Posts : 165 Sailboat : Catalina 27 Join date : 2012-01-09 Job/hobbies : Rock Quarry President, Sailing, Family
Subject: Sailing on Lake Pleasant Sun Apr 01, 2012 8:29 pm
Ten minutes later there were whitecaps so I'm guessing winds were then at 13+ mph.
Rarely does this ever happen, but it does: Approaching our slip between 2 other boats. Wind gust pushes the nose to port, I take evasive tiller and throttle action and swing the bow and rest of the boat to port. Just miss the boat to our left. Cannot maneuver easily in the area trying to get turned around.
Try reverse but not enough power to overcome the wind, so I shift to forward, twist the throttle hard and push the tiller to port to swing me back into position for another approach, but the wind has other ideas and pushes me sideways, I push harder to port turning the boat so that (while my wife is on the bow not knowing what to do) I can bale! Yep, the captain jumped ship!
I jump onto what I had been steering toward to hit much softer, jet ski ports, the floating plastic ports, I jump, hit the ports on my hands and knees, am up and grab the boat to steady her. My wife ask why I jumped ship. I explain to save us from damaging anything. 2 dockhands arrive and when I climb back on board, then they push the nose hard to wind, I hit the throttle again, and I motor over slowly, upwind, and arrive safely at my slip with no further wind mishaps.
My legs gave up some flesh and blood in the incident, but I'll heal quickly. My wife comments on the ordeal. I told her I love it and that's half the fun. I re-inforced my next purchase by explaining to her that a diesel with a near mid-boat prop and a wheel would have given me more power, allowed me to better see, maneuver, and approach with more ability to combat the gusts.
Gary Admin
Posts : 1310 Sailboat : Pair CM 32's Aft Cabin Ketch & Aft Cockpit Birthday : 1956-10-17 Join date : 2011-12-28 Age : 67 Job/hobbies : Artist
Subject: Re: Sailing on Lake Pleasant Sun Apr 01, 2012 9:55 pm
Glad most everything is OK (except your knees)
Sounds a little like my yesterday outing. Coming back in, the wind was more than my kicker sticking a little too high in the water could do, so I did not even try for my slip, I put it in an easier slip, and moved the boat this evening in calm winds.
I am going to make a custom kicker bracket that is larger than anything commercially made. It will lower the engine an additional foot, but will also raise the engine an additional foot, so it will be easy to start (quickly dropping in the water to save the water pump)
Thanks for the video, pics and videos, really make a forum.
The other forum, now says images will only be available three months before removed from their server. What kind of BS is that? That will kill that forum for sure.