before my strength gave out. Nearly suffocated myself in the TV room. Good old days, eh?

jky

[Poly]

Originally Posted by codprawn

... no major mishaps of my own doing...As we were approaching a pontoon i asked a landlubber mate to get the boat hook ready to grab the pontoon - he grabbed the anchor and chain and was about to chuck the lot towards a very startled looking harbour master.

sounds like that was of your own doing - you didn't brief yor crew properly. But why do you need a boat hook to come alongside a pontoon?

[willk]

Originally Posted by Polwart

sounds like that was of your own doing - you didn't brief yor crew properly. But why do you need a boat hook to come alongside a pontoon?

Speaking from personal experience, I can feel a trip to The Bilges coming on. It's a strangely liberating experience!

[K&S]

Not my mistake but one i learn't from ( honest Guv!)

A centre i worked at, moons ago, had just had the 5.8 v8 Cobra engine in a Paracraft winch boat reconditioned. The mechanic had forgoten to remove the core plugs at the end of the season before and as you can imagine, after one of the coldest winters there were problems with the engine mainly a large crack in the block. Lesson 1 learnt!

Lesson 2

With great excitment we watched the boat being launched by said mechanic and he duly put her through her paces all was well. Forecast was great for flying the following day, Yipee!

With great excitment we arrived at the centre the following day only to see the bow disapear under the water

The cause - bung was not put back in the boat

Great when simple but expensive mistakes are not your fault and the cost doesn't come out your own pocket

[doggypaddle]

I dropper the SR5 half in my neighbours drive and half in the road outside!
I had removed all the internal fittings to flow coat the deck, after 3 days of scraping and grinding the old non slip off i decided to turn the boat around in the drive which slopes so i could wash the dust out and the water would run out the back.
i pulled it down the drive and backed into my neighbours drive, then pulled off leaving the baot behind,
Yep i had removed the nuts off the inside of the bow eye the eye was still attached to the winch strap!
fortunately no damage apart from a dent in the tarmack! and it whinched back onto the rollercoaster easily.
the best bit of all.......no one noticed, or knew about it until now.

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by Polwart

sounds like that was of your own doing - you didn't brief yor crew properly. But why do you need a boat hook to come alongside a pontoon?

When you have a fair swell and a hell of a crosswind it often helps!!!

I did brief the crew - I just naturally assumed that everyone knew what a boathook was!!!

[Bigmuz7]

Originally Posted by codprawn

When you have a fair swell and a hell of a crosswind it often helps!!! I did brief the crew - I just naturally assumed that everyone knew what a boathook was!!!

Quite agree.. Mr Polwart wants to try berthing in a range of conditions before making such a comment .. such as trying to dock when power is low or non existant .. all hands and anything count then

[K&S]

Originally Posted by codprawn

As we were approaching a pontoon i asked a landlubber mate to get the boat hook ready to grab the pontoon

Yep good piece of kit!!

I'd be much happier for the kids, wife, guests to use the boat hook for a lot of tasks fending off, catching mooring bouys, and in a MOB (safer than having loose ropes in the water etc, etc,

Its not often i stuff a landing up (not that i'm admitting to anyway )but allways had a member of the crew up front with boat hook in hand just incase as fingers and limbs between to hard places hurts lol

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Bigmuz7

Mr Polwart wants to try berthing in a range of conditions before making such a comment

have come alongside a variety of pontoons in various boats in most normal conditions (under sail and power), including buggering it up at some point in most of them. On a rib the importance of fending off is much reduced and for securing to the pontoon passing a line to the HM would be much more effective that asking someone who was new to boats.

Originally Posted by K&S

allways had a member of the crew up front with boat hook in hand just incase as fingers and limbs between to hard places hurts

but presumably, since if they do nothing or do it wrong you are percieving a danger, then you have briefed them well enough to realise they are using the big stick like thing not a grapnel on a wobbly chain!

However I fear Nickster will iminently be protesting about thread drift.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by K&S

Lesson 2

With great excitment we watched the boat being launched by said mechanic and he duly put her through her paces all was well. Forecast was great for flying the following day, Yipee!

With great excitment we arrived at the centre the following day only to see the bow disapear under the water

The cause - bung was not put back in the boat

Ah yes - I launched in January one year with a conversation that went something like this just after the boat came off the trailer:

Crew: "Does your new boat have flooding hull?"
Me: "No" (in the car about to pull away)
Crew: "Yes it does"
Me: "What are you talking about?"
Crew: "Well I think you forgot the bung then!"

Inevitably the bung was at home an hour away - but we managed to fashion one from one of those cork key floats. By the time I caught up with what he was saying and the flow was stemmed it was over 18" deep. Never happens on a warm day does it, or once you have "got round to" fitting the bildge pump.

[K&S]

Originally Posted by Polwart

On a rib the importance of fending off is much reduced

Could argue that the otherway - in a swell and notice at the last min there is a rusty nail sticking out etc

Originally Posted by Polwart

for securing to the pontoon passing a line to the HM would be much more effective that asking someone who was new to boats.

When the chips are down thats when the mistakes are made - if i had a pound for every time i have seen a rope thrown that ends up in a knotted ball no where near where it was intended to land....

Oh i'm bored now

Polwart i think you have to admit that codprawn is right on this one

[Poly]

Originally Posted by nikster

Im asking you all to put your tales of daring or woe here for everyone to read and take note of

I think the closest I have come to serious disaster with the rib wasn't on the water:

Long day on the water, later back than planned, dark, raining, cold, tired, expected home sharpish for family commitment - so rushing home. Towing along a road I knew reasonably well (but not as well as I thought!) came to a junction with queing traffic - locked up the car in the wet - trailer went sideways down the road but somehow by luck or skill [thats what I tell the passenger in my car] I managed to get it straight and find just enough empty space between the stationary traffic and the on coming car.

Totally my fault, and it was just luck that stopped it being a multicar crash. Was taking risks in the car that I wouldn't have taken on the water (hence why late!).

Lessons learned
- Driving a rib all day is tiring, probably more so than most people realise
- Should have stopped for coffee & rest before driving home (my reactions were definitely slower than normal).
- Anyone who has never tried an emergency stop with their trailer should do so (somewhere safe). Even if you don't skid the effect on stopping distance even with a small trailer is surprising.