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The best, badest or craziest boat experience

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by Rene GER, Oct 29, 2005.

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  1. Rene GER, Oct 29, 2005
    #1
    Rene GER

    Rene GER Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2004
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    Location:
    Northern Germany, West Coast
    Hi,

    What was your best, badest or craziest boat experience/trip, which you have ever done? Share you experience and maybe what are you learnt through this.

    Here is my badest:

    When I was 15 years old, I sailed from Oldenburg (Hunte) to Elsfleth (Weser). My sailing boat was 5 meters long. It was my first trip alone. I drove on a river, where I cannot sailing, because it's too small. I musted use my outboard engine. I had no experience to calculate my fuel for the outboard (3 ps). When I was in Elsfleth in front of the lock to the yacht habour, when I noticed that I am too late. The man who worked in the lock had already done his work. Ok.... Now a night at anchor...I took a look in the integrated tank of the outboard...I saw the buttom. I took my substitute tank and wanted to refuel the outboard engine. But...."what's that?" I had no more fuel and I'm alone in my little boat on the weser...I thought..."I think I have fuel for twenty minutes, that must be enough to arrive the next yacht marina". I was right. Now came the next problem: No gas station in the near! I gone back to my boat and ask a person who looks like a worker...It was not a worker... :eek: It was a yacht owner. however I have asked him about fuel. He said: "I have some fuel from my dinghy for you" I was so happy, when I ‘ve heard that:) . Now I had enough fuel to drive back to Oldenburg.

    This is a true story from my first and badest boat trip...
  2. JonS, Oct 30, 2005
    #2
    JonS

    JonS Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2005
    Messages:
    362
    Location:
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    Nice topic René.

    Personally, not having had much sea experience, the worst and best one for me happened only this week! My fianceé and I went on a mini cruise to Amsterdam, from Newcastle, UK on the 160m liner Queen of Scandinavia. On the way over the sea was fairly 'normal', up untill about 2am. from then onwards, as we hearded over open water, not sheltered by the costline of the UK, the sea got pretty choppy, we were both woken up at the same time by a huge crash - a wave hitting the side of the boat at the point when it was already in a trough of another wave. I looked out of the port hoel in our cabin only to see the biggest wavese i have ever seen!

    We were on deck 4 and the waves were coming over our window! It was pretty terrifying, and yet strangely exhillerating at the same time! :rolleyes: We tried to sleep again, but you had the feeling of being lifted from your bed and dumped back down! As well as being rolled over involuntarily!

    Well, we got to Amsterdam on time and despite feeling dizzy for most of the morning, we had a real nice day in Amsterdam.

    On the way back that night, some of the coaches bringing people back to boat were delayed because of a traffic accident in Amsterdam, so we were delayed leaving by an hour. The captain of the ship made an announcement saying that because of the weather conditions, the trip along the coastline of Netherlands was going to be rough anyway, and as we had to make up time he was just going to head straight out to sea and hea directly for the UK coastline where it would hopefully be more sheltered.

    So, almost from the start of the voyage back, the water was rough. But it was bearable, we ate in the on board steakhouse and had the best steak we've ever had, and we could feel the water was getting choppy. After the meal we went into the main bar for the evenings entertainment. The band had already started and were doing a great job as they had done the night before.

    When it came time to have the dancers on, they came out for a few minutes and tried to do some dances, but the waves had got so choppy that they were loosing their balance all the time and on a couple of occasions almost ended up in the laps of the people on the front tables. So, the dancers were cancelled, and the singing and band continued to entertain. The percussionist actually had to tie his intruments to the ceiling so they would stop toppling over!

    People were falling over chairs, walking down corridors as if they had been out on the lash for 10 days solid, people were popping of to the toilets and not seen for a long while! And we saw one woman who was whiter that a sheet of paper!

    We decided to stay up until the water had calmed and we were along the UK coastline, this happened about 1am, and we actually had a full nights sleep and arrived in Newcastle only 25 minutes late having left 1hour late!

    All in all it was a great experience, even if we were still dizzy the next day! We spent the rest of that day in the picturesque area of Whitley Bay and then spent 6 hours driving down the M1 and M42 in the driving rain back home!

    A busy 3 days but great fun! (for those who dont get sea sick anyway!)

    The end! ;)

    [and breathe]