Help us shorten our learning curve... What was the dumbest/worst mistake you've made?

[sailhog]

Here in the States they call something else pie... It rhymes with "sushi" -- sort of.

[captchetco]

Reading the "Low tide" times as if they were "High Tide" times. Barely made it across the Siuslaw Bar. We attracted a lot of spectators on the beach. Probably a boring day!

[sailaway21]

June 1979. Pier 42, Brooklyn, NY. I am the junior third mate in the S.S. Export Agent and we are calling our first US port since sailing Karachi. We are greeted by 30 US customs officers on the dock for the purpose of a routine shake-down of a ship returning from drug-producing countries. The junior third mate thinks that if his room is to be searched it should be done with the door open so nothing could be planted on him. Can we say, jousting at windmills? The door got left open and that was good, because inside of 2 minutes there were four additional customs officers in the room, complete with baterry operated screw-drivers. In 15 minutes the entire room, furniture, and bunk were disassembled. You should understand that everything in your stateroom is screwed together, even the bulkheads. When they left, the only thing that was screwed was me. Took four hours to reassemble everything. That was the last time I stood up for my principles with the US Customs Service. I actually got lucky-"Steve" a friend and shipmate out of the SF bay area did much the same and they put his name in to the computer. He was living in Hawaii at the time and flying back and forth about four times a year to SF. For the next ten years, after Steve exerted his "rights" with the Service, he was stripped searched upon arrival in CONUS as well as Hawaii-each and every time.

For planning purposes, it should be assumed that customs officials have about as much sense of humor as a redneck in a doublewide during hurricane season.

[cockeyedbob]

well, sorta like sailin' but here goes ...

Bought the mate a used Capri 18 thinkin' she could be cap'n of her own ship with me goin' along to do the bitchin' fer a change ...

Backin' into the yard, ol' Bob got sorta confused ... bottom line, took out 12 feet of fence and put the mast through the house. Didn't hurt the Capri or the mast, just Bob's pride, the house, the fence, the bumper ...

Three years later, she loves and sails the boat like a pro ... best money I ever spent, I think ... occasionally, I put new tape over the hole in the house.

[PBzeer]

Uh Bob? How many times a year does she bring that up?

[PBzeer]

Actually sailaway, I think it's a job requirement that anyone in an enforcement position can't have a sense of humor.

[sailaway21]

In general true, Beezer. I had a buddy in NY get pulled over by a cop, and when he complained he was going to be late for work the cop said, "That's OK, I'm going to write you an excuse."

[JouvertSpirit]

I just watched the movie "Cop Land" last night. About a bunch of corrupt cops in the NYPD. Sly Stone was in it, his best performance since Rocky. Good movie if you haven't seen it. Way off topic but this board seems to tolerate that in residual posts.

[JodyKS]

what was a mistake you've made... that maybe you should have already known better.... that you've learned from, and now you laugh at... Help us maybe not to make the same mistakes... Please help us shorten our learning curve...

[pirateofcapeann]

I got married.