Bahamas Trip Cancelled

[sasto]

A friend bought a very expensive center console with triple outboards. He is a long time boater from Virginia and spent many hours on the Chesepeake. I've been preping him for his first crossing to the Bahamas. With all his ducks in a row and the seas calm he headed out.

Leaving the dock, like I see so many people do, messing with his electronics. Turn on this, turn on that. He was excited to get moving. While playing with the GPS he slams into a marker. Quite a bit of damage ($12,000 worth) they decide to keep on going due to the damage being well above the waterline. A mile later the pass under a bridge without lowering the 3 antennas. Guess I don't have to tell you what happend. Communication gone! They returned to port and have decided the trip was a bad idea.

I've seen boaters cast off without starting engines, playing with and starting up electronics after leaving the dock, barking out instructions that should have been done before leaving. :facepalm:

Always think safety!

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Bahamas Trip Cancelled

that's the stuff you do when you're in a hurry, too. A lot of people do their prep work and rigging in the no wake zones near the docks (I'm guilty) but it's way too easy to get distracted.
Sorry my fellow Virginian had to be identified by his state!

 

[freelancer]

Re: Bahamas Trip Cancelled

Wow, what a shame Good thing no one got hurt.

Good case for playing with the GPS...etc while sitting around the dock and not learning how to use our toys while under way

 

[veritas honus]

Re: Bahamas Trip Cancelled

I'm glad no one got hurt. I certainly don't agree with them that the trip was a bad idea, though. Unfortunately, for whatever reasons, they simply weren't mentally prepared at the time of departure.

Again, I'm glad no one got hurt and the boat's repairable. We all have our moments...

 

[emoney]

Re: Bahamas Trip Cancelled

Sounds like he's fallen victim to the "yeah I know" syndrom. It affects us all, and it never fails that Mr. Murphy will show up the moment we earn our membership by saying those 3 little words.....

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Bahamas Trip Cancelled

Ill prepared and in a hurry is always a recipe for disaster!... and the more expensive your equipment, the bigger the disaster!

 

[sasto]

Re: Bahamas Trip Cancelled

Sorry my fellow Virginian had to be identified by his state!

Certianally was ment to be no diss the the state of Virginia. I grew up in WV and have many friends a relatives from Virginia. Boating the ICW here is very much different then the boating he does at home. Must be alert at all times.

My friends ego was hurt more than anything. His son is a Master Captain and hasn't stopped teasing him since the incident.

 

[veritas honus]

Re: Bahamas Trip Cancelled

My friends ego was hurt more than anything. His son is a Master Captain and hasn't stopped teasing him since the incident.

Shame on him for teasing!!! The nerve... trying to soften the blow with humer...

 

[j_martin]

Re: Bahamas Trip Cancelled

Certianally was ment to be no diss the the state of Virginia. I grew up in WV and have many friends a relatives from Virginia. Boating the ICW here is very much different then the boating he does at home. Must be alert at all times.

My friends ego was hurt more than anything. His son is a Master Captain and hasn't stopped teasing him since the incident.

The turn of events probably saved his life. If he didn't have the moxy to get it between the markers and out of port, what would have happened if he had something to deal with at sea, where you have to do things right?

I was on a destroyer tender, USS Everglades in the 60's. We wrapped up the mission at Norfolk, due to cast off and go home to Charleston the next morning. Destroyer captain moored behind us decided he didn't need tugs to cast off and tried to power off the pier against the current in reverse. Engine room screwed up and drove the can about 8 feet into our laundry compartment.

Chit happens.

 

[Cadwelder]

Re: Bahamas Trip Cancelled

The turn of events probably saved his life. If he didn't have the moxy to get it between the markers and out of port, what would have happened if he had something to deal with at sea, where you have to do things right?

I was on a destroyer tender, USS Everglades in the 60's. We wrapped up the mission at Norfolk, due to cast off and go home to Charleston the next morning. Destroyer captain moored behind us decided he didn't need tugs to cast off and tried to power off the pier against the current in reverse. Engine room screwed up and drove the can about 8 feet into our laundry compartment.

Chit happens.

Thought that only happens in the movies.....

 

[sasto]

Re: Bahamas Trip Cancelled

Sounds like he's fallen victim to the "yeah I know" syndrom. It affects us all, and it never fails that Mr. Murphy will show up the moment we earn our membership by saying those 3 little words.....

How true, emoney. Some of us boaters have the opinion thar Murphy was an optimist!

Shame on him for teasing!!! The nerve... trying to soften the blow with humer...

The son has been taking a teasing from his dad for years. Was happy for him to be able to give it back. Nobody got hurt, except my friends ego, and it's a big one.

The turn of events probably saved his life. If he didn't have the moxy to get it between the markers and out of port, what would have happened if he had something to deal with at sea, where you have to do things right?


Chit happens.

My sentiments exactly, j_martin. That kind of can in the laundry room is unwanted!

 

[j_martin]

Re: Bahamas Trip Cancelled

My sentiments exactly, j_martin. That kind of can in the laundry room is unwanted!

Particularly aggravating because our ship (tender) had just refitted all the rigging on the bow of the destroyer, which then wiped it all off sticking their bow into our fantail.

Our shipfitters spent all night getting the hole patched so we could get underway in the morning.

 

[sw33ttooth]

Re: Bahamas Trip Cancelled

guilty, guilty, guilty, i tend to change cd's and go down into the cabin whilst my boat is chuggin along in no-wake zones. of course i look around to make sure i am safe and i know my boat goes straight and wont change direction still unsafe as it is i guess i should take this as a warning

i am wondering about radar arches 50% of the radar arches i see if not more have hit a bridge one time or another why dont people double check and idle slowly in till they know its clear? just seems like the right way to handle that doesnt it??

 

[sasto]

Re: Bahamas Trip Cancelled

i am wondering about radar arches 50% of the radar arches i see if not more have hit a bridge one time or another why dont people double check and idle slowly in till they know its clear? just seems like the right way to handle that doesnt it??

I bumped the radar on a bridge once, hard enough to destroy it. Going thru the barge canal in NY there is one bridge with 19" clearance. I needed 18' 6". I stopped to allow my surge to pass me. A yahoo boat delivery captain came upon me hard, throwing a large wake. I was just under the bridge when his surge lifted me up about a foot. :facepalm: I believe the bill I gave him was $3500.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Bahamas Trip Cancelled

guilty, guilty, guilty, i tend to change cd's and go down into the cabin whilst my boat is chuggin along in no-wake zones. of course i look around to make sure i am safe and i know my boat goes straight and wont change direction still unsafe as it is i guess i should take this as a warning

I can understand changing radio frequencies and adjusting the GPS. You have to do these things once in a while to maintain communication, direction, and navigation. It's part of the boating process.

But leaving the wheel and going down into the cabin is absolutely wrong. Not that you're gone for a second and your boat runs true, but what if someone pulled out of a slip in front of you and you hit them? How could you defend yourself by saying that you weren't even at the helm? I hope this doesn't sound like I'm being critical, just safety conscious. As you stated, use it as a warning. If you have to leave the helm (as I have had to leave the flybridge before), at least come to a dead stop first.