[CBinRI]

Originally Posted by sailortjk1

OK, it’s been a couple of weeks so I guess I can admit to this one.
We had a bone headed move a little while back.
After it was all over, we got a good laugh out of it.
No harm, No foul.

The crew and I made a mistake. Coming in after a 20 Hour sail, 6;00AM, tired and cranky. My wife and I are ready to dock. I always tell her, drop the spring line over the midship cleat, move forward and grab the bowline with your boat hook than drop that over the bow cleat. As she does this I stop the boat and after she has the spring on the cleat, I continue to back down and let prop walk nudge us gently against our padded pilling.

Well, that didn't happen. She grabbed the spring and dropped it, but it was not on the cleat. The bow started to drift out so she ran to the other side of the boat to fend off on that side. I thought we had a spring attached so I just kept the boat in reverse but nothing was happening,..... Except we were now going backwards and sort of kind of the stern was going under our finger slip. (Yes our docks are high and we have to use a boarding ladder) What the !!!! Julie what are you doing!!!??? I'm pushing off!!! What are you doing???? Why isn't the spring attached???!!!! Because you were too close on this side!!! Just get the spring on and we will be fine!

Needless to say, everything ended just fine. We were a little sideways in the slip for about two seconds. After I realized what was happening, I just put her back in gear and nudged forward so she could cleat the spring, which was simply lying on the deck.

Oh well, its all good.
We were a little crabby with each other for about ten minutes. Than it all went away.

If that was one of your most boneheaded moves you are pretty far ahead of the game.