Who has done it - run over your own dinghy painter

[Zanshin]

Until today I belonged to the "never have, never will" group; I've always been careful to shorten the dinghy painter when about to anchor/dock/moor and didn't think I'd make that mistake.

Today had weak winds, so I decided to motorsail and use my Gori propeller's "overdrive" mode. This is engaged by putting the boat in reverse until one actually makes backwards headway, then shifting through neutral to forward. This allows the prop to use the steeper reverse pitch while going forward. I was doing about 2-3 knots and instead of furling my sails I just went and hove-to then put the engine on and into reverse. I neglected to think about the 50 feet of dinghy line I had let out. After a couple of seconds there was a loud cerchunk and, with a sinking feeling, I knew what had happened. Luckily, the rope cutter worked and I could motor at 2 knots (with 2200RPM, which usually gets me more than 3 times that speed).

[smackdaddy]

I'm always very, very careful Zan and have never done it myself. Of course I don't own a dinghy or a painter.

When I get to where you are in sailing, I will probably wrap the entire dinghy around my prop. So - no smacktalk from me.

[mgmhead]

I voted no because there was no option for 'not yet.'

[GaryHLucas]

To run over your dinghy painter you need to have dinghy! I have however run over a jib sheet, at night, that bent the prop shaft about 30 degrees! We sailed back to the marina and they pulled us right away. In the light of day I could see that the bolts holding the strut were pulled 3/4 of the way through the hull! Scary, I had my non-swimmer wife and 5 year old daughter aboard.

Gary H. Lucas

[LittleMissMagic]

I've done it before, but since my boat has an outboard it was easy to unfoul.

[JohnRPollard]

I didn't vote, because I don't want to jinx myself.

But our success so far is due to: New England Rope Dinghy Tow Line

[tdw]

Definitely should have been "yes" and "not yet". Even atheists are superstitious when it comes to the sea.

Question though Zanshin......why 50' of painter ? We usually keep dinghy painter quite short....the only reason I can think for 50' would be to quieten down the slap slap.....or is it that the dinghy likes to surf into the stern of the mothership ? Again we don't tow off shore. Or am I missing something that everyone else is aware of already ?


ps - JRP....like that line.....makes a lot of sense.

pps - the Wombette always takes the helm when we are anchoring. So when it does happen to us it will be all her fault. hee hee.

[zeehag]

there are 2 categories of boaters---those who have already done this and those who will do this....isnt it fun??!!!

[Izzy1414]

Originally Posted by zeehag

there are 2 categories of boaters---those who have already done this and those who will do this....isnt it fun??!!!

I stepped right on up to the first category this past summer while attempting to claw my way off a lee dock. Like LMM, we have an outboard so it wasn't too bad. I thought since I have an electric lift, It would be a snap but the line winched the out board down tight. Had to get my feet and hands wet working from the swim ladder. Well, at least it took me four years.

[Zanshin]

Originally Posted by tdw

...Question though Zanshin......why 50' of painter ?

Good point about the length - I like to keep the line long to give it a bit of bounce and to let it ride through waves smoothly without being jerked about. The 50' was because there happened to be a line of correct diameter that length aboard already. Unfortunately it was black poly 3 strand and didn't float. When I next find a chandlery I'll make sure to get floating line.

What is your boat doing in the BVI?