More of the Dumbest Things I Did While Sailing
As long as we keep sailing we know we’ll continue to do dumb things. It’s all part of the adventure and challenge. We thought we’d share a few more of the stories we collected back in 2002. Coming soon, we’ll share a few that readers have sent in response to these stories.
An Imminent Emergency
Once I was sailing in the Singlehanded Guadelupe Island Race, and somewhere south of Catalina became very concerned about a flashing strobe light behind me. I called the Coasties to inform them of this emergency. After a lengthy discussion, we (they) determined it was a… lighthouse. Ouch!
— Tim Schaff
(former Cabo Marina harbormaster)
Casual Water, Hunter 33
Husband of the Year
This tale went around Sausalito Yacht Harbor’s Pier D in the early ’90s, told by neighbors who swore they witnessed it while hanging out on the Hospital (Ayala) Cove moorings one balmy fall weekend: A man and hIs wife motored into the cove in some kind of common fiberglass sloop, a Felony 35, say, and headed for an empty mooring buoy. As they approached the buoy, the wife went forward with the boat hook, but the guy never slowed the boat. He steamed close by the mooring at about 5 knots, but the woman still managed to snag it. The boat hook was promptly yanked out of her hands. The man turned the air blue, called his wife all sorts of names, and circled around for another go at it.
This time, he had her lie down on the side deck amidships ready to grab the boathook and said, “Whatever you do, don’t let go!” AgaIn, he never slowed the boat. Nonetheless. she managed to grab the boathook, which was still hooked in the mooring ball. She didn’t let go. She was spun around, then slid off the deck under the lifelines and bellyflopped into the water. Her husband motored on without a word. He steamed out of the cove and vanished around the point, leaving his wife on the mooring. Witnesses had to dinghy over and fetch her, loan her dry clothes and whatever else she needed, and deliver her to the ferry to Tiburon.
— Brooks Townes
formerly of Sausalito
Brooks now lives in the Seattle area and contributed a story to our January issue about the Sausalito Indian Navy.
Testing the Right of Way
Years ago, while living in the British Virgin Islands, I decided that I would never learn to be a good sailor unless I took charge of our boat without my husband’s help. So while he was away on a trip I invited several other girl-sailors to help me race our 25-ft sloop in Foxy’s Wooden Boat Regatta. Turned out the other girls knew even less about sailing than I did, but we eventually made it to the starting line.
Trouble was, our class was long gone and we found ourselves in a port-starboard conflict with a massive Baltic Trader as we approached the line. “We’re definitely on starboard lack,” said one of the girls who had taken the helm. ”I’m sure we have right of way.” Finally realizing that the square-rigger wasn’t about to alter course, I grabbed the tiller and tried to tack away but our rigging had already become tangled In the huge ship’s bowsprit. I’m sure none of us will ever forget the befuddled looks on the faces of the Trader’s crew or the lesson we learned that day about ‘the law of tonnage’.
— Julie Turpin, Aphrodite, Ranger 33
Julie Turpin has since sailed thousands of miles and successfully crossed the Pacific in the Pacific Puddle Jump with her husband, Latitude 38’s long-time editor Andy Turpin, aboard their Cross 40 trimaran, Little Wing. They had a more recent adventure with a starter motor in Fakarava which they relayed in the current, January issue.
Do you have a unique experience you’d like to share with our readers? Send your latest misadventure here.