Worst sailing nightmares

SmallTown

SmallTown

Well-known member
Following on from the flight nightmare thread: what’s the worst people have experience when things have got nautical?
Three spring to mind for me: sailing from Hong Kong island to Lantau island across a seemingly tiny stretch of water. Also whilst nursing a hangover the size of the Ming dynasty. Kowloon bay was fine but as soon as we hit open water we hit a wave that momentarily seemed to submerge the whole boat. Queue a local throwing up in a bin. Needles to say we got the subway back!

Sat in Zeebrugge harbour waiting for our overnight sailing to Hull. I casually look up at the TV telling us there will be force 8-9 gales in the English Channel. My partner at the time, not being from this great seafaring nation, innocently asks “is that bad” she got her answer a few hour later. I couldn’t be seasick as I was too scared to throw up! All I could here was the crashing both of waves and of unsecured cars in the parking decks. That was a long long night.

Third time we are wandering to a bar in St Malo. In a very strong Gale. I ask my friend for his professional opinion of the sea, given he’s the captain of a similar vessel to the one we shall board that evening. He surveys the waters and proclaims “yeah, it’ll be lumpy”. Turns out this is maritime code for “blinking awful”. Sat in the ships bar that night. I’m in full bravado mode. Most of the guys had worked for one ferry company or another so there was the air of salty sea dog about them. So I have to sit in the bar and brave the batter as they casually sup their sploshing ales. Pitying the poor waitress who was spending more time cleaning up smashed glasses than serving the few hardy souls who hadn’t gone to their cabins to pray for the morning and the relative safety of the city of Portsmouth.
 
Probably on the old catamaran that used to go accross the Cook Strait. Coming out of Picton, along the Sounds, and all seemed fine. Then we hit open water, and a wave nearly stopped us dead.

Everything got tied down, not allowed out, and crew and passengers throwing up. Not called the vomit comet for nothing.
 
Went for a birdwatching trip off Flamborough Head many years ago.

It was bumpy to say the least. Not particulalry bothered myself (apart from the lack of puffins).

One poor lass was green. And I mean green. First time I ever realised a face could go that colour.

Needless to say, she spent the whole trip spewing over the side. Which was the main entertainment due to the birds finding the weather a tad too inclement.
 
Sailing from Rosyth to Portsmouth on HMS Cattistock (minesweeper) in 2004. Had gales beam on for two days. Had two bottles of water in two days, couldn't keep anything down. Minesweepers are made from GRP and wood (minimal magnetic signature) so it's literally like a cork in a bath. The transom was hanging off by the time we got alongside in Pompey dockyard. Only ever time in 30 years in the RN that I chundered. Next time we went north via Cornwall and the Irish Sea , I prepped my self and was taking 2 seasick tablets every 4 hours. Don't remember going, don't remember coming back 😯😯😬😬
 
Following on from my flying stories....I was due to fly to Krakow a few years back. The day of the flight an 80mph storm kicked into full force. My fear of flying kicked into overdrive and I didn't fly. Still needing to get to Krakow I hired a car, booked a ferry with a fully enclosed cabin (lower deck) and felt an enormous sense of relief that I didn't have to fly and I was still going. In all my stress and worry about the change of plans I overlooked one minor detail which didn't become apparent until the ferry left Newcastle on an over night to Amsterdam.....storms also affect the sea. All through the night the ferry pitched, creaked, rolled and tilted so far that it felt like it could capsize at any moment. After a horrendous rollercoaster number of hours in a pitch black cabin trying to sleep I made it safe and sound to dry land the following morning and continued on my journey. An adventure I will not repeat in a hurry. 🤦‍♂️
 
Chisel said:
Following on from my flying stories....I was due to fly to Krakow a few years back. The day of the flight an 80mph storm kicked into full force. My fear of flying kicked into overdrive and I didn't fly. Still needing to get to Krakow I hired a car, booked a ferry with a fully enclosed cabin (lower deck) and felt an enormous sense of relief that I didn't have to fly and I was still going. In all my stress and worry about the change of plans I overlooked one minor detail which didn't become apparent until the ferry left Newcastle on an over night to Amsterdam.....storms also affect the sea. All through the night the ferry pitched, creaked, rolled and tilted so far that it felt like it could capsize at any moment. After a horrendous rollercoaster number of hours in a pitch black cabin trying to sleep I made it safe and sound to dry land the following morning and continued on my journey. An adventure I will not repeat in a hurry. 🤦‍♂️
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Currently watching the documentary on the Estonia ferry disaster. One thing its taught me: never get a cabin on a deck below the waterline. Luckily it's illegal now but there are still some shops sailing with them. No thank you.
 
2 instances i can think of.
Many many moons ago the school i was at were going on a footballing holiday to France.
The overnight ferry was an experience i wont forget. We had seats near tbe restaurant and all we could hear was the crashing of plates as the ferry titled and swayed. We actually hsd a game the same day we and each and everyone of our heads were still swaying as we played.
Second one was a few years ago, me and the other half on a med cruise.
Sailing between Menorca and Corsica i swear the ship was hitting the sea bed.it was meant to be 'captains night' im led to believe very few attended the meal.
 
Taking the ferry across the channel when I was a kid in the '70s.

This was before the 'sanitized' toilets we have today, and they had an unsavoury stench combining shyte and spew in equal parts.

I went for a pish held my breath while standing next to one of the stalls, which was occupied.

I could hear the person within taking a dump. The sound of pffffffsssst... plop.... pffffsssst... plop is still with me today, and the reek of freshly laid human turd entered my nostrils as my breath gave out.

With the rocking of the boat, I very nearly hurled there and then as I heaved and spluttered my way out.
 
SmallTown said:
Currently watching the documentary on the Estonia ferry disaster. One thing its taught me: never get a cabin on a deck below the waterline. Luckily it's illegal now but there are still some shops sailing with them. No thank you.
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I enjoyed watching that and definitely eye opening. I won't say too much, not sure what part you are up to.
 
Norman_Conquest said:
I enjoyed watching that and definitely eye opening. I won't say too much, not sure what part you are up to.
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Just started, watched the first part. I know a bit about it from the mates a mention in my stories above who worked on ferries. I actually had a cabin on deck 2 when we were due to sail the Baltic. One of them suggested I pay the extra for a cabin above the car decks. And explained why. I didn’t need telling twice
 
6 week stints during the cod war in the Iceland Faeroes gap on a paper thin Leander class Frigate. It was like Alton Towers on loop!
Also, did North Island to Picton in a storm force 10, that was hairy.
Caught in many storms in the North and South Atlantic, it’s amazing to be aboard an aircraft carrier only to be thrown around like a cork!
 
My first ever night at sea was spent transiting down the Bay of Biscay. I spent the night clinging to the bed to stop myself being thrown out of it and that was a on a large container ship with active stabilisers. I wondered what I'd let myself in for, thinking it'd be like that all the time.
 
Me and the wife headed out on our yacht for an evening of sailing, I insisted it was spotlessly clean with me being slightly OCD. A storm hit and as we were battling to reach shore I turned around and my wife must have fallen overboard which was a disaster as she cannot swim and was sadly lost to the sea. I was distraught of course but a few weeks later I noticed her wedding ring at the bottom of the toilet bowl which gives me hope that she might actually be alive.
 
Getting on that Bay of Biscay ferry back to the UK after a couple of months in Spain always had me worried .
 
2 for me.

last ferry back from France on a school trip... people puking everywhere as the ferry rolled and pitched... whole ship stunk of vomit

couple of times in tees bay transferring from the launch to a chemical/oil tanker to do inspections.

having to jump between the two and hope not to fall in when the difference might be +\- 5 meters as they rolled.

one day I was doing a tank inspection on a Chemical boat... a decent swell kicked up as I boarded. Looking into the tanks the Filipinos were still scrubbing away so I asked what the issue was (as it should have been done before I arrive) to be told it had been that rough the poor buggers had chundered just as they finished cleaning so had to start again
 
Beverleyred said:
6 week stints during the cod war in the Iceland Faeroes gap on a paper thin Leander class Frigate. It was like Alton Towers on loop!
Also, did North Island to Picton in a storm force 10, that was hairy.
Caught in many storms in the North and South Atlantic, it’s amazing to be aboard an aircraft carrier only to be thrown around like a cork!
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Which Leander??
 
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