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In spite of it all (Long tale)

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Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3758 Posts

Initially Posted - 07/24/2012 : 19:40:24

Finally had good weather when I was able to get to Lake Erie. Ben, our newer dog, has been to the marina and aboard a number of times, but we have never been able to drop the lines. We were finally going to see if he would be a sailor. We went out saturday with a forecast of 8 - 10 and 1 foot or less. Revised weather: light and variable and hot. Occasionally gusting to 3; we actually hit 1 knot several times, but averaged 0.8. Gave up and motored back with no answer.

The kids came up on sunday with 10 - 15 and 1 - 2 forecast. We passed the drawbridge and the motor died. I hadn't planned on sailing the half mile out the channel, but rolling out the genoa seemed like the best option with the rocky breakwater to starboard and the Jet Express ferry closing from behind. We got out on the lake and had maneuvering room, so I messed with the outboard and got it running steadily. OK. up with the main. We must have snagged the main because my daughter said she didn't remember that hole in the main. Not good, down with the main. It was a beautiful day, sailing on the full 150 in 15 - 18 knots with Ben, Adrienne, Colin and I loving it. It got a little rough as we headed in, the new SW swell mixing with the left over N. The wind backed a little, forcing us farther east than our destination and we decided to motor the last three miles so we would have time for dinner. Reaching for the motor cost me my Tilly. Crew Overboard drill under power - seas were pretty sloppy now, and we wanted to get in! Motor won't start! Hat drifts away! COB drill abandoned and apparently results in one hypothetical death. Still sailing too East and the wind is coming straight down the channel. Not wanting to try short tacking up a busy channel with only a genoa and 18 kts. on the nose, we chucked it, anchored, and called for a tow. 15 minutes later, my tilly comes drifting by. Adrienne offered to swim over and get it. I said she could if she took a line with her. The hat was drifting faster than she could swim, so she came back but wanted to stay in the warm water and waves. I agreed to that if she added the Lifesling to her flotation. That was reportedly great fun (the captain misses out on a lot.). Anyway, we got Lifesling practice. Towboat U.S. arrived shortly after she was back aboard. A pleasant tow at hull speed got us to our slip in time for a nice dinner across the street at Doc's Beachhouse (really good food and a great view of the islands).

The kids went back to Columbus, and I took Ben for a walk in time to see Towboat US bringing in a 34 footer with a dead engine from a couple of slips up from me. All in all, we had a great time.

Dave B. aboard Pearl
1982 TR/SK/Trad. #3399
Lake Erie/Florida Panhandle

Edited by - on

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 07/24/2012 : 19:59:42

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Dave5041
 Finally had good weather when I was able to get to Lake Erie. Ben, our newer dog, has been to the marina and aboard a number of times, but we have never been able to drop the lines. We were finally going to see if he would be a sailor. We went out saturday with a forecast of 8 - 10 and 1 foot or less. Revised weather: light and variable and hot. Occasionally gusting to 3; we actually hit 1 knot several times, but averaged 0.8. Gave up and motored back with no answer.

The kids came up on sunday with 10 - 15 and 1 - 2 forecast. We passed the drawbridge and the motor died. I hadn't planned on sailing the half mile out the channel, but rolling out the genoa seemed like the best option with the rocky breakwater to starboard and the Jet Express ferry closing from behind. We got out on the lake and had maneuvering room, so I messed with the outboard and got it running steadily. OK. up with the main. We must have snagged the main because my daughter said she didn't remember that hole in the main. Not good, down with the main. It was a beautiful day, sailing on the full 150 in 15 - 18 knots with Ben, Adrienne, Colin and I loving it. It got a little rough as we headed in, the new SW swell mixing with the left over N. The wind backed a little, forcing us farther east than our destination and we decided to motor the last three miles so we would have time for dinner. Reaching for the motor cost me my Tilly. Crew Overboard drill under power - seas were pretty sloppy now, and we wanted to get in! Motor won't start! Hat drifts away! COB drill abandoned and apparently results in one hypothetical death. Still sailing too East and the wind is coming straight down the channel. Not wanting to try short tacking up a busy channel with only a genoa and 18 kts. on the nose, we chucked it, anchored, and called for a tow. 15 minutes later, my tilly comes drifting by. Adrienne offered to swim over and get it. I said she could if she took a line with her. The hat was drifting faster than she could swim, so she came back but wanted to stay in the warm water and waves. I agreed to that if she added the Lifesling to her flotation. That was reportedly great fun (the captain misses out on a lot.). Anyway, we got Lifesling practice. Towboat U.S. arrived shortly after she was back aboard. A pleasant tow at hull speed got us to our slip in time for a nice dinner across the street at Doc's Beachhouse (really good food and a great view of the islands).

The kids went back to Columbus, and I took Ben for a walk in time to see Towboat US bringing in a 34 footer with a dead engine from a couple of slips up from me. All in all, we had a great time.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Edited by - on

klemsaba
Deckhand

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USA
14 Posts

Response Posted - 07/24/2012 : 20:19:02

I lost my Tilly a few weeks ago! I treated it just like a person. One crew member kept it in view the entire time as another prepared for the retrieval with a boat hook. Took three attempts to retrieve it but we got it! Good thing the Tilly was wearing a built in PFD! Ha!

Just in case you don't know, if it is 2 years or newer you can get it replaced for 1/2 price through Tilly.

Edited by - on

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 07/24/2012 : 20:25:10

Glad to hear you got back in safely, even if it required a tow. Having been towed once myself, it's a humbling experience. Could you have taken in a reef to leave part of your main up? I think you still made the right decision, even if you could have, short tacking is no fun, especially if it's busy and you're playing dodge-boat at the same time.

Sorry to hear about losing your Tilley, I've taken to tossing mine on the cockpit floor if I have to start moving around the boat. Mine tends to work itself kinda forward on my bean, and then it's liable to pop off. I suppose I could put the chin straps on, but I never do. This is my second one, I have no idea what happened to my first. I suspect one of these days I'm going to uncover it in an old suitcase or something. I certainly don't remember losing it.

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Just in case you don't know, if it is 2 years or newer you can get it replaced for 1/2 price through Tilly.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"> They also used to offer a free replacement if you had a good enough story for how it got destroyed. However, I think they wanted the old one for their museum, so I don't think it going over the side into Poseidon's possession would count. There used to be some pretty entertaining stories on their site about them.

Another option is a giant bandana. I like using this because it keeps the sweat out of my eyes, and I don't have to deal with the brim of my Tilley. However, I lose the protection of my wide brim, so it's a two edged sword.

So do you think Ben's going to be a good boat dog? We miss having our chocolate lab with us when we're sailing. She was pretty unflappable when it came to weather or heeling. About the only time she got excited is when we were close to shore, then she needed a bit of restraining to keep her in the cockpit.

Edited by - delliottg on 07/24/2012 20:28:19

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 07/25/2012 : 06:14:50

I keep a roll of Dacron sail repair tape on board and have made effective temporary repairs with it.

[url="http://"]http://video.sailrite.com/dacron-repair-tape/youtube.html[/url]

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 07/25/2012 : 07:00:05

Sounds like you kept your cool and worked through it all--a good sign...

However, that hat was drifting faster than she could swim, while you were at anchor? What was pushing it? (My Tilley sinks to the top of the crown, so no windage--I know this from several TOB drills.) Plus, you had been trying to sail up-wind, so it would seem wind would push the hat away from you--not back by you...

So, was it a [url="http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/ofs/leofs/now_cur.shtml"]current[/url]?? Line or no line, Lifesling or none... one slip and you could have a panicked child drifting away, with your anchor down and no immediately useful means of propulsion. It could get non-"hypothetical" in a hurry. I'm sensitive to this because of the currents I live around.

Curmudgeon out.

Edit: Sten, did you mean to say something??

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 07/25/2012 07:30:16

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 07/25/2012 : 15:08:05

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Plus, you had been trying to sail up-wind, so it would seem wind would push the hat away from you--not back by you…<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I pondered that for awhile. My best thought is that we drifted downwind a bit trying to start the motor and more while letting out 120' of rode. The mixing N and SW waves could push the hat around easily, and part of what appeared to be drift from onboard could have been swinging. Swimming with one arm through a bowline on a line terminated with a throwable is not fast, even for her. Current is not an issue except near shore at river mouths. I assess risk before allowing anyone in the water, and did not consider the action especially risky. A hat was not worth bothering with, but a rode is easily cut, and a Lifesling recovery under sail in 80º water with a conscious, healthy 30 y/o in a manually inflatable PFD with a line and a throwable in tow was an available course. Incidentally, the lifesling lift out with the mainsheet went just as advertised. And Ben appeared to be a happy sailor.
edit: I do have sail tape on board, but chose to sail on the genoa and repair the sail on shore.

Edited by - Dave5041 on 07/25/2012 15:13:42

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 07/25/2012 : 18:08:28

Ah... a 30 y.o. "child".

If there was clearly no current and something else pushing the hat, never mind.

Edited by - on

sethp001
Mainsheet C-25 Tech Editor

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814 Posts

Response Posted - 07/25/2012 : 18:08:30

Enjoyed your story.

Our relatively small inland lake (largest in Virginia) is dominated by fast motorboats whose drivers look at us sailors as an oddity. I have not needed to be towed yet, but whenever we're hove to in the middle of the lake, motor boaters love to come by, and grinning ear-to-ear, ask if they can give us a tow.

I did get to tow a fellow sailor in a much larger boat one time. His motor died and so had the wind. I was surprised how well my little Catalina and 15hp outboard got us moving along.

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 07/25/2012 : 18:10:53

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by sethp001
 I did get to tow a fellow sailor in a much larger boat one time...
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">I once towed a powerboat into his club in CT, with my old O'Day Daysailer. He probably never heard the end of that!

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 07/25/2012 18:11:41

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 07/25/2012 : 18:54:47

I too have towed a powerboater. I was very nice because I was sure that his friends would dish out a feast.

Edited by - on

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 07/25/2012 : 19:01:41

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Ah... a 30 y.o. "child".<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I suspected that you had envisioned a younger child, so I thought to mention her age in my response. Closing rapidly on 70 tends to make one's children older. It seems like I was 30 not that long ago.

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 07/25/2012 : 19:19:18

I thought pretty much the same thing when you said "child". A 30 year old is completely capable of making informed decisions while a a 7 year old child wanting desperately to help her daddy get his hat back almost certainly isn't.

Can you detail the Lifesling lift out a bit more? We've got one, just never had the chance to use it, and never talked to someone who had. I also keep a 4 fall "handy-billy" in my sailing bag should I need it. It's more than long enough to run from the end of the boom to the water.

Edited by - on

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 07/26/2012 : 17:21:51

The official Lifesling video is a good demo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXMQIBAhFFs Other than hauling the retrieval line in and tying off, we don't do it that way though. I haul up the adjustable part of my topping lift to raise the aft end of the boom and tie off the boom on the rescue side. I release the snap shackle holding the mainsheet to the traveller and snap it on the lifting loop. Using the boom keeps them at the lifeline boarding gate where I have enough clearance to drag them into the cockpit instead of lifting them over the lifeline

edit: The tail of the mainsheet can be led to the opposite sheet winch or through the same side genoa block to the same side winch if my wife needs the assist to lift me. Going to a winch results in dragging the sheet through the tackle cam cleat, but the winch gives plenty of power to overcome that drag. The important thing is to adjust the lift loop so it is just accessible when the crew member is tied off.

Edited by - Dave5041 on 07/26/2012 17:33:54

Alan Clark
Captain

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406 Posts

Response Posted - 07/26/2012 : 17:47:13

Dave, Or you can just DRAG whoever feel overboard a few miles and that will TEACH them to fall overboard! ;)

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5369 Posts

Response Posted - 07/27/2012 : 18:45:29

My fav tow story is when the jet skier ran out of gas and I had to tow him in with my 16 ft Sunbird daysailor. My British Seagull towed us both at a brisk 3 kts!

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