I often find myself wondering each time I go sailing "What would I have to do if xxxxxx happens?" and often rather than having a solid answer or game plan I think "No idea, let's hope we never have to find out!"

In the interests of good contingency management, I thought it would be a good idea to start this thread, feel free to post any possible scenarios or solutions.

So, first one: What would you do if you (an average weekend sailor with no special equipment or assistance at your disposal) are at a busy boat ramp retrieving your vessel, and the shackle that's embedded into the front of your bow suddenly gives way leaving you with no place to attach the winch cable? What next? Quickly get out of everyone's way first and foremost, tie up around the rear of the pontoon while you figure out what to do next, then what?!?

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FloatingCaravan said..
I often find myself wondering each time I go sailing "What would I have to do if xxxxxx happens?" and often rather than having a solid answer or game plan I think "No idea, let's hope we never have to find out!"

In the interests of good contingency management, I thought it would be a good idea to start this thread, feel free to post any possible scenarios or solutions.

So, first one: What would you do if you (an average weekend sailor with no special equipment or assistance at your disposal) are at a busy boat ramp retrieving your vessel, and the shackle that's embedded into the front of your bow suddenly gives way leaving you with no place to attach the winch cable? What next? Quickly get out of everyone's way first and foremost, tie up around the rear of the pontoon while you figure out what to do next, then what?!?

A good topic... My father in law used to say, "I never get upset, because I'm well set up" as in, he always seemed to have what he needed at hand.

In the case of a broken shackle on your bow, you would only need to disconnect the trailer, tie a long rope to the coupling and your tow bar. 4 metres should do it. Roll the trailer down into the water under your boat and float it on. If you've ever been in the Hawkesbury watching ski boat retrieval, that's the way we used to do it. My mate's escort panel van had the power to pull a Hammond inboard out, but only if he stayed on the dry part of the ramp. So the trailer was sunk under the boat. Then, you would only need to cleat off from the anchor cleat to secure the boat for the trip up the ramp.

What about a busted tiller on a boat with a rudder shaft through the hull? Any takers?

For a broken tiller carry a piece of wood the right size to fit into the metal fitting. Undo screws remove broken tiller and insert new one. Screw screws back in. Of course it wont be that easy!
You could make a type of splint repair also. Lash some sail batten or something with Dynema.
You could also make/buy 2 metal plates with pre drilled holes. Screw them either side of the break. Keep them with screws somewhere safe.

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FloatingCaravan said..
I often find myself wondering each time I go sailing "What would I have to do if xxxxxx happens?" and often rather than having a solid answer or game plan I think "No idea, let's hope we never have to find out!"

In the interests of good contingency management, I thought it would be a good idea to start this thread, feel free to post any possible scenarios or solutions.

So, first one: What would you do if you (an average weekend sailor with no special equipment or assistance at your disposal) are at a busy boat ramp retrieving your vessel, and the shackle that's embedded into the front of your bow suddenly gives way leaving you with no place to attach the winch cable? What next? Quickly get out of everyone's way first and foremost, tie up around the rear of the pontoon while you figure out what to do next, then what?!?

Or you are launching the boat from a tilt trailer and it shoots off like a rocket, and the bow line slides off the sampson post. Boat floats away. Call for help from the stink boaters!

Actually I am trying to train my kids to do this sort of contingency planning as a way of reducing anxiety. Anxiety is a big problem ATM.

Lock your outboard in the 'up' position, turn your boat around, wrap your winch cable around the motor and pull the boat on backwards. With the trailer in the water of course.

Motor the boat up the trailer. Make sure you make a 'V' with a rope first, with the bottom of the V up high, so the boat doesn't skew off the trailer or end up in the back of your vehicle.

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Yara said..

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Actually I am trying to train my kids to do this sort of contingency planning as a way of reducing anxiety. Anxiety is a big problem ATM.

Yes! That's exactly why I brought this up. Now that I've made the transition from learning on someone else's boat to actually having my own boat, I'm feeling constant anxiety about what could go wrong, and hoping it doesn't until I actually know enough to escape relatively unscathed... anxiety is definitely a big problem ATM!!

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FloatingCaravan said..
I often find myself wondering each time I go sailing "What would I have to do if xxxxxx happens?" and often rather than having a solid answer or game plan I think "No idea, let's hope we never have to find out!"

In the interests of good contingency management, I thought it would be a good idea to start this thread, feel free to post any possible scenarios or solutions.

So, first one: What would you do if you (an average weekend sailor with no special equipment or assistance at your disposal) are at a busy boat ramp retrieving your vessel, and the shackle that's embedded into the front of your bow suddenly gives way leaving you with no place to attach the winch cable? What next? Quickly get out of everyone's way first and foremost, tie up around the rear of the pontoon while you figure out what to do next, then what?!?

Feed one end of a piece of strong rope in through the top hole and the other end through the bottom hole of where the D pulled out from and tie off on the inside and wallar you have a loop to connect winch cable.

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AUS126 said..
Motor the boat up the trailer. Make sure you make a 'V' with a rope first, with the bottom of the V up high, so the boat doesn't skew off the trailer or end up in the back of your vehicle.

who needs a trailer?

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fishmonkey said..

AUS126 said..
Motor the boat up the trailer. Make sure you make a 'V' with a rope first, with the bottom of the V up high, so the boat doesn't skew off the trailer or end up in the back of your vehicle.

who needs a trailer?

Classic. Looks like it would work in theory

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samsturdy said..
Lock your outboard in the 'up' position, turn your boat around, wrap your winch cable around the motor and pull the boat on backwards. With the trailer in the water of course.

Not possible if it is a trailer-sailer. They only fit bow-first. Neither is motoring on to the trailer, because the outboard will not have the grunt (and you will not be on board the boat at the time, anyway). Best to semi-sink the trailer, secure a line to a secure point at the front of the boat and haul it on. Better still, don't do it in front of a crowd of impatient tinny-drivers.

The next problem is that if you have lost your bow-shackle, how do you secure the boat to the trailer, with at least two points, to tow it away?

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Achernar said..

The next problem is that if you have lost your bow-shackle, how do you secure the boat to the trailer, with at least two points, to tow it away?

drop the anchor down and wedge it under the A frame. Tie off onto the Samspon post as norm.
Then a ratchet strap over the whole lot to make the second tie down points..

Your day gets better:
Now you pull the boat up the ramp, and end up seizing a wheel bearing.
Lucky its a tandem, so youve only lost 1 of 2, but never got around to fitting a full spare wheel and hub.
What do you do?

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crustysailor said..

Achernar said..

The next problem is that if you have lost your bow-shackle, how do you secure the boat to the trailer, with at least two points, to tow it away?

drop the anchor down and wedge it under the A frame. Tie off onto the Samspon post as norm.
Then a ratchet strap over the whole lot to make the second tie down points..

Your day gets better:
Now you pull the boat up the ramp, and end up seizing a wheel bearing.
Lucky its a tandem, so youve only lost 1 of 2, but never got around to fitting a full spare wheel and hub.
What do you do?

Look for an empty trailer with matching wheel and axel

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fishmonkey said..

AUS126 said..
Motor the boat up the trailer. Make sure you make a 'V' with a rope first, with the bottom of the V up high, so the boat doesn't skew off the trailer or end up in the back of your vehicle.

who needs a trailer?

That's nuts . But more on topic I much preferred to float my old Hartley 16 on the trailer, other than winch winch winch, I think the boat preferred it too. But if push come to shove I would anchor/secure the boat and think it a bit,worse case ubolt pulled through stem it must of been crook anyway so knock a hole where it was poke the winch rope in the hole tie it to the mast step or an anchor or anything that won't pull through the hole a life jacket maybe. But that's not worse case if she was a planked boat and you pulled the stem clean out, at least your at the ramp and don't have to mayday and swim for it !

Actually no please do entertain CrustySailor's scenario! So we have a tandem trailer with dodgy bearings and the spare wheel/hub is not yet welded to the trailer due to theft issues (truth!) So my best guess would be to "borrow" someone elses?! Or skull drag the lot?!

Sadly it actually does sound like a typical day and comedy of errors that sailing sometimes brings. Remember bad luck comes in threes...

Next... winch/cable breaks....