What Not To Do's

[Paul J]

Tales of trouble and strife

They will give you a laugh

But may also save a life

 

Who's going to start us off then?

[Guest Sheddy]

Thought I would tell you about my first trip out.

 

I recently bought a weekend retreat (mobile home) and started sea fishing after a break of 8 years. I soon got fed up with passers-by asking what I caught etc. (a problem at a seaside weekend resort) so I bought a boat. I got me a Seahog with a 30hp Evinrude strapped to it. Having got the boat, I proceeded to throw money at it. I didn't want to, but thats how it felt by the time I had bought the auxilary, anchor, warp, rope, fishfinder, lifejackets etc.etc.etc. An so it came to pass that I was ready for the first trip.

 

I had with me my father in law, Mike, and my brother in law, Rob. Mike has had various boats over the years, Rob hasn't. Mike is full of experience, Rob is full of opinions. Tthe thing about experience is that it is worth its weight in gold. The thing about opinions is that they are like arses, everyone has one and generally they stink. Robs opinion was that the boat wasn't suitable, the auxilary was too expensive, the depth finder was unneccessary, the lifejackets should be orange, not red, and a boat where you ship the anchor from the side was an act of treason, punishable by death.

 

The launch was quite easy, off the trailer and into the sea. Completely uneventful. We motored around quite close to shore, just to get the feel of the thing. Then we went out to see if we could find some fish, having no knowledge of the area. We found a spot that looked quite busy on the depth sounder so we stopped to anchor. Problem....we had forgotten to put the anchor rope through the metal thing at the front (cleat?). The side part of the cabin is only about three inches wide, so rather than walk around the side to go up front, Mike had the idea of using the tip sections of two rods, one to push the rope through, one to retrieve it as it came through. Rob decided that it was easier to jump up on the side and just go up front and do it by hand. He didn't tell us this, he just did it. As he jumped up, the boat tilted at an alarming angle so Rob Just grabbed out at anything to stop himself from having a dunking.

 

Result ..... one broken windscreen.

 

When we came back into shore, Mike was going to jump on to the beach and go get the trailer. As I beached the boat, Rob once again jumped up on the side of the boat to go get the trailer himself. On his way around the side, he hit one of the navigation lights with his knee.

 

Result ....... one broken navigation light.

 

As we were retrieving the boat, Rob was at the front of the trailer, winding the winch. At first attempt (we're novices, remember!) the boat missed the first roller, so instead of just letting out some strap as asked, Rob lifted the front of the trailer up to around head height to lower the back of the trailer under the bow of the boat. I hollered at him to just let out the strap and lower the trailer. He didn't let out the strap, but he did lower the trailer. The side of the U-bracket that houses the first roller went straight up the side of the center of the boat (trihedral hull).

 

Result ....... an 8" gauge into the hull, through the gel-coat exposing the fiberglass.

 

At this point, I was ready to sell the boat. Something that was supposed to be fun and relaxing now had me feeling that I wanted to seriously hurt someone. Seriously hurt him.

 

The following Day, I went to the local chandlers (money pit?) to get some Gelcoat repair stuff. I found it no problem. Rob was with me, according to him, it was no different to plastic padding but three times the price and I should just use the plastic padding. I explained that if Plastic padding was the correct stuff to use, all the manufacturers would use it instead of gelcoat. Rob insisted he was right, i told him to shut up. I was ready to read him his fortune. By the time I had bought the neccessary gel, sandingblock, rags etc. the bill was about

[Newboy]

2) People with an opinion for every occasion are dangerous.

A danger to themselver evidently.

 

I'm sure we all have friends/relatives like Rob, the luckier few of us have more than 1.......

[Maverick Martin]

I like it welcome to the world of boating

 

Isn't that always the way. The people that are good at breaking your kit are not so good at paying for the damage they cause. You should be proud that you held out from clonking Rob as long as you did

 

It does get better as long as you remember to choose your friends and crew carefully

 

Martin

 

BTW is that Richard if it is why not register on the forum...if it isnt why not register ?

 

 

[great white]

Hi Sheddy

 

This fishing and boating game is one long learning process.

 

I see that you have already learnt to be a bit selective who you take with you .

 

I learnt that the hard way too

 

Many years ago when I joined the Southsea Club, I was soo keen to learn about the Club and the area so that I could catch more fish.

That I offered an open invite to anyone who needed a ride.

 

I should have known by the response from several people to "Take George" that I was being stitched up. "He is keen and catches plenty of fish" was the quote.

 

He proved to be both of these, but no one mentioned he was the Club Idiot and a disaster area when anywhere near boats.

 

On out first trip while showing me how to use the Club winch, he just let the brake off and my wilson flyer lived up to its name by flying down the eastney slip at about Mach 1.

It hit the sea more by luck than judgement. but snapped the guide arm off my trailer.

 

We went out and he proceeded to make my boat look like a skip and bounce weights off of the hull, the worst was yet to come when he bounced a 20oz weight off of my shoulder when trying to cast [Yes 20 oz] if I had not just caught sight of it and ducked it would have hit my head.

 

I Put this down as a bad day, but on our second trip the boat was back to being a skip again, he was breaking open hermits on my gelcoat, then started cutting fish and squid on it.

We had "Words"

 

Even though we had caught fish on both these trips and he had showed me a couple of areas to fish.

T

here was no third trip.

 

You live and learn

I did

 

Charlie