Every trip I do something stupid, what about you?

[Tomfoolery]

I'm probably going to jinx myself here, but the only thing I've ever lost over the side was a sail slug stop, when I sat on the boom when rafted to beene's boat at the last MMOR (remember that Geoff?) and pushed it right out the slot, and a hat, but I could have turned around and got it and didn't bother.

As to dropping things in the parking lot, it's true that you're not likely to lose anything that way, but falling off the boat would be a bit tougher on the noggin. I still haven't made up my mind which is worse, though, and usually rig on the hard when on a road trip, but on the water in my home marina.

[Catigale]

I had a perfect trip once and then blew out both trailer tires driving over a 100 piece Stanley socket set in the road.
They weren't metric so I didn't bother to pick them up, besides, half were lost and my OCD doesn't permit me to have incomplete sentenc.....

[March]

Lost the grill off the cockpit port rail: instead of stowing it while underway, we kept it mounted "just in case" while sailing the Bahamas. Most of the time the depth was 7-10 feet of clear, pristine water, but that particular day, the depth was 21 feet, wind was 15 kts with 3-4 foot waves... no way was I going to dive down for it.

Cracked the centerboard (twice) even with two depth finders right under my nose and in clear waters under the keel

[Don T]

Hello,
Drove 60 miles to the launch ramp only to find I had left the boat keys sitting on the kitchen counter.
Drove 200 miles north only to realize I had left critical meds sitting on the kitchen counter.
Drove 40 miles north the next time only to remember I left those same critical meds on the kitchen counter (see, I'm improving).
Left the UHF antenna in place when towing - it's somewhere between Portland and Anacortes resting peacefully.
Forgot to put the cotter pin in the port side trailer bearing. Didn't make it very far........thankfully.


Don T

[Starscream]

I had a perfect trip once and then blew out both trailer tires driving over a 100 piece Stanley socket set in the road.
They weren't metric so I didn't bother to pick them up, besides, half were lost and my OCD doesn't permit me to have incomplete sentenc.....

Well you should have at least picked up the 7/16 and 9/16 sockets if they were still there. Can't have too many of those. I trailered home about 200 miles from one trip and when I got home I found both my 9/16 sockets still sitting where I left them by the mast step. Surprised to still have them.

[Tomfoolery]

I had a perfect trip once and then blew out both trailer tires driving over a 100 piece Stanley socket set in the road.
They weren't metric so I didn't bother to pick them up, besides, half were lost and my OCD doesn't permit me to have incomplete sentenc.....

Well you should have at least picked up the 7/16 and 9/16 sockets if they were still there. Can't have too many of those. I trailered home about 200 miles from one trip and when I got home I found both my 9/16 sockets still sitting where I left them by the mast step. Surprised to still have them.

I have an inexpensive set of tools in a blow-molded box, just for boating. If something isn't where it's supposed to be, it's obvious.

Of course, that requires that I actually check to see if it's all there before taking off.

[dlandersson]

I've done that - everything seemed to be in slow motion while it bounced, rolled off the cabin roof and -ker-plop into the water.

-

I'm probably going to jinx myself here, but the only thing I've ever lost over the side was a sail slug stop

[sailboatmike]

I dont think I mentioned my better half being over relaxed and putting her keys in the anchor locker (for safe keeping LoL) , it was pitch dark when we got to mooring up and you guessed it as I pulled the bow line out I hear a click, click, splash as the keys made their way down to the bottom of the channel.

Well that little escapade cost us over $1000 to get a mobile lock smith to unlock the car and get new keys made, funny but she is the insistent one on putting all that sort of stuff exactly in its place before we cast off.

Lesson learnt, she now has a floating buoy on her keys, at least now if they fall overboard we have a chance of getting them back

[C Buchs]

I've done that - everything seemed to be in slow motion while it bounced, rolled off the cabin roof and -ker-plop into the water.

-

I'm probably going to jinx myself here, but the only thing I've ever lost over the side was a sail slug stop

I was in the dark when I lost mine. It must have gotten loose and when I lowered the sail I heard something bounce off the deck and go splash. I didn’t know what it was until the sail started spreading across the deck. I bought two new ones and put locktight on the threads of the one I'm using. I have to use my Leatherman to get it loose, but it doesn’t come loose on its own any more.

Jeff

[Ixneigh]

Beh where do I start. I'll just keep it to the Mac and not all the other boats I've had over the years.
Done the head bashing on the hatch. Nearly knocked myself out. Have hit the daggerboard on the bottom a few times by not paying attention. Dropped stuff off the boat but I have extra tools since I stay on the boat a large part of the year. One night my boat dragged anchor and I thought someone had stolen her! Have most every kind of raising the sail snafu you could imagine. Have forgot to fill the ballast once. Have left stuff unsecured below when sailing then you hear a big crash! Have gotten dinghy painters caught in the prop. I actually crashed into a mangrove island once because I couldn't get the boat to turn around quick enough. I've done some spectacular uncontrolled jibes.
I've let go the main halyard instead of the jib in a panic situation in a squall, that made the boat head right towards a sand bar. One horrible night trying to get out to my anchored boat in the dark on a paddle board I noticed something following me and thought I'd hooked a crab pot bouy on the skeg but it was actually one of my dogs! That was the same night I had a bad case of food poisoning and by the time I got to my boat I felt like I was ready to die.
Re phones and meds I have a waterproof case that functions as my purse that I keep that stuff in and it comes with me everywhere and from car to boat. Once it's in the car it can stay there all day and I take out what I need at a particular moment. Then I close the lid and it comes out to the boat where it has a place I always put it. All my important stuff stays in it. It gets strapped to the paddle board and also has a lanyard with a snap if I need to secure it someplace. I have used this system for many years while living on various boats. Even when I stay ashore I still use it. It has my phone, wallet, a knife, lighter, flashlight, key ring, and some other small stuff. This used to be a waterproof pelican box but I replaced that with one I made that I can sit on while using the paddle board in windy weather.

[npsrangerchuck]

Labor Day weekend, trying to swing wide with the trailer, paying too much attention to the space I was aiming for (which was on the left- where I could rig the mast) and the side of my hit the back corner of an Audi, breaking the tail light . Needless to say, we left a note and two days later, the owner called me. She was gracious enough to allow me to source an after market part and she never even billed me for the labor to have it installed! Guess that's good karma.

[Retcoastie]

A way to save those sail slugs is to put a ball bungee around the mast at the slot so as to block it and keep things from falling out.

[C Buchs]

A way to save those sail slugs is to put a ball bungee around the mast at the slot so as to block it and keep things from falling out.

That's better than my Locktite idea. My way is too hard to get off and back on.

Jeff

[Tomfoolery]

A way to save those sail slugs is to put a ball bungee around the mast at the slot so as to block it and keep things from falling out.

That's better than my Locktite idea. My way is too hard to get off and back on.

Mine actually has a very thin headed pin through the slot, with a ring ding to hold it there, just above the flare. But since the bottom slug was long and really skinny (unlike all the rest, which are short, fat nylon), it would slip out past the pin anyway, making it tough to raise the main. So I'd use the slug stop. And forgot to put the pin through.

As soon as the boom moved, I knew what happened, and I just sat there waiting (milliseconds) for the doink-doink-plop! that followed. Nobody to blame but myself. Well, I could blame beene I guess, since I was rafted to his boat for socializing, but that won't get any traction.

I've since changed out the bottom slug, which now does not fit past the pin, so I don't need the slug stop any more.

At least it came with the boat, and I hadn't spent money on it.

[dlandersson]

As soon as the boom moved, I knew what happened, and I just sat there waiting (milliseconds) for the doink-doink-plop! that followed.