Well they say you are not a 'proper' boater 'till......

[Guest]

It can be a truly horrible experience - and you are lucky that you didn't injure yourself.

I have seen and heard of some horrific injuries caused when falling against the rudder or other hard or sharp objects.

 

I've noticed some interesting bruising emerge on my forearms this morning not sure if this is from the fall in or my attempts to extract myself.

 

Luckily I fell away from the boat/pontoon so I fortunately didn't hit anything important as I went in.

 

PS - thanks for correcting the spelling error in the title.

[kevinl]

Looks like there's a new boater in the making here.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2018435/Isabelle-Byrne-2-saves-falling-murky-canal.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

[Tiny]

Looks like there's a new boater in the making here.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2018435/Isabelle-Byrne-2-saves-falling-murky-canal.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

I trust they will be filling that canal in due to local outcry

[Bobbybass]

You have my HUGE sympathy.

 

I put an article on here ...as I fell in 3 weeks ago last Sunday.

Went down the side when the boat was moored ...facing the boat...and swallow dived my rib-cage onto the side. As we were in the coutry...didn't get to Blackburn hospital for 2 days.

They weren't sure what damage I had done...as I was swollen...and so it wasn't unril the NHS walkin at Bolton..that it was found I broke ribs down both side....and my breast bone.

 

Yup..it hurt...but importantly...as you have written here....I couldn't get out !!

You were lucky..you found a step...but I urge anyone without a step...to consider...how they would get out...

Its really really difficult.

 

bob

[Lord Elsan]

It can be a truly horrible experience - and you are lucky that you didn't injure yourself.

I have seen and heard of some horrific injuries caused when falling against the rudder or other hard or sharp objects.

The classic must be pushing on a rotten pole which snaps and then falling on the end when it's stuck in the canal bed.

[Lady Muck]

The classic must be pushing on a rotten pole which snaps and then falling on the end when it's stuck in the canal bed.

 

He's done this more than once BTW.

[LoneWolf]

"Lord Elsan"!

 

ha ha ha - best nick eva

[Naughty Cal]

You have my HUGE sympathy.

 

I put an article on here ...as I fell in 3 weeks ago last Sunday.

Went down the side when the boat was moored ...facing the boat...and swallow dived my rib-cage onto the side. As we were in the coutry...didn't get to Blackburn hospital for 2 days.

They weren't sure what damage I had done...as I was swollen...and so it wasn't unril the NHS walkin at Bolton..that it was found I broke ribs down both side....and my breast bone.

 

Yup..it hurt...but importantly...as you have written here....I couldn't get out !!

You were lucky..you found a step...but I urge anyone without a step...to consider...how they would get out...

Its really really difficult.

 

bob

 

You have my up most sympathy on that injury. I broke my breast bone when i was at school (cricket injury) and it was by far the most painful injury i have ever sustained. Forget broken arms and legs, the breast bone really hurts. I could barely move for the first few weeks until it had started to heal. Even getting out of bed was a painful experience.

 

Hope you get better soon

[churchward]

I have fallen in a few ties over the years since the 1970s. In the early days mostly due to youthful exuberance and in experience. Although I fell in a lock due to a rotten walk board on a gate when trying to cross and picked up a leach on my leg for my trouble. I am not sure what lock this was but it was in or near Manchester possibly on the Rochdale 9.

 

My most recent unintentional ducking was off the front of the boat slipping in the rain fitting a new horn. We face into the marina bank so it was not very deep which was OK from a not drowning point of view but I did knock my knee on the rocky bottom. The marina shoreline is a gradual stone bank so getting out is easy.

 

I did lower myself into the canal near Braunston on the Oxford recently (April time) too looking for my reading specs I had dropped in. Found them but it did highlight how difficult it is to get out when your legs are cold against a shuttered side. Good job we have a plank that I put steps/slats on to aid such a situation as I am not so sure I would have been able to just pull myself out.

[Liam]

Luckily Liam pulled me back to the bank. He has been in too many times to count now.

 

Not me of course, I've not been in yet since 1996 and don't plan to!

[muddywaters]

Not me of course, I've not been in yet since 1996 and don't plan to!

Well I was not exactly planning on going in either but I did.

As someone else has said it is not the time you take a stupid chance when you go in, but usually the time when you would least expect to.

In my case I slipped in the wet, but and I will admit this.

I was to blame for not thinking about the shoes I was wearing

[RichardH]

I was clearly a proper boater from my first ever time - as I dutifully pushed the bow out on our little 30ft hire boat 10 years ago, the red wine affected my judgement of banking to boat.

[Hairy-Neil]

Not me of course, I've not been in yet since 1996 and don't plan to!

 

Neither of my duckings were planned....

[Theo]

I have fallen in a few ties over the years since the 1970s. In the early days mostly due to youthful exuberance and in experience. Although I fell in a lock due to a rotten walk board on a gate when trying to cross and picked up a leach on my leg for my trouble. I am not sure what lock this was but it was in or near Manchester possibly on the Rochdale 9.

 

My most recent unintentional ducking was off the front of the boat slipping in the rain fitting a new horn. We face into the marina bank so it was not very deep which was OK from a not drowning point of view but I did knock my knee on the rocky bottom. The marina shoreline is a gradual stone bank so getting out is easy.

 

I did lower myself into the canal near Braunston on the Oxford recently (April time) too looking for my reading specs I had dropped in. Found them but it did highlight how difficult it is to get out when your legs are cold against a shuttered side. Good job we have a plank that I put steps/slats on to aid such a situation as I am not so sure I would have been able to just pull myself out.

 

I dropped my glasses into the Thames just as I was coming in to moor at Eton. I climbed in, fpund the specs and then climbed out again. I was very pleased that I had brought the short length of ladder!

 

Nick

[Mick and Maggie]

It was a long hot sunny day, in the summer we were moored up at Sprotborough. I had consumed several bottles of cider when I thought I should go and have a kip. I was woken up by someone knocking on the roof asking if we could move the boat and create enough space for them to get in. No problem I says, I'll get my shoes on. Came up the stairs, half asleep turned right and walked into the cut. The water was warm and the colour of strong tea. I was by now, wide awake. I don't remember hitting anything on the way in, but bruised arm, scraped ribs, small cut on the shin and a stain on me shirt that would never come out. Then you start to think about weils and other such nasties. Shower and change of clothing. Visit to quack, he gave me a prescription for some anti-biotics as a preventative measure.

 

Now, her ladyship fell in, pushing the boat off with the pole at Hillmorton. Face plant on bank side on the way in, breaking through the thin sheen of surface ice, well it was February. Not a mark, nothing! Her reaction was to wash her puffer jacket first! Women!!!

[FrigateCaptain]

Went in last winter to rescue me cat who went through the ice in bath

[Naughty Cal]

You have just reminded me of a very near miss i had last winter.

 

The boats were all well iced in so we were having drinks on a friends boat. For whatever reason i had gone back to our boat for something then went back to BV. Somehow as i was stepping across from the pontoon to their bathing platform i slipped and before i knew what was happening had slipped between their platform and the pontoon. Luckily the ice was thick enough to support my weight and i suffered no injuries.

[billS]

I have fallen in a few times

 

1st - Norfolk Broads at Lodden whilst handing back a hireboat - complete with suitcase......

 

2nd - Into Dores Bay on Loch Ness whilst paddling ashore from my anchored cruiser, in a dingy which capsised. I still get nightmares about that one. Most people who fall into Loch Ness don't come out alive. I had to be rescued by a jet skier. Loch Ness is a bit chilly in April

 

3rd - into Loch Oich at Glengarry Castle Pier, whilst trying to take my bike off my bathing platform - me plus the bike

 

4th - into the Kennet whilst getting coal delivered to my garden from the foredeck of Pete Boyce's "James Loder" the coal had been transhipped from his butty "Beteguise" which was far too deep to get close to my jetty. I was scrabling between James Loder and my little cruiser which I was pushing out of the way when I fell in.

Edited July 29, 2011 by billS