Mishap bringing in the boat! Lesson learned.

[KeyWestBoater]

We went out yesterday afternoon for a little ride and some fishing in Julington Creek. Well actually it's a pretty large tributary off of the St Johns River. We found a place to anchor where it wasn't too choppy but didn't catch much. to It was pretty windy and after a couple of hours we decided to call it a day as some bad weather looked to be coming. We got to the dock so I could get the trailer. Well almost. The storm hit right as we were getting to the dock. I was busy trying to ease up to the dock, not quite up against it, maybe 2 ft away. Suddenly, my wife decided to try to step across onto the dock to tie us off. It happened so fast, her one foot made it on the dock, the other just the wet edge and in she went between the boat and the dock. For a second she went under, I was afraid she hit her head on the way down. I was ready to jump in but she popped right back up pretty hysterical. I was split between holding her hands and trying to push the boat away from the the dock to keep her from getting squeezed. At the same time it was lightening and raining. My son cut the engine and I eased her around to the swim platform back onto the boat. She couldn't walk up the ramp as there's a lot of sharp stuff on the bottom and she could've easily cut her feet all up (lost her shoes when she fell). Turns out she cut her foot and banged and cut her knee. Besides being scared she's alright. She blames herself for not waiting till we were closer. But I really blame myself as usually I give instructions as to what each person will do before we get close to the dock. I was preocupied with the wind and chop and before I knew it there she went! Well from now on I will make sure everyone knows what they're supposed to do before we get close to the dock. She's been boating most of her life and never had something like this happen. You have to always think safety first and that lapse on my part could have caused something much worse! I'm responsibile for everyone's safety on the boat. Thank God she's ok. :redface:

 

[QC]

Re: Mishap bringing in the boat! Lesson learned.

Very common accident. Great that the owees weren't any more serious

I actually work very hard to ask for NO help. I especially don't want arms out. I'll take a gash in the gelcoat over a broken arm . . . With that said, I do off load passengers this way sort of. I ease up to the dock bow first and have them walk straight off and then I back away. However, I talk with them the whole way, and I also won't do it in rough weather. And as sexist as this may sound, I am particularly wary with women. If it is my 14 year old, I know he can leap although I discourage that, but I know my wife will not step over unless it is dead calm and I am within inches.

As I mentioned above when I am nearing a dock I specifically ask for no help. I don't want any injuries, and I actually do not want their actions to upset my docking plan either. A leap at the wrong time for example can shove the bow away from the dock just as I am putting her in reverse effectively doubling the force needed to bring her softly alongside . . .

 

[MikDee]

Re: Mishap bringing in the boat! Lesson learned.

Good Point! Sorry your wife got hurt, I'm glad it wasn't too serious, and these kind of things happen all the time, and thanks for bringing this up, it should be a sticky somewhere! I suppose I'm guilty of not doing this also, but we as the owner/operator of the boat should explain to our riders, that please don't help unless asked, and wait for us to let you know when it's safe to board, or get out, (when we're not distracted) because someone could get hurt or worse, when acting on impulse.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Mishap bringing in the boat! Lesson learned.

glad she is ok, no one disembarks my boat until we are secure. in that kind of weather, and yes it got nasty here, yesterday. i have them toss the line over a cleat on the dock. while holding the end of the end . then you can get control, and ease the boat to the dock with the lines. get fender out, etc.

 

[ddaigle]

Re: Mishap bringing in the boat! Lesson learned.

Just saw a friend of mines wife in a wheel chair yesterday, She did the same thing, except the boat was a 27 footer and it broke her leg in 3 places. Glad the wifes ok.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Mishap bringing in the boat! Lesson learned.

glad she is ok, no one disembarks my boat until we are secure. in that kind of weather, and yes it got nasty here, yesterday. i have them toss the line over a cleat on the dock. while holding the end of the end . then you can get control, and ease the boat to the dock with the lines. get fender out, etc.

My feelings exactly. Since my boat is a tiller, I generally maneuver alongside the dock and secure the boat with a mooring tie at the stern. Then, I'm the first one out of the boat, and I'll hold the gunwale against the dock until I can secure the bow. At that point, I continue to hold the boat as my passenger(s) exit. It's hands inside the boat until I give the word.

OTOH, I have gone in the drink at least once when solo boating, usually while boarding, after slipping the bow rope. Embarassing, but harmless enough, and I keep my wallet and cell phone in ziploc baggies, just for that situation. Live and learn.

In the current case, I'm very glad nobody was seriously injured, and I'll bet the situation never happens again.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Mishap bringing in the boat! Lesson learned.

Sorry about the incident and happy nothing was seriously damaged except a little pride. It took a long time to break my wife of the habit of hanging onto the side of the boat with one hand while reaching for the dock with the other. There is no better way to get smashed fingers. She now sits with hands in her lap until we are dead stopped, tied off and I tell her its ok to move about.

 

[Hitech]

Re: Mishap bringing in the boat! Lesson learned.

It has made me think. I will certainly make sure that I tell everyone not to do ANYTHING when docking until I tell them too. That included standing up and certainly includes getting off the boat. Thanks for sharing your story, you probably saved someone from a similar incident.

 

[KeyWestBoater]

Re: Mishap bringing in the boat! Lesson learned.

Thanks everyone for your advice. I think just as important as everyone knowing what they're supposed to do is that no one gets on or off until the boat is secure. That sure didn't happen yesterday! And I will do my best to make sure this never happens again. Sometimes I think these small accidents happen so we can learn how to prevent bigger ones from occurring later on.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Mishap bringing in the boat! Lesson learned.

The wife and I have a pretty good system that pretty much assures us that she won't fall between the boat & dock. She lets me off at the dock, I back the trailer down and she drives the boat on. I pull the boat out and then she gets out. With my assistance naturally. It's understood that if she starts to fall at this point that I'm to throw myself under her. That way she's not wet or bruised.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Mishap bringing in the boat! Lesson learned.

The wife and I have a pretty good system that pretty much assures us that she won't fall between the boat & dock. She lets me off at the dock, I back the trailer down and she drives the boat on. I pull the boat out and then she gets out. With my assistance naturally. It's understood that if she starts to fall at this point that I'm to throw myself under her. That way she's not wet or bruised.

Very clever of her.

 

[KeyWestBoater]

Re: Mishap bringing in the boat! Lesson learned.

Unfortunately, at this point my wife's not comfortable with driving the boat on the trailer. Especially yesterday during a storm it was pretty tricky. Right now I'm working on teaching her how to back up the trailer. That's a work in progress. Depending on which ramp we're at, she sometimes backs up the trailer. Yesterday, after she banged herself up, I got her in the truck then backed up the trailer and drove the boat on myself.

 

[hazwild]

Re: Mishap bringing in the boat! Lesson learned.

The wife and I have a pretty good system that pretty much assures us that she won't fall between the boat & dock. She lets me off at the dock, I back the trailer down and she drives the boat on. I pull the boat out and then she gets out. With my assistance naturally. It's understood that if she starts to fall at this point that I'm to throw myself under her. That way she's not wet or bruised.

Thats the way we do it.It is alot faster and safer.It took months for my wife to drive off and on but it is worth it.We can only do one thing at a time

 

[zach103]

Re: Mishap bringing in the boat! Lesson learned.

Happy to hear that shes okay..

 

[Dakota47]

Re: Mishap bringing in the boat! Lesson learned.

KWB , Glad she`s OK , Thanks for the story .

 

[fishmen111]

Re: Mishap bringing in the boat! Lesson learned.

Glad your wife is OK. Remember, safety counts when entering the boat also. My wife slipped and broke her ankle years back getting in on a wet fiberglass floor. Couple of gallons of "Tuff Coat" fixed that.

 

[KeyWestBoater]

Re: Mishap bringing in the boat! Lesson learned.

Something else, the water wasn't deep but she was afraid to put her feet on the bottom as it's covered with sharp stuff, shells, etc. She was wearing some slip on sandals with smooth bottoms. Not appropriate for boating and probably contributing to her fall in addition to the bad procedure getting off. She lost her shoes when she went in. I told her she needs to wear better shoes, at least something with more grip and something that doesn't come off so easy. Of course we don't plan to make it a habit of falling in! Thanks for all your kind comments.

 

[MikDee]

Re: Mishap bringing in the boat! Lesson learned.

I wear water shoes, not sandals at the lake for everything, boating, or wading in, and using the jet ski, or I usually can't walk on the rough rocky areas I boat at, and not those slip on plastic "ducks' or whatever they call them?

 

[204 Escape]

Re: Mishap bringing in the boat! Lesson learned.

Glad your wife wasn't seriously hurt, or run over by the boat !!!!!!!