Fell in the water

Paul B · #1 07/16/2006, 07:27 PM

Today as all weekends for the last 30 years we went out in my boat with friends. When we came back to the marina I happen to fall in the water. I diden't just fall in the water, I fell in the water in front of about 100 people.
My marina is a very large marina in Long Island NY. There is a restaurant with a Tiki bar about 50 feet from my boat. I pulled in my slip with my wife and another couple and we started to clean the boat. I was on the swim platform and the mooring cover was on the dock so I grabbed the cover and pulled it toward me. The cover got stuck on the dock cleat so I (stupidly) put my foot on it to reach to the dock to free it. Of course the boat moved away from the dock with the cover and my foot so the next thing I know I am the entertainment and I am in the water with the mooring cover around me and my leg over the docking line.
It's a good thing that we were swimming all day and I had a bathing suit on.
There I was, a big deal Captain, Ex Viet Nam Sargeant, big guich that I am floundering in the water.
Lickilly we just finished off a few bottles of home made wine and champaign so I was laughing too hard to climb out of the water.
Also luckilly, I know a lot of people there and they didn't laugh too loud. Loud enough though.
I am glad I brightened everyone's day. The good news is that I collected a bunch of amphipods in my suit.

Have a great day.
Paul

billsreef · #2 07/16/2006, 07:30 PM

That's an interesting method for collecting amphipods

skippy2 · #3 07/16/2006, 07:32 PM

I would have loved to have been there to see that, Paul. That must have been hilarious!!

I'll bet your wife is still chuckling.

Paul B · #4 07/16/2006, 07:32 PM

Bill, that was in Manhasset Bay Marina in Port Washington. Not too crowded.
Paul

Paul B · #5 07/16/2006, 07:34 PM

Peggy, my wife called everyone she knew on the way home, as I was soaking wet trying not to drip too much on my car seats.
I never did that before in my life.
It happened an hour ago

dc · #6 07/16/2006, 07:41 PM

What, no pictures?

Paul B · #7 07/16/2006, 07:43 PM

Debi, I hope no one on the dock had a camera.
I may be on Eye Witness News tonight as how not to cover a boat.

billsreef · #8 07/16/2006, 07:46 PM

Paul,

You really need to work on a cover story. Something like you were giving some new boater a demonstration of what not to do

Paul B · #9 07/16/2006, 07:47 PM

Oh yeah, thats what I was doing, showing some newbe how not to cover a boat. Yeah thats the ticket, thats what I was doing.

crp · #10 07/16/2006, 08:00 PM

Gotta watch out for those cleats!

Last weekend, we were Kingston on our boat. The house boat next to ours was driven by a man that was 75 years old. Had his wife and mother (who was 103) on the boat as well as their cat. There great grandson (about 15) was on the dock undoing the lines, the boat started to move away, the kid;s sandel got caught on the cleat so he had one foot on the dock and both hands on the boat and his body was pretty much horizontal over the water. My husband yelled to let go of the boat, which he did, and landed in the water. The way his foot was twisted he was underwater. My husband grabbed him and pulled him out of the water while my son undid his sneaker from the dock. Poor kid, scared the bejesus out of him. Luckily, we were watching when they left. Nothing seemed to be broke but I'm sure he was sore for a few days.

Carrie

dc · #11 07/16/2006, 08:05 PM

A likely story! Well anyone who didn't know you probably thought it was your first time out.

billsreef · #12 07/16/2006, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dc
A likely story! Well anyone who didn't know you probably thought it was your first time out.

One of my favorite passtimes is hanging out at Marina's and boat ramps to watch the folk that have no business being around a boat as anything other than a passenger

It's amazing how many people back the trailer right off the end of the ramp, and sometimes even the car/truck too

pad · #13 07/16/2006, 08:34 PM

I would check to see if they have a camera on site for security or surveilance. Catch them tomorrow before they get rid of the evidence.

Paul B · #14 07/17/2006, 03:29 PM

Quote:

A likely story! Well anyone who didn't know you probably thought it was your first time out.

What was worse is that last week I had no reverse on the boat, I couldn't go backwards. On a boat you sometimes use reverse to stop. It was a small repair job but I didn't have time to jump in the water to fix it so I said I would fix it another day. Of course when I came into my slip that night with no means to stop I had to come in very slow. But at that speed on a boat you can't steer so of course I hit the dock, not too bad, but in a way that would not have happened if I could steer. Don't you think the restaurant and bar was jammed with probably 300 people.
They I go and fall in the water this week.

I have had a boat for almost 30 years and this stuff does not happen to me.
As for people who should not be around boats I saw this guy at a ramp with a brand new boat, maybe 21 feet. This was the maiden voyage. He untied the boat from the trailer at the top of the ramp at low tide. The ramp was about 75 feet long. When he started down the ramp the boat rolled off the trailer and slid the 75 feet to the water leaving a hole in the hull about as big as a football.
Have a great day.
Paul

dc · #15 07/17/2006, 03:35 PM

Ouch! So I forgot to ask, can you swim?

We use to have a ski boat, we had our share of mishaps.

Nina51 · #16 07/17/2006, 03:36 PM

reminds me of the time i crashed and burned while training a young horse. riding in the arena at the local fairgrounds, within sight of the public pool. i do an unintentional flying dismount and all i could think of when i got back on my feet was OMG how many people SAW that!?!

spe934 · #17 07/17/2006, 04:20 PM

I have to admit that I have done the splits thing at the dock before (one foot on the dock, the other on the boat unloading stuff, boat moves away from the dock)... I was lucky and caught myself as I was falling in, only went in up to my waist.. My father thought it was hilarious...

billsreef · #18 07/17/2006, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Paul B
As for people who should not be around boats I saw this guy at a ramp with a brand new boat, maybe 21 feet. This was the maiden voyage. He untied the boat from the trailer at the top of the ramp at low tide. The ramp was about 75 feet long. When he started down the ramp the boat rolled off the trailer and slid the 75 feet to the water leaving a hole in the hull about as big as a football.

That beats the people I see launching the boat that left it untied and watching it float away

The only time I've ended up in the drink accidently, I was swinging a boat cradle around on the end of a forklift. Got the edge of the dock and my buddy on the other side kept swinging the cradle...I went sailing off the top of the bulkhead

Scuba_Dave · #19 07/17/2006, 05:52 PM

AT least it was warm weather. We were taking our boat out 2 years ago & had a steering problem. So I was trying to go forward & back to ease out of the docks & have the boat pulled
This in late November in MA. The wife is on the back, told her tojust tell me when I am 3' from the dock. Then I would put it in forward & turn a bit more
Well I was slower putting it in forward once & she decide to put her foot out on the dock...just as I put it in forward & hit the gas
In she went!!! Very loud screaming, heavy coat, Blue jeans etc.
Ran to the back & pulled her in, had a change of clothes & she was warm again in no time
Only plus is that no-one else was around that we could see
Except maybe someone from one of the 300+ condos may have seen what happened

crp · #20 07/17/2006, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Scuba_Dave
AT least it was warm weather. We were taking our boat out 2 years ago & had a steering problem. So I was trying to go forward & back to ease out of the docks & have the boat pulled
This in late November in MA. The wife is on the back, told her tojust tell me when I am 3' from the dock. Then I would put it in forward & turn a bit more
Well I was slower putting it in forward once & she decide to put her foot out on the dock...just as I put it in forward & hit the gas
In she went!!! Very loud screaming, heavy coat, Blue jeans etc.
Ran to the back & pulled her in, had a change of clothes & she was warm again in no time
Only plus is that no-one else was around that we could see
Except maybe someone from one of the 300+ condos may have seen what happened

Too funny! Was she mad?

I think if that happened to me, I would think the husband did it on purpose!

Scuba_Dave · #21 07/17/2006, 07:00 PM

No, she was scared she was going to sink!!
Winter clothes get very heavy very quickly
If I hadn't been as scared I doubt I would have been able ot yank her out so quickly. Thank god we had a swim platform

DamnDamsel · #22 07/17/2006, 08:29 PM

The way the sun and temp were and a few bottles of whine in ya no wonder ya went in.

Went out of pirates cove yesterday and am as red as a lobster today.

fat-tony · #23 07/17/2006, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Nina51
reminds me of the time i crashed and burned while training a young horse. riding in the arena at the local fairgrounds, within sight of the public pool. i do an unintentional flying dismount and all i could think of when i got back on my feet was OMG how many people SAW that!?!

aw, dont' be modest. Go ahead and say you trained "War Admiral"

Paul B · #24 07/18/2006, 06:17 AM

Quote:

Ouch! So I forgot to ask, can you swim?

Debi. I hope so. read what it says under my post after interests.

Paul B · #25 07/18/2006, 06:18 AM

This has been a great week. I have had no electric since yesterday and now I am on generator power.
I can't wait until tomorrow.
Paul