# Mistakes! We all make them....right?



## NautiGirlB (Mar 12, 2010)

Having just spilled my guts in the First Overnight Race thread, I was wondering what kinds of mistakes others have made.

First, biggest or most serious. Funny mistakes, if there is such a thing.

As a newbie, I know that I could learn from hearing from you and maybe others could too.


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## bljones (Oct 13, 2008)

First sail with my current boat, also first sail on a boat larger than a Mirror dinghy- I had the whisker pole clipped to the lifelines, (mistake 1)and had the genny sheets run inside the shrouds instead of outside (mistake 2). First tack, the windward sheet proceeds to unclip the whisker pole and dump it over the side while the lee sheet simultaneously removes the boathook from the lifeline clips on it's side.
The $10 boathook floated until I could retrieve it.
The $200 whisker pole sunk immediately.


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## NautiGirlB (Mar 12, 2010)

Ok, BJ please speak to me. What the heck is a whisker pole? Yes, I have heard of it before but have no idea what it is or does


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## POLKA247 (Apr 15, 2008)

Whisker pole is for head sail down wind sailing, with no spinnaker. 

I got one for ya. Years ago when I was starting out. The skipper ran aground in some muck just outside the harbor. He asked some one to bend two lines together for a tow rope. We decided to use the spinnaker sheets for lenght. I jumped at the opportunity "to make a name for myself" and fix my position as crew on board. Well I tied a knot. The only knot I know that would hold. Thanks to boy scouts. We got pulled off and the skipper checked the lines and the knot. The first time I had ever heard him yell in anger! "Who the Hell tied this!!" Needless to say I spent the time headed to the starting line getting the square knot untied. Since that day I can only tie a bowline.


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## PCP (Dec 1, 2004)

Some years back I was approaching a marina on bumpy seas, somewhere on the west Med. The sails were already down and I went forward to fix a mooring cable. The boat jerked more vigorously and I grabbed the first taught line for some support. It was the Genoa sheet….that could not support my weight and I was thrown to the boat rail were I was stuck in a very undignified position, with the feet and legs inside, my back outside, hanging there by the hands. I was holding firmly, but it was difficult to get back on my feet.

The rest of the crew (my wife and two sons) only gave me a hand after having some laughs at my expenses.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Good to see your crew has their priorities straight. 


PCP said:


> Some years back I was approaching a marina on bumpy seas, somewhere on the west Med. The sails were already down and I went forward to fix a mooring cable. The boat jerked more vigorously and I grabbed the first taught line for some support. It was the Genoa sheet&#8230;.that could not support my weight and I was thrown to the boat rail were I was stuck in a very undignified position, with the feet and legs inside, my back outside, hanging there by the hands. I was holding firmly, but it was difficult to get back on my feet.
> <O</O
> The rest of the crew (my wife and two sons) only gave me a hand after having some laughs at my expenses . <O</O


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## jarcher (Jul 29, 2008)

POLKA247 said:


> ... The skipper ran aground in some muck just outside the harbor. ... The first time I had ever heard him yell in anger! "Who the Hell tied this!!"


A skipper who puts his boat aground has no business yelling at a crew member for using the wrong knot!


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## POLKA247 (Apr 15, 2008)

He was distracted at the time in a narrow unmarked channel, that badly needed dredging, allowing for overtaking boats to pass and missed the turn. He was, however, the best skipper I had and learned a lot from him and hold him in high regard.


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## Dulcitea (Jan 15, 2010)

I have made so many dumb mistakes its hard to chose. 

My most expensive mistake involved my "new" boat. It was a step up from my dingy which did not have spreaders. It was a nothing beer can race. I was singlehanding. I was pretty far out ahead and feeling pretty full of myself. It is true: the fall is precedth by pride. 

To increase my lead even more, I cut too close to the channel marker and my shrouds were ensnared. The wind was about 20 knots and the fast moving tide was working against me. I did not have wire cutters on board. That would have been too smart. 

I watched all the racers past me. Many were smiling. Some ignored me. Only the last-place boat offered to help. 

I realized two things: (1) I was middle-aged; i.e., I was no longer that girl that could expect to be innudated with offers of masculine assitance and (2) It is better to be last and kind than first and self-absorbed. 

I keep forgetting the second. So I continue to do lots of stupid things on my boat.


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## tager (Nov 21, 2008)

I revved my outboard too high, and broke the shear pin dropping it into gear just as I was entering the locks. Thinking that the shift linkage had broken, I jammed around on the shift lever, hoping that it would reengage by an act of god. 

I replaced the shear pin later, but only to find that I actually had done enough damage to the shift linkage by gorilla grunting it, that it had to be replaced later. 

Then I sold the boat!


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## tager (Nov 21, 2008)

I was motoring down a narrow part of the Swinomish Channel with a cross current by Goat Island, I moved to the side of the channel to give space for a large motor yacht, I was in about 10' of water with 4'5" draft. 

Unfortunately there were pilings that were not 10' under the surface, by a large margin.

My girlfriend, who was in the head at the time, slammed her head into the mirror as the keel rested on top of the old rotten pilings.


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## tager (Nov 21, 2008)

I left a cup of thinner with a brush full of blue oil paint in it on the cabin top. No explanation needed.


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## Sabreman (Sep 23, 2006)

Most of these stories really belong in the Most Boneheaded Moves thread of which I am a great contributor. :laugher 
http://www.sailnet.com/forums/seama...biggest-bonehead-move-sailing.html#post169056

However, while *racing* I have had some fun like:

1. Hoisting the spinnaker upside down. The skipper was *not* happy.
2. While in a death roll, the spinnaker pole blew off the top of the pole track because I hadn't secured it very well. So the pole was flying around unsecured threatening to punch a hole in the main and the whole boat was rolling wildly threatening to broach. We retired from the race.
3. My crew (who shall remain nameless) forgot to secure the spinnaker turtle hoist line and it became stuck in the first set of spreaders. It was an overnight race, so I had to go aloft in the dark. The scenery was pretty from up there.
4. Barging the line with only a boat width + 3" to spare between us, the next competitor, and the committee boat. We were disqualified, but it was fun. I'd do it agan just to watch their faces. 
5. The worst - watching a competitor in our class pole out their jib with a boathook, not protesting, and losing to them on corrected time. Now that makes me mad!


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## zz4gta (Aug 15, 2007)

accidental gybe while under chute and having the boom hit my friend in the head. I don't let newbies drive under the kite anymore. Its a good things he has a really hard head.


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## jarcher (Jul 29, 2008)

Sabreman said:


> 5. The worst - watching a competitor in our class pole out their jib with a boathook, not protesting, and losing to them on corrected time. Now that makes me mad!


What rule did this violate? Actually sounds pretty clever, a boat hook is a lot cheaper than a wisker pole!

One race last season we were short a crew member, the one who usually keeps time at the start. So we were sailing around the starting area and started our 5-minute countdown right at the right time, or so we thought!

The starting gun went off and we thought it was the 1-minute signal, so while the rest of the fleet headed to the windward mark we kept sailing down the line. The race committee just couldn't take it after a bit, and one member stood up on the committee boat and started waiving his arms toward the mark yelling "GO! GO!" We figured it out.

At the awards banquet, I was given a special award for that! LOL


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## DrB (Mar 29, 2007)

*Lousy Sailing Skills*

Before I tell my story, my boat is a Pearson 10M which is mostly genoa powered compared to the main. Okay now back to my story.

So I am on a J105 and the main trimmer. Winds are up up in the 15 to 20 kt range and we were beating to the next mark. Boat is riding the rail in and out of the water and in and out of weather helm.

We are on a port tack and another boat is coming on a starboard tack. Boats were an estimated 20 seconds apart, when I say to the captain that we are on a collision course with the starboard boat. Cap'n says no we are not to which I reply, I have been watching for the last 10 seconds and pretty sure we are. Cap'n says no we'll easily pass behind them.

Fast forward 15 seconds and the bowman screams that we are going to hit. Cap'n says we're going to turn and quick duck behind them. He quickly turns the wheel, but the boat continues straight. As luck would have it, we do JUST pass behind them; our bow literally inches from hitting their port stern quarter panel.

Okay the heart rates come down and then the Cap'n starts reaming me another butt hole saying that I almost caused a crash and damage to his and the other boat. Stunned, I say I told you that we were on a collison course with plenty of time to alter the course safely. He then said I was an incompent sailor because when he said "ducking", I should have released the main, it's basic sailing. The mood soured quickly after that I wanted off the boat immediately.

Back at the mooring, I was still pissed but he had calmed down and said that he had so much weather helm that until I released pressure on the main, he had no turning power. Basically he used the rudder as a brake.

On my boat, I said, even if I have a a decent amount of weather helm, I can still turn the boat without releasing the main; although releasing it makes it easier. I later learn that the J105 is mostly powered by the main and has a smaller spade rudder, compared to the 10M's larger skeg rudder. These mean that you really pay attention to the main during course changes.

He did allow me back. I haven't made that mistake again.

DrB


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## SW329xl (Mar 25, 2010)

This did not happen during a race, but figured I would share it anyway. While ducking under the main to check the genoa, I slipped just as the boat hit a wake from a passing stinkpot. The combination of events brought my left eye into contact with the end of the winch handle. This left me with a perfectly shaped black eye, looked like a makeup artist put it on. I spent much of the next two weeks trying to convince people that I was not in a bar fight.


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## zz4gta (Aug 15, 2007)

I've found that if you ever get a black eye, just say "the other guy looked worse". Doesn't matter how you got it, by the end of the day all your co-workers are going to call you Rocky anyway. Have some fun w/ it.


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## Sabreman (Sep 23, 2006)

> What rule did this violate? Actually sounds pretty clever, a boat hook is a lot cheaper than a wisker pole!


It violates ISF rules 50.2 and 50.3. Basically, if you want to sheet something out, it must be through a pole attached to the mast. Otherwise, it's considered an outrigger and that's expressly prohibited by 50.3 except for the 2 cases indicated.



> 50.2 Spinnaker Poles; Whisker Poles
> Only one spinnaker pole or whisker pole shall be used at a time except when gybing. When in use, it shall be attached to the foremost mast.
> 
> 50.3 Use of Outriggers
> ...


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## tommays (Sep 9, 2008)

Well

The worst was on the way to a race the day before LOT of mistakes 

1.Before 99 buck GPS

2. leave to late

3. Out in Peconic Bay there is SO much shore light polution seeing flashers is HARD .

4. Not enough flashlights 

5. Compass light burns out  

6.Failed to bailout when we could have in safe place 

7. FIND SANDBAR

8. now it gets better

9. plenty of anchor and rode SO with GOOD life jacket walk out with anchor and then winch boat off sandbar 

10> Get smart and do best thing stay anchored till dawn 


NOW we had charts fully marked with the real bearings and times taken on the many times we did it in daylight BUT the firts time night trip was much harder than planed


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## puddinlegs (Jul 5, 2006)

DrB said:


> ...the heart rates come down and then the Cap'n starts reaming me another butt hole saying that I almost caused a crash and damage to his and the other boat. Stunned, I say I told you that we were on a collison course with plenty of time to alter the course safely. He then said I was an incompent sailor because when he said "ducking", I should have released the main, it's basic sailing.
> 
> ... I haven't made that mistake again.
> 
> DrB


Yup, the skipper was right, but his mistake was not noticing you _NOT_ uncleating the main sheet. Even with a crazy experienced main trimmer on the boat, I'll usually say something like, "we'll duck... main sheet's ready to easy?" etc.... I'll call the ease as I bear away. Ducking is normal practice, but everyone has to be on the same page. Skipper must be VERY clear about the timing and sequence. The jib trimmer will be down doing their thing concurrently. Done correctly, a good close duck is a rush!

And as you said, the mistake hasn't been repeated!

.. Early mistake. As a kid, I was sailing with a friend in an O'day widgeon. We were docking after a few rounds of racing, and I came in a bit too fast. My friend went forward to fend. He used his hands instead of feet and got his thumb smashed between the dock and the boat... I felt awful for days.

Also did a crummy what I thought was a half-hitch, and turned around to see the boat (this time an FJ) floating away from the dock.

More recently, a friend (the skipper of a 120' motor yacht) and I were pulling up to dock next to his boat. We weren't really paying much attention and at the last moment realized we had to climb up on large tractor tires that were bolted to the dock to get to the cleats. Yeah, short dock lines, the blow off side of the dock, and upwind from his 120'er where lunch was waiting for us... came about 3 heart beats from losing control and drifting quickly into the big boat. Yes, we had both jumped off my boat on to the dock with lines that were a good bit shorter than we ideally needed. Of course we hadn't put a couple of fenders over the other side 'just in case'. Didn't think that this kind of simple error was in the realm of possibility. We were sure were close to having to explain a lot of potential cosmetic damage to the owner. It was just plain luck, not skill, that we managed keep my boat in control, but only at the very last possible moment... Lot's of dicey moments jumping back and forth getting longer lines together. Rule one, no matter what or who you're sailing with or on, talk the docking strategy through and have a 'plan B' for the odd chance that things go south.

And one more... Calling for a spin hoist when it wasn't my job, kite goes up early, fills, we start going sideways and hit the windward mark... have to do our turns while watching a bunch of boats sail by. Ouch.... Owner/skipper not pleased. Mast man not pleased... matter of fact, everyone pretty unhappy. uke yup... that's the emoticon that sums it all up pretty well.


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## jarcher (Jul 29, 2008)

Sabreman said:


> It violates ISF rules 50.2 and 50.3. Basically, if you want to sheet something out, it must be through a pole attached to the mast. Otherwise, it's considered an outrigger and that's expressly prohibited by 50.3 except for the 2 cases indicated.


Okay, thanks. But if someone used a boat hook as a wisker pole - one connected to the mast and the other the clue, then from the reading of the rule, the boat hook essentially becomes a wisker pole, yes?


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## zz4gta (Aug 15, 2007)

Jarcher, yes. As long as the "wisker" pole isn't longer than your J dimension. Some are telescoping and huge. Judging from your pic, you'd have to go out of your way to find a boat hook longer than your J dim.


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## Sanduskysailor (Aug 1, 2008)

20 years ago there were 4 of us racing in our first Mills Race. The Mills is a night race around several islands in Lake Erie. This was our first night race and we were racing the 38 mile JAM course. It was pretty much before GPS and we didn't have a Loran. The race starts out in light air and we are forced towards the Michigan shore line. A lake freighter charging through the fleet separates us from all of our competitors. Fortunately we catch a shore breeze that our competitors don't get. We are flying to the north while our competitors sit several miles offshore. For some reason the compass light quit working so our only instrument was the knotmeter. The crew spotted the 4 second green flashing buoy in the distance which are charts said was on Middle Sister Island. We sailed towards it for about an hour when we realized that it couldn't be in the right place. Taking sights off the Monroe power plant we realized we were heading at the outer channel buoy for the Detroit river which is way northwest instead of Middle Sister island to the northeast. We calculated that we were at least 3 miles north of the island. We tacked and slowly made our way east. Long story short, we ghosted along for hours in a light fog. My buddy and I took a nap down below while our wives steered. In the morning we planned to motor in to the finish at Put-in-Bay and be a bit embarrassed by our navigation error. As the fog started to lift we notice that we were in the company of a couple of 40 footers. Heartened, we decided to keep sailing as we were probably not going to be last on corrected time. Finishing around 9:00am we figured that there wouldn't be much in the way of dock space. Boy, were we wrong. There was no one at the docks save the 2 40 footers who finished in front of us.

Bottom line is that the whole division of about 50 boats got caught in a hole at Middle Sister Island and sat there for 6 hours. Our brilliant navigation, or lack of it, caused us to sail an additional 7 miles as we unknowingly sailed around the hole and kept moving. I thanked my brilliant navigator at the awards ceremony as I picked up a flag for first in class and 2nd overall. We corrected out over the second place boat in class by about 3 hours. Needless to say I've never been that misguided, unfortunate, or fortunate in a race again.


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## tommays (Sep 9, 2008)

You have to check your LOCAL rules 

In Northport there is no lenth on wisker poles out east a bit your limited to your J


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## jarcher (Jul 29, 2008)

zz4gta said:


> Jarcher, yes. As long as the "wisker" pole isn't longer than your J dimension. Some are telescoping and huge. Judging from your pic, you'd have to go out of your way to find a boat hook longer than your J dim.


My spinnaker pole is limited to my J unless I want to take a penality, which of course is not worth it. My J dimension is just shy of 12 feet, something like 11.85 feet. I don't have a wisker pole so i never looked it up, but I was thinking of geting one. Glad you mentioned this, thanks! You saved me from having another mistake to post in this thread :laugher


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## AdamLein (Nov 6, 2007)

I keep the tiller tied off when docked, on the side farther from the dock. I tie it in a different crazy way each time, usually using a traveler line. A couple of days ago I started to motor away from the dock before I remembered to untie the tiller.


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## Sabreman (Sep 23, 2006)

> You have to check your LOCAL rules


Absolutely. I was quoting the ISF rules because that we follow. Also, I agree that you can take any sort of pole and attach it to the mast and clew and it becomes a whisker pole as long as the J isn't exceeded. On our pole, we have a mark at the max telescoping point that can not be exceeded. This makes the overall length equal to the J. Otherwise, our pole can quickly become a spin pole. I didn't want to get into all the details and muddy my answer.

Sorry if I was unclear.


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## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

The whisker pole length here in PHRF-NW where I race is J length or 80% of LP. So on my 155, I can mover the WP to about140% of J, with a 120 or smaller, I can use the J mark on my pole, I have marks on my WP for the 155, 140, 130 and J.

Here is my small, " here hold my beer watch this" fun a year ago rounding a mark in a race!









Marty


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## PaulinVictoria (Aug 23, 2009)

Does crashing into the RC boat while trying to be clever and sail past nice and close to get a coffee from them count?
Wasn't me at the helm, all I could do was duck at the appropriate moment


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## jarcher (Jul 29, 2008)

PaulinVictoria said:


> Does crashing into the RC boat while trying to be clever and sail past nice and close to get a coffee from them count?
> Wasn't me at the helm, all I could do was duck at the appropriate moment


Yeah that counts. As my teenage daughter would say, "epic fail."


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## CLucas (Feb 10, 2007)

PaulinVictoria said:


> Does crashing into the RC boat while trying to be clever and sail past nice and close to get a coffee from them count?
> Wasn't me at the helm, all I could do was duck at the appropriate moment


Your RC serves coffee?!? How about beer?


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## PaulinVictoria (Aug 23, 2009)

Don't think they serve coffee on a formal basis. Beer, they could probably throw a can or two over I guess.
Fortunately no damage was done, except to pride.


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## andy1976 (Jan 27, 2011)

When racing on Scotlands East Coat week regatta one year, there was a large fleet of BT Challenge boats taking part. They had a "********* of the day" award at the end of the days racing for the most stupid mistake made. The prize being a baseball cap with a dick sewn onto it. It was hillarious in the bar afterwards looking out for the poor unfortunate sole who was wearing it. Bizzarley though, after a belly full of pints it was worn with pride!


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