Have you ever fallen into the canal?

[Southern Star]

I've only just bought my boat, but twice this week I have *nearly* fallen into the canal.

 

The first time, I got a "bootee", a wet foot that necessitated a change of socks, the second time I came so close to a full body drenching that a spectator actually gasped out loud...both times,by some miracle, I managed to drag myself back from the abyss.

 

I'm wondering, has anybody here actually fallen into the water? It seems inevitable that I will do at some stage and it would help me enormously to know I wasn't the first.

 

[alan_fincher]

I finally achieved it this summer, (well up to my waist, as that was as far as I went before standing on the bottom).

I first canal boated well over 40 years ago, and am really quite clumsy, so my only real surprise is how long it has taken.

[Laurence Hogg]

Many years ago at Stenson, at a boozy rally, I was walking the dog back to the boat with a glass of rum and coke and then - splosh, in the glare of a trip boat headlamp I hadn't seen the new winding hole point which had just been added!! Very entertaining for those on the trip boat! I also missed my Stag night in Brum after falling in whilst backing up to the Gas St bar! No specs couldn't go anywhere!!!

[blackrose]

In 12 years living on boats I've fallen in once so far - about 18 months ago on the Thames. I was getting aboard my dinghy to get back to the boat and I'd moored it in a location I wasn't familiar with. It was dark and I just stepped straight into 6ft depth of water between the boat and bank. My arms went straight out so I caught myself before I went under. I think it was February or March and the cold was painful. I'd hate to go right under in those temperatures.

[Sabcat]

Lived on a boat 15 years, not fallen in once. I've jumped in, but never fallen.

[ditchcrawler]

I've only just bought my boat, but twice this week I have *nearly* fallen into the canal.

 

The first time, I got a "bootee", a wet foot that necessitated a change of socks, the second time I came so close to a full body drenching that a spectator actually gasped out loud...both times,by some miracle, I managed to drag myself back from the abyss.

 

I'm wondering, has anybody here actually fallen into the water? It seems inevitable that I will do at some stage and it would help me enormously to know I wasn't the first.

 

No one have ever fallen in a canal, you will be the first.

[pete harrison]

Last time I fell in was 1984 whilst working as a professional boatman, or perhaps an unprofessional boatman. This was at Salvage Bend, Birmingham and was pretty unpleasant.

 

Last time I went in by 'choice' was 2006 in order to re-hang the wooden rudder of a Large Woolwich butty - out in the country (Stoke Prior) with the water only thigh deep.

 

My only other 'in the cut' mistameaner was at Lapworth in 1982 when in a somewhat drunken state I jumped into the canal at the Boot pound. Minutes earlier I had been caught on the roof of somebody's Jaguar for which I was subsequently banned from The Boot pub. I no longer drink alcohol and I am an avid Jaguar enthusiast - a bit ironic really

[Mac of Cygnet]

I was totally submerged last year stepping onto the boat (but missing!) going up Heartbreak Hill on the T&M. I was dragged out by the crew of a hire boat going down the paired lock. I suffered from sinusitis for a month afterwards but otherwise no ill effects.

[Ange]

5 years liveaboard and we've both managed to avoid it so far (fingers crossed touch wood!)

 

The closest I've come was standing on icy gunnels lifting a bag of coal off the roof. My foot slipped and my boot went through the ice, but I managed to grab the handrail on the roof just in time to stop a full and very icy submersion.

 

My dad went in when he set off and realised he'd left his chimney in place. This was on the Coventry with lots of nice low bridges so he decided to play it safe, walked along the gunnels and tried to lift the chimney off. It stuck then suddenly freed sending dad and the chimney into the water. My very surprised mum was washing up when she looked out of the window to see dad looking in at her.

 

The annoying thing is they were following us at the time and we didn't look back so missed the whole thing!

[pete harrison]

The closest I've come was standing on icy gunnels lifting a bag of coal off the roof. My foot slipped and my boot went through the ice,

This reminds me of the last winter I spent working on the canals, 1984/85.

 

During this time the canals in the centre of Birmingham were drained for essential repairs to the side walls. I lived on my boats at Sherborne Street Wharf, and whilst my butty was removed to Icknield Port for the duration my motor was placed in the car park at Sherborne Street Wharf (handy for the pub, shops, laundrette e.t.c.). That winter was fairly typical for Birmingham and the canal, or at least the canal bed was covered with a fairly thick layer of ice. Being young, stupid and wanting to show off to my young lady I clambered down onto the ice to show how brave I was. All went well until I started jumping up and down, followed by a crack and me disappearing up to my waist in that thick black mud only found in highly polluted urban waterways.

 

I have never walked on ice since

[RLWP]

Oh yes, I've fallen in.

 

Richard

[Sabcat]

This reminds me of the last winter I spent working on the canals, 1984/85.

 

During this time the canals in the centre of Birmingham were drained for essential repairs to the side walls. I lived on my boats at Sherborne Street Wharf, and whilst my butty was removed to Icknield Port for the duration my motor was placed in the car park at Sherborne Street Wharf (handy for the pub, shops, laundrette e.t.c.). That winter was fairly typical for Birmingham and the canal, or at least the canal bed was covered with a fairly thick layer of ice. Being young, stupid and wanting to show off to my young lady I clambered down onto the ice to show how brave I was. All went well until I started jumping up and down, followed by a crack and me disappearing up to my waist in that thick black mud only found in highly polluted urban waterways.

 

I have never walked on ice since

 

I've got a pic somewhere of me sat naked in a deck chair on the frozen cut here. I'll post it, if I can find it. Ice didn't break, which was nice.

[Dyad]

The first day out on the first time I hired a boat when coming towards the bank to moor up for very the first time ever, my dog decided to leap for the bank off the cruiser stern, and missed, it was lucky there was another boater there who grabed him up by the collar and got him out of the way before being squished by the incoming boat.

[alan_fincher]

 

I've got a pic somewhere of me sat naked in a deck chair on the frozen cut here. I'll post it, if I can find it. Ice didn't break, which was nice.

 

No!, no! really! - this isn't necessary - honestly it is not!

 

We could imagine it.....

 

..... Though I must admit I'm trying hard not to!

[MHS]

24 years on the canals, and I've not fallen in yet......

 

Wendy did about 10 years back, and it could have been very nasty. She fell in while passing under a bridge on the Macclesfield. There isn't a lot of space in a bridge narrowing. I'm usually very good in a crisis, time seems to stand still. I put the boat in neutral, ran down the gunnel, and jumped onto the land. Adrenaline allowed me to pull her out in one swift action from below my feet, like a cork from a bottle, and jump back aboard to stop the boat, with our young girls aboard, from drifting into the scenery.

 

Not really the best start to a holiday, but Wendy showered, and I got a pasta meal ready, and all was ok again.

[Alan Saunders]

Having survived many years of operating a small, 18' fishing boat from Portsmouth Harbour without incident, in 1976 I hired a boat from Brummagem Boats, Sherbourne Wharf. On the first day we caught up with a boat going very slowly and weaving from side to side. Eventually, as they veered to the left I attempted to overtake them but they immediately veered right and forced us aground. I ran down the gunwhale and grabbed the pole only to see the boat ascending before me and hearing a splash as I descended into the shallow cut.

 

My teenage son fell in while sitting on the gunwhale of our moored boat, eating an ice-cream and his older sister jumped into the canal when her 'friend' put her head out of the window just as she was negotiating the gunwhale. MOB drill is good even on a shallow canal.

 

One Winter, February (-5C), I was moored opposite the sanitory station in Hungerford. At ~9pm I tripped on the rear, trad deck and was completely submerged but managed to climb up the rudder and stripped naked in this well-lit location, fortunately there were no passers by.

 

A hot shower will restore your equlibrium but if you have swallowed some canal or river water it may be best to consult the nearest A&E Hospital.

 

Alan

[Phil Ambrose]

I went in while on the quayheading of our dyke off the river Bure, it was January and I slipped on the ice.

I can remember sitting on the bottom and looking up thinking, "I shouldn't be down here" it was about 6 or 7 feet deep. Impossible to climb out and called Chris to put down the boarding ladder

Chris; where shall I put it

Me; as near me as Bl**dy possible

Man it was cold.

Phil

[Stephen Sugg]

Twice. Don't remember the first one much, I was about ten and it was near Thrupp, my brother and I were mucking about and in I went.

 

Second time I remember well. Lads holiday, we were 17/18. We were winding at Weedon early in the morning, for some reason I decided that standing on the roof with the long pole would be useful. I was sort of punting the boat around and the pole slipped. I went in head first from the roof. I was wearing a Crystal Palace shell suit (it was the late 80's!).

[John V]

Often into the Wey Arun in my youth

But once into the River Lee (deep water) when mooring up a hire boat I tripped and went straight in.

My arm broke the surface first, clutching desperately the club hammer. A bit like Excalibur (I was determined I wasn't going to be charged for losing it)

[mark99]

I used to swim in the Grand Union as a kid. Speciality was waiting for the full lock to be emptied standing at the top gate waiting for the water to boil and jump in. I must have been a right pest to the boaters.

Edited September 25, 2014 by mark99

[Guest]

I've been on my first boat since May and this happened just 2 days ago.

 

I had tied up to take on water and with hosepipe in hand I stepped off the side onto the locker to put said pipe into water tank. However, I had neglected to remove a carpet sampler from the top of the locker. Once my left foot was on the locker (with carpet underneath) I stepped up from my right foot and immediately my left foot shot off into the cratch area ensuring that my right leg was outside the boat, not far off performing the perfect splits! With my right leg shooting down into the water between boat and side I fell and ended up with a bruise on my hand and the inside of both legs.

 

Given that some on here have not experienced a dunking, either partial or fully, after many years of boating, I hope that that I'll not experience another for a long time to come.

[Naughty Cal]

I have not managed to go in yet. The OH has been in more times than I care to remember. Which is a bit of a surprise because Im usually the clumsy one. I suppose it is only a matter of time before I take a swim though

 

ETA: Forgot to add we have only been boat owners since 2008!

Edited September 25, 2014 by Naughty Cal

[8 Hairy Feet]

Hmm i prefer to think of it as a graceful sliding down

having missed my footing

[Tony Brooks]

Only a wet pair of feet on a canal but a spectacular leap from the bank to a yacht on the Broads and a sraight off the front of a boat on the Thames complete with tool tray & tools.

[luctor et emergo]

You're not a real boater until you've been in..