1, 2, and 3, of 3 stories by Zen

[Zen]

Since I have not been sailing that long, seems to me, at least. I do not have many rail gripping sailing tales. However there 3 that are humorous that come to mind...

Driving on the Benica/Martinez bridge one gets a good view of the area. One gets an even better view when there is a lot of traffic which slow things down. This bridge is one of those that gets ALOT of traffic. From here on this bridge looking left I can see the Marina where my boat lives and points south. Looking right I can see points north. I can also clearly, as can everyone else on the bridge and coming to the bridge, can see the wide area in the river where the water splits into two paths, because of the low laying sand barge...

Flash back 5 yrs...

I am a happy guy. I just purchased my first boat. I lucked out and got a great little ship an Ariel. At the time I knew nothing about it other than it was a good deal and had some support on the internet from some group . I had finished a short instuctonal sail with a "real Sailor" to understand how things worked. Then I went out fro a couple of short surries. All went well. Now it was time to move the boat to it's new home port. IT was about a 4-5 hours sail down river.
I did some planning with the tides so I could get out of the marina without going aground. I loaded the girlfriend, some day supplies and off we went. We should get there just before dark. Which was good, because I had never been in that area by water, much ess the marina.
Things went well, I only used the mainsail, because the roller jib was not quite right. We made good time. I paid attention to the markers so not to run into trouble. All went well. Finally we were about 1 hour from the marina. We came to an open area. I saw no markers, so I thought, ok, this must be a clear area to sail because I see nothing and there is another sail boat way over there. So I gave the boat her head and let her rip. A short few moments later the boat took a sudden turn on her own, did a little u turn then stopped. Sails still full of wind. WTF!!!! I thought!!
slowly it dawned on me, WE WERE STUCK!!!!!!!!!!
What to do , what to do...
I get on the radio call the boat tow, coast guard, anyone.

NO ONE could do anything! They were familiar with the spot, all said wait!

That was well and good, however the tide was just starting to go out so that ment 6-8 hours waiting. which we did, we did have a couple in a speedboat ask ( from a distance)if we were ok. I said yeah, just aground we have to wait. The thing which I did not figure on was the boat slowly leaning as the tide slipped away. The girlfriend is starting to get worried as she sees the water more and more clearly from the side ports, because we are now at 45 degree angle and the water is up to the toe rail. Which is where we spent the next 6 hours until 12:00 midnight before we could drift free. In front of full view of everyone siting on the bridge and area around it. There we were a lone sailboat sitting in the mud at 45 degrees, sails up going no where...

Yeah I could see it all clearly from the bridge, it was like yesterday, but with me watching from my car. The memory was so clear,...wait... oh look, there's a boat out there in the middle of the river stuck... 8)

[Zen]

I have a little sail time under my belt now, with my Ariel, so I figure, time for an adventure...
THe Ariel club is having a gathering in Alameda. I'll take off the weekend and go. THis involved a 6-8 hour sail down into the SF Bay. This was to be a real sail I thought. all day down, spend the night all day back.

The girlfriend who had recovered from the ground incedent was ready to go.
We packed up "Kuan Yin" my Ariel and set off. We motered over to Benica Marina which is about 30 min. away. We spent the night there so we could get an early start in the morning. The marina there was deeper so we could leave anytime no matter what the tide.
After a pleasant night, we set off in the early am. NO WIND!!
SO we motored...and motored... and motored.
At the time I had a 2 stroke mercury, so there was smoke and noise. but we went onward. I had about 5 gallons of gas.... enough hmmm???

After about 2 hours, I put up the sail to try fro some wind. We got a breath of a breeze. So made no time unless motor sailing...

After about 3 hours of this the g/f says " I do not feel well"
this was not good...I thought

we continued onward, I changed sails to a 160 genoa. That help a little, we started making some headway, but not enough to not use the motor, which the fumes where making the gf more sick. Finally we are in sight of the bay, I can see the bridge in the far distance were the race was to start to begin the days events. We were at least 4 hours away, running low on gas, and not much wind, oh Dear!!

then the wind picks up, horray!! I thought, the sails fill up, I kill the motor and we are off like a bat with the 160 full .
THe pleasure of this lasted about 1 hour. Slowly the wind continures to build, now it is to the point where it is uncomfortable, waves are up, we are flying, however, now there is is ALOT OF BOAT TRAFFIC!! oh poop!

The girl friend is still not well, we are flying along almost on the edge of too fast, we are in the middle of traffic, and 2-3 boat races, the gf is below sick. poop poop poop.  >:(

I need to change sails, but she can barely move...
fianlly she gets it together enough to steer. I go forward to change sails, with boats flying by racing!! We are in the middle of the lane!!!!
I crawl forward to unhank the jib an put on the small one, with 5 ft waves, and 20-25 knots winds...!! poop poop poop!!  :'(

MADE IT without out falling over board. Which was lucky because the rope I had thought was fastened on to hold me was not holding to a good ring.  :o

NOw sails are changed, I start the motor with the 1 gal of gas I have left to get out of the racing lanes and headed to the clubhouse.
After 2 couple of hours more motorsailing because once out of the race zone the winds died. We call to the yaght club and are told drop the sails and get here quick because they will be closing the office soon. ( it is now almost 10 hours since we left port ), we missed the race, and it is getting dark now, we are almost out of gas!

We barely made it  on fumes to the yaght club.  :-[

I learned alot that day/weekend... 8)

The trip back was full of wind...TOO MUCH !!! during the second half, 25-30 kts, near gale conditions. Craft warnings....I knew nothing of reefing sails  :o but we made it back safe and dry.
Luck, GOD, karma, and a good boat were with us that weekend.

That weekend I first heard about the Islander...which is my current boat

[Zen]

It was a warm moon filled night, we sailed along at about 6 kts, The moon shone down on us, like a big silver beacon. IT was a great feeling zipping along, all the prolems of the day gone...

We were on our way back from a sail up river to a small marina. Mostly motoring since there was no room to tack. I was on the lookout for staying in the middle of the river so not to go aground withthe tide going out...

We came upon a bend, there was a clear marker for the channel. The was a big stinkpot coming from the other way. I figured I'd move over slightly to give him some room. BAD MOVE. The boat did that sickning curve thing and stopped, we were aground, poop!!

ok, several boats going by, some just looked, a couple stopped , but said they couple do nothing! So we figured ok, we'll wait again for the tide to drift us loose. About 1/2hr  later a speedboat comes by with a couple in it. They turn around and come take pictures of us with the bikes strapped on the back of the boat, like a bike rack. "is that for some boaters mag? An articule about peple who get stuck in the delta?" I ask. They laugh and say oh, your stuck!!??, maybe we can help.

One guy jumps in the water with his swim fins, the other backs the speed boat up. They hook up a tow line and slowly pull us free. Thanks ! we say, they yell, pass it on...So we are on our way again...

We stop at a little launch ramp for a break, some pictures,etc.
Now the wind has pickup up big time!

I try to launch without using the motor under sail power... BAD Move!! almost get blown into the marsh. We abort the launch and manhandle the boat back around to were we can take off, with some pulling pushing , etc we get there back around to the side of the ramp, I gun the motor, the g/f jumps on and we are off...

So here we are, on the final leg back home. all in all it was a good trip we got lucky.

I'm digging the sail, warmth, speed, wind, cool. I notice that we are out away from the safe area, near where we got suck on our very first trip. However I think, oh, we're cool because the tide is coming in...

Next thing, there is that un-planned turn...and stop... once again we are aground, almost in the same spot we got stuck in on the first vayage, poop poop poop. I start the motor and gun it, nothing, I put it in reverse and gun it, not much happens.

Then mother nature says , poor things, ok here... and sends a strong wind. The sails catch this wind, the boat heels and we sail free of the sand, THANK GOD !! we say as we head away from the sand back to the safe zone.


The rest of the trip was cool running...another day of learning... yet back safe and dry... sweet!!

[Iceman]

Spent a few nights in the Chesapeke and Intercoastal waterway with our Tartan 30 sleeping on the cabin sides ;D

[Iceman]

The gods do watch over all of us in our first sailing days
then they become less forgiving

[Iceman]

Your keel should be pretty barnacle free at this point ;D

[Pixie Dust]

Zen... I enjoyed reading 1,2,3. 
I have a dear friend who is a salty old gentlemen who has been working and running boats his whole life.  He has mentored a dear friend of mine.  He always tells us.... If you have never run aground, then you have not been out much.   Another piece of advice I always hear in my head...Never approach a dock faster than you want to hit it.    :o
Look at the funny stories our little misadventures give us!!

[starcrest]

I ran aground several times here in the ICW.the last time was peculiar as I had the depth alarm on......I didnt hear it but my friend Annie was inside,,,,she came out to the cockpit and said...."your beeping" that next slpit second comes that uneasy learching foward feeling.yet we were in the middle of a well marked channel...this was shortly after hurricane jean in 2004.....must have been an unmarked shoal.....so I put the outboard in reverse and swung it in each direction.....it took a while but we freed from the sand bar.....I continued slowely and stayed where  the larger boats were ...if it was deep enough for them....running aground is a very unnerving feeling...however here in south fla the ground is soft mud...its not usually hazardous...just very unnerving.just as well at the marina I am at now I am hard aground at low water

[Zen]

Sounds like the ICW is simliar to Our Delta here in the Bay Area. Soft mud bottom, lot of places for groundings.

Goes with the turf eh  ;)

[CapnK]

Zen -

All 3 are great stories - Thanks for sharing. :) Many new sailors are fooled into thinking that running aground is a "bad" thing. I prefer to think of it as a "Tactic", one that must be practiced from time to time, but only on sand/mud bottoms...  ::)

[s/v Faith]

Zen,

  I merged your stores into one thread.  I really enjoy them, as your sailing waters are my 'home' (although I have not lived there, but only visited most of my life).

  Thank you for taking the time to share this.   ;D

[AdriftAtSea]

Running aground is easy...getting away without damage is the tough part.  Any sailor who says they've never run aground is either not much of a sailor or a out and out liar. 

Love the stories... Keep 'em coming... especially since I'm grounded for the season... at least a while anyways....

[Fortis]

I still remember the time I was crewing on a friend's E30. We had left Sydeny and sailed down the coast and entered the bay in which the regatta was tobe held. The bouyage and channel system is a little more then merely complex, as there is the approach runway of the international airport. A fuel loading facility for ships in mid harbour, a major processing centre for bulk aluminium granules and its own port and a whole bunch of other "stuff"...all in a shallow harbour with channels going everywhere for the various industries (as well as no go zones for boats around the runway approaches).
I was supposed to be acting as the "pilot" because both of the owners on board they had driven down to the last races and had never been through the port entrencce where all the fun and games are.
And just as we are getting past the bulk fuel loading bouys, and there are about seven different channels opening up in frontof us, and the light is different and my memory is seeing passes that I know aren't real based on glancing at the chart....My mobile phone rings and I get to chat to my wife for a while!

Anyway, five minutes later I am looking at all the apporaching markers and have totally lost the plot.  I hear the words "are we in the channel for approaching the bridge?" I look starboard, there is a line of markers and the nearest one is topped by the correct colours. I look to port and there is a line of markers that we are following but we are between them and I have to guess regarding colour as we are hitting that sunset time...
"We are right in the middle of the channel for the bridge" I reply with confidence....and the boat seems to hit the worlds largest lump of jello and careens over just after I said it!

Embarassing, to say the least.

I did not mind hiking out to sit on the end of the boom....it got me as far away fomr the comments as I could get...just not nearly far enough to not hear them.

So we leaned the boat over and sort of bump-wallowed our way into the actual channel and not the space between two channels (the correct coloured marker turns out to have belonged to a totally different channel that had intersected ours by 90degrees or so).

We did win all of the races in our class that weekend though...which the skipper kept attributing to the way I had cleaned and shaved the keel with my cunning approach to the harbour.

It took about a year to live it down...Actually it mostly took someone else in the regatta doing something even more publicly stupid, and then people had something new to talk about.


Alex.

[AdriftAtSea]

Alex-

That's the problem with stating something like that out loud with absolute confidence... it gives Murphy a free shot at you...and he rarely misses.  :D