"Just Checking on the Boat"!

[crazycarl]

I went to check on the boats today and found the tarp covering the 19 pooled with water.  Using a boat hook I was able to reach under the tarp from the stern and "bounce" the water off the tarp.  This took awhile and I failed to alternate between the port and starboard sides.  Now with the water off the starboard side, the tarp settled deeper into the cockpit on the port side making the pole useless.  I climbed the stern ladder and proudly entered the cockpit without leaving any skin on the backstay chainplate.  After pushing the water off the tarp I attempted to reverse crawl out of the cockpit.  This is where the YouTube video happens.  As I'm backwards crawling/climbing out, my right foot and leg goes through the coiled backstay and as I climb down the ladder I realize something ain't right.  I try to lift my leg out, but the mast laying atop the bow and stern rails prohibits me.  I climb back into the cockpit, again trying not to scrape my belly on the chainplate, and make a second attempt.  This time I'm very aware of the placement of my right foot and easily gain access to the ladder, now with my left foot caught in the same loop.  However this time I didn't notice it until I was on the lowest rung of the stern ladder.  For a 62 year old man I'm limber than most, but now I'm looking at raising my leg almost over my head and holding it there while I remove the coiled cable.  So I decide to climb back up the ladder, but then the coil is not falling down my leg.  Of course!  The wire split ring on the turnbuckle is caught on the back of my shirt.  Trying fruitlessly to remove it, I remove my shirt instead.  I can then lower the coil, lift my leg and remove it from the ring.  Fearing some other boat part will snag me, I jump off the boat.  Now while falling slowly to the ground, I realize it's probably not a good idea to land on my left knee.  The same knee that in less then two weeks will be replaced, so in mid air I raise my left leg and land on the right and tumble straight into the side of my truck, striking my head against the new tail light I replaced this morning.  Glancing up I think, "why didn't i use the tailgate"?  I quickly jump to my feet, take a good look around, and not seeing any phones out realize I got away with another one of my most embarrassing moments.

I think I understand now while Joanie wants me to hire out the boat work.

[Razor]

Just want to make sure the shirt made it ok.... Most everyone here has done something similar. You are the only brave soul to admit it!

Ask Charlie to tell you the story "Santa Claus" told us. That one is hard to top!

Terry

[Bob23]

Only you my friend, only you.

[Tim Gardner]

The only thing missing from that story is the language, now lost to the wind, that burned the ears of every living thing within 20 meters.

[5monkeys]

It's not just you, sometimes getting around on the boat with the mast down is like running the gauntlet. I've felt like I lost at Wipeout more than once. Including the time my "transformer" of a ladder folded like an accordion as I stepped from the ladder to the boat. If it was a movie, I would have spryly leapt to the deck in slow motion as the ladder folded. In reality I fell to the ground/bushes somewhat on my back. With wounded pride, I got up and put the ladder by the curb for it's next sucker.

[brackish]

That is exactly why I raise and lower my mast in the water.  I've done it a few times on the trailer but concluded that the fall is shorter and the landing is softer if I do it in the water.

We could hire someone to follow Carl around with a video camera for the entertainment of all forum members.  Maybe get enough hits on a media site to cover the cost.

[Jon898]

Back when I owned my Newport 28, the only way to remove the bimini (which was impaled by the split backstay) for the winter layup and boat cover was to follow this procedure:

1.  Set up stepladder next to stern ladder (remembering to lower the stern ladder first).
2.  Climb stepladder and stern ladder and then lift the stepladder into the cockpit.
3.  Set up stepladder in the cockpit, climb it and disconnect one side of the split backstay and thread it out from the bimini, then reattach it.
4.  Repeat the disconnect-thread-reconnect for the other side, and move the bimini into the cabin.
5.  Lower the stepladder back to the ground, climb down the stern ladder and stepladder, fold up the ladders and drive away.

This all went well for maybe a dozen years until the year my better half decided the weather was good and she'd like to come along and help.  All went well until step 5, when instead of lowering the open stepladder myself, I passed the folded stepladder down to her.  She opened it up and said "I don't think I've done that right".  I looked quickly and it was opened properly, but didn't realize that what she really meant was the orientation relative to the stern ladder.  Unfortunately, the stepladder was rotated 180-degrees so that on descending I stepped on the top step ("This is not a step") and onto the paint tray ("This is not a step") and into space, landing on my back and suffering a compression fracture of 2 vertebrae.  The only good side was that from that time on at construction sites I had several "Safety Moments" to share (Make sure your communication has been understood, read and obey all warning signs, etc.)

As they used to say on that TV show - Be Careful Out There!

Jon

[kickingbug1]

   joanie needs to follow you everywhere you go recording each step {mis-step} for posterity or posterior

[crazycarl]

I'll admit, there are few dull moments when I'm around.  For instance, yesterday on our way home from Beaufort, our headlights burnt out.  I drove as fast as I could without drawing attention to get to the Cherry Branch ferry.  We made the 630 crossing, but still had to drive 14 miles in the dark down unlit winding back roads to Oriental.  I used the high beams when I could, and probably scared the bajeezes out of on coming traffic when I doused them.
Not sure if I ever saw Joanie so relieved to arrive home.