Falling in

[mattlad]

My right leg went in once, does that count?

 

 

Were you doing the boaty-cokey?

 

Summat like that, it was in, out, then I shook it all about!

 

I fell between two boats, I was covered in bruises. It would have hurt a lot less if I had fallen in properly. Even if I had got wetter.......

[furnessvale]

I fell between two boats, I was covered in bruises. It would have hurt a lot less if I had fallen in properly. Even if I had got wetter.......

How true. If you feel yourself going, jump, don't fight it. Wet is better than bruised or even worse if you go in the blades.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[Teadaemon]

Fully in once, two and a half years ago.

 

I was at work, checking a sailing dinghy over before it went out on hire I noticed a couple of small branches in the bottom. I thought "I'll just get those out so it's nice and clean for the hirers". Got in off the side of a boat, but due to the sailing rig stowed on the centre line I didn't get my weight far enough inboard. I had five or six seconds of comedy rocking back and forth (becoming ever more aware of my impending dunking) before the gunwale went under and I fell backwards into the water.

 

Possibly the worst bit was that as I'd fallen backwards I had no idea which way the surface was, although when I didn't resurface after a couple of strokes I knew it wasn't where I thought it was. I stopped swimming, waited 'til I could feel which way I was floating, and then swam in that direction (and was fortunate enough not to have accidentally swum under a boat).

Edited January 30, 2013 by Teadaemon

[AidanLincs]

I've boaty friends who haven't fallen in since they took up narrowboating well over 30 years ago (and being semi- or full-liveaboard for the last 15 of those).

 

Given the depth of the marina (15' where I'm moored), if I fall in here I'll probably just stay at the bottom until the gases from my decaying corpse cause me to bloat. That does tend to concentrate the mind somewhat.

[Radiomariner]

I learned, at a very early age, that if you want to jump ashore with a rope it is important to have enough slack in the rope to actually reach the shore!

[Martin Megson]

The Deputy Editor of Canal Boat Magazine and I did a synchronised falling-in on the Rochdale Canal a few months ago, while trying to pole Fulbourne off an underwater obstacle. Apparently it looked just like a cartoon - the pole slipped; we hovered together in space for a moment before realising there was no alternative to getting wet.

 

And despite several crew being around, nobody took a photograph!

 

So here is a picture of me not falling when when I probably should have done.

 

 

(Picture by Andrew Denny from here)

 

Bottom of the Napton flight ?

[mrsmelly]

I think I'd have taken the stern a bit closer to the bank!

 

I know I would have

 

Tim

[Naughty Cal]

I know I would have

 

Tim

 

Snap!

 

Let the boat do the work. Have never seen the point of tugging and pulling on ropes.

[OldPeculier]

Many many years ago I fell in between the boat and the bank, carrying a suitcase gennie. I got wet up to my waist but the gennie stayed dry.

[Athy]

Bottom of the Napton flight ?

For sure - and some years ago. Note that the cottage is still white and still boarded up, though it looks as if a potential buyer is being shown round. I think the new owners (who have since done wonders for the house) moved in three or four years ago.

[Flocal]

Fell in on Wednesday, up to my neck, salavaged my beer and the torch. Stood on towpath for a few minutes not knowing what to do next.

[Bob18]

Simple - drink the beer in celebration of it having survived...

[Matthew Dowson]

I never have, but saw a stunning falling-in on the Bank Newton locks on the L&LC once, a chap jumped from his hire boat cruiser stern to bank (good 4 ft gap) realised he wasn't going to make it, actually rotated his body 180 degrees facing back towards the boat - still in mid air - and then gravity took over and down he went. It was like a cartoon, everything in slow motion. Brilliant.

[Lady Muck]

Never, although I slipped off the roof when I was coming back from the kebab shop in Hackney, once, managed to save myself *and* kebabs by grabbing the handrail on the way down.

[DeanS]

Year one of boating.

 

Teen fell in moments before I opened a locks paddles. Luckily I heard him call me and jumped across and pulled him up. Lesson learned..dont wear slippery shoes on a boat, they dont go well when walking along gunwhale.

Middle kid, fell in...twice...trying to hop from land through side hatch. Again..slippery gunwhale. Heard the splash. Could see him. He bobbed up between boat and land. I grabbed his hair, pulled him up and told him I wasnt letting go. He did the same thing again a month later.

Youngest kid...fishing off the towpath with sea magnet. Leant over to far. Splosh.

Father in law...LemonRoyd marina....slipped off gunwhale in the marina. What a spectacle.

 

ETA - the cat...thought we were moored and jumped out the hatch...I picked him up as he came floating past the stern.

 

Year 2. Stuck in a marina. No fall ins.

 

Year 3. Going cruising. Wish us luck

Edited February 1, 2013 by DeanS

[Skye]

There's someone at the front making it more exciting by swinging the back out.

 

Looks deeper the other side.

At leased the dog is increasing its chances by adopting a higher launch pad!

[Ray T]

A guy falling in here:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQ6681scHI4

[Radiomariner]

SWMBO has fallen in twice.

Having being told to try not to let the ropes fall in the water, after untying the bow rope, she leaned on the gunwhale to place the rope on board. As the bow drifted out and she passed the "point of no return", the dog saw what it thought was its last chance to get on board, (a human bridge) and scrambled aboard using SWMBO;s upraised bum as a step. SWMBO naturally collapsed into the cut. Not only did she lose her dignity but was livid because the rest of the family just fell about laughing instead of helping her out!. It was the last day of our very first boating holiday hire. For the rest of the day there was feelings of gloom and doom, never again would we go on such a holiday after that! In the car on the way home the mood changed when SWMBO suddenly said "Next time, we won't take so much food and rely a bit more on Pub Grub"

 

Many years later, taking our own boat out for the first time, SWMBO fell in again. This time it was more serious, she suffered some injury (Broken Ribs) and very little to laugh about, and basicly my fault so I am quite happy to forget the details!

Edited February 1, 2013 by Radiomariner

[Skye]

SWMBO has fallen in twice.

Having being told to try not to let the ropes fall in the water, after untying the bow rope, she leaned on the gunwhale to place the rope on board. As the bow drifted out and she passed the "point of no return", the dog saw what it thought was its last chance to get on board, (a human bridge) and scrambled aboard using SWMBO;s upraised bum as a step. SWMBO naturally collapsed into the cut. Not only did she lose her dignity but was livid because the rest of the family just fell about laughing instead of helping her out!. It was the last day of our very first boating holiday hire. For the rest of the day there was feelings of gloom and doom, never again would we go on such a holiday after that! In the car on the way home the mood changed when SWMBO suddenly said "Next time, we won't take so much food and rely a bit more on Pub Grub"

 

Many years later, taking our own boat out for the first time, SWMBO fell in again. This time it was more serious, she suffered some injury (Broken Ribs) and very little to laugh about, and basicly my fault so I am quite happy to forget the details!

That was a lovely story and pass on our thanks to SWMBO, the second bit not so good but hope she has forgiven you, well nearly!

[jelunga]

Hired a sailing cruiser on the Broads from Martham. Moored near Potter Heigham bridge. My son went to get fish and chips. On the way back he forgot there was an inlet in the bank for a boat to moor in and in the dark walked straight off the bank into the water. But being a hero, he kept the fish and chips dry.

[Skye]

Hired a sailing cruiser on the Broads from Martham. Moored near Potter Heigham bridge. My son went to get fish and chips. On the way back he forgot there was an inlet in the bank for a boat to moor in and in the dark walked straight off the bank into the water. But being a hero, he kept the fish and chips dry.

LOL the ones that didn't get away, again great story

[Ange]

I've only dunked my foot in the water so far. Iced in on the L&L, walking along the gunnels to get a bag of coal off the roof, I slipped and for a horrible moment thought I was going to end up crashing through the ice between the boat and the bank. Fortunately grabbed the rails on the boat and just got a cold, wet foot.

 

My dad went in from his boat when we went on a trip together. Unfortunately didn't see it, but he'd set off on the Coventry Canal and realised his chimney was still in place and, worried that it might get knocked off by the low bridges, decided to walk along the gunnel and remove it whilst still in motion. Chimney stuck, dad pulled harder, next thing my mum who was washing up in the kitchen was surprised to see dad, waist deep in the canal, looking at her through the window!

 

The dog went in a few times the first year we had her. Mooring up at a water point on a centre line did for her - she'd judge the distance, take the leap, but the boat would move and she'd end up in the drink. One time she pulled herself up on the rudder and waited there to be rescued. She's learnt to be careful now and hasn't had a dunking for quite some time.

 

I just hope if I do have to go through a full dunking it'll be in the summer!

[Skye]

I've only dunked my foot in the water so far. Iced in on the L&L, walking along the gunnels to get a bag of coal off the roof, I slipped and for a horrible moment thought I was going to end up crashing through the ice between the boat and the bank. Fortunately grabbed the rails on the boat and just got a cold, wet foot.

 

My dad went in from his boat when we went on a trip together. Unfortunately didn't see it, but he'd set off on the Coventry Canal and realised his chimney was still in place and, worried that it might get knocked off by the low bridges, decided to walk along the gunnel and remove it whilst still in motion. Chimney stuck, dad pulled harder, next thing my mum who was washing up in the kitchen was surprised to see dad, waist deep in the canal, looking at her through the window!

 

The dog went in a few times the first year we had her. Mooring up at a water point on a centre line did for her - she'd judge the distance, take the leap, but the boat would move and she'd end up in the drink. One time she pulled herself up on the rudder and waited there to be rescued. She's learnt to be careful now and hasn't had a dunking for quite some time.

 

I just hope if I do have to go through a full dunking it'll be in the summer!

LOL great story about the dog, its amazing how they learn, Skye knows if a bridge is coming up it's time to go walkies s, whether we are ready or not,she's going to get awfully confused or wet the next time we are coming down the Calder!

[Skye]

Personally I have not yet gone in nor any of my crew, but a good lady friend of ours nearly came to grieve!

 

While we were trying to wind in Dewsbury basin, she was pulling on the bow rope and slid down the bank finishing with a leg either side of the bow.

I'm too much of a gentleman to say we were well and truly stuck, but finished up having to reverse out of the basin.

[blackrose]

A couple I knew at Brentford turned their boat around to do something to the side normally away from the pontoon. But their dog didn't know that and took it's usual flying leap out of the open side hatch onto the pontoon - only there was no pontoon.