Hands up boat handlers

[omega2]

Who on here can put his hand on his heart and say "Cor blimey that was a close one" I know I have on many occasions, sometimes through over confidence other times by "the hand of god" playing games. As long as we are going slowly enough, then even when it goes "tits up" little or no damage is done either to you or your neighbours. Not enough practice is generally the cause of these palpitations.

[volvopaul]

Used to be one, organised by the RYA, with regional heats culminating in finals at the Southampton Boat Show.
Usually won by someone from the Thames, where a lot of the mobo clubs have been running boathandling competitions every year since man first sat astride a floating log.

For some people, competitive boat-handling became the focus of their boating activities -- and, not surprisingly, some of them got very good at it.

Whether those competition skills translated into good everyday boathandling is a moot point. In some cases I'm pretty sure it did. In one or two, I'm equally sure it did not!

I remember it well, our friends tim and Debbie won it.

[AdeOlly]

Who on here can put his hand on his heart and say "Cor blimey that was a close one" I know I have on many occasions, sometimes through over confidence other times by "the hand of god" playing games. As long as we are going slowly enough, then even when it goes "tits up" little or no damage is done either to you or your neighbours. Not enough practice is generally the cause of these palpitations.

Absolutely spot on, and is the reason why I always have SWMBO fender up both sides of the boat. So far that has prevented an 'oops' become anything worse on the occasions where things haven't gone quite as planned.

[ricky_s]

Who on here can put his hand on his heart and say "Cor blimey that was a close one" I know I have on many occasions, sometimes through over confidence other times by "the hand of god" playing games. As long as we are going slowly enough, then even when it goes "tits up" little or no damage is done either to you or your neighbours. Not enough practice is generally the cause of these palpitations.

Yep, I agree with you. Every time you think you have it licked something goes wrong.

Though it is often quoted, I think the majority of boaters know we aren't driving a car but so relatively rarely (compared to a car) find ourselves at the helm of a boat that it doesn't become instinctive.

[LittleShip]

do it like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdI3-...eature=related

Tom

[ricky_s]

do it like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdI3-...eature=related

Tom

I would have been scared on that pontoon!

[omega2]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...HQhYz0Y#t=326s

This is one of my better efforts. LOL iF ONLY THEY WERE ALL LIKE THAT!!

[benjenbav]

I would love to do something like this, I know some great boat handlers too.

I've officially retired from this sport and any future cock-ups are just down to "having forgotten more than I care to remember".

My all time low was pulling into the fuel dock at Weymouth on my own boat to be greeted by the gnarly old salt on the pump who said: "is this your first time on a boat?"

...and my all time high was in a boat - not my own - with both Jon Mendez and Lester McCarthy as witnesses, turning by Bursledon Bridge and ghosting in to a smallish space on RK Marine's pontoon with just one dab of the throttle. I could see I'd nailed it perfectly from 50 metres away. In the dark. Pure luck!!

As I said, I've now retired from this sport.

[Jonmendez]

I remember it well - we were blinded by the grin!!!