Sailboat is attached to powerboat. Power boat supposed to have 2 lines to shore and let them go slowly as water goes down.
Somehow, bow dude fail to simple task.
Boat started to turn in the current, rear dude did not let go a bit to keep boat straight.
By the time driver react it was too late. They let go both lines and made a good manuver to get in line with current. Call was close to hit the other side of the lock but it worked.
Than sailboat guy prob request to be untied to this idiot. Idiot untied the front line and started to go forward. Back line made sailboat turn and go straight in the wall.
I was in a sailboat tied to a motorboat in these locks one day. The current coming from aft. The motorboat guy untied my stern line and gave my boat a shove with his foot while my bow line was still attached. Needless to say, I exited the locks in reverse that day. People with motorboats need a physics lesson on what happens when a current hits a 2 ton, 4 foot keel. FFS.
Im surprised the sailboat did not put full trootle forward, it would have made them turn quickly and they could have exited in tandem. Or crab walk to where they where.
In these locks (The Ballard/Chittenden Locks in Seattle) the lock workers direct each boat on where to go. The larger boats generally tie up to the wall with smaller boats rafting to them. If it's really busy you can have several boats rafted to each of the inboard "wall" boats.
What's supposed to have happened was that the sailboat would have released their stern line and then bow line from the power boat and exited the lock. Then the power boat would have released their stern and then bow line from the lock wall. All of that is directed by the lock staff.
Apparently the powerboat released their bow line without instruction, before any of that happened. The current then started pulling boat boats down the lock. The guy clearly in a panic on the bow of the powerboat released the bow raft line to the sailboat which caused it to spin and hit the opposite wall.
Any time you're tied to another vessel you should have the lines made off in a way that you can cast them off from your end. That way if something goes sideways like this, you are still able to escape. You untie them on your end and toss them onto their boat. If you own the lines you can retrieve them later and you haven't banged up your boat.
Near the end there the powerboat cast off just the bow and not the stern, which was the last nail in that coffin. If I were in the sailboat, I'd have my crewperson cast off the bow while I cast off the stern.
Or at least that's what my plan would be. I'd probably still end up smashed into that wall, because the powerboat folks seem pretty determined to ruin everyone's day.
Yeah, general consensus in the local sub that originally poster was that the motor-yacht thing cast off before the canal folks told them to, and then cast off bow first.
Cuz you don see any water move around the sailboat after you see the guy aft of sailboat talking to the guy aft of the motor boat right before he uncleat the line.
The motor boat made an idiot move, leaving the wall but he managed to but both boat in line. They could have exited in tandem without accident.
But sailboat requested bow line to be untied, aft line slingshoted him in the wall. That was a dumb request.
This is incompetence. The guys holding the line should have had them tied off.
They miscalculated the strength of the current. Even if they were easing the line you put a wrap(s) around the cleat, which gives them much more leverage and the ability to finish the cleat hitch to tie off the boat.
Tie off to the boat maybe, but you usually do not want to tie off to the lock as well because it can break stuff when the water drops. It should not be that hard to hold the boat against the wall though with a loop around a tir off point or even with a boat hook.
I've never seen a lock with moving walls, but I've only gone through locks in the Chicago area. That sounds like it would make things a lot more complex and prone to failure than needed. Water level change here is usually around 2-4ft.
I work in marine construction and you wouldn't believe the actions I have seen around our punts and boats. We had one start sinking recently, got it over to a scow and one of the guys had the head line in hand. I yelled at him to tie it off so we could do a recovery with one of the cranes. This fuckin absolute turnip stood there with rope in hand trying to brace himself to hold this thing from sinking singlehandedly. It was eye opening, these are guys that soend all their working time around this and still get blinders on and forget basic skills that can avoid huge disaster.
ZeroCool1@reddit
Can someone explain what's going on to someone who has never been through a lock? Did the sailboat trust the powerboat to hitch to? Is that common?
bigDeltaVenergy@reddit
Sailboat is attached to powerboat. Power boat supposed to have 2 lines to shore and let them go slowly as water goes down.
Somehow, bow dude fail to simple task.
Boat started to turn in the current, rear dude did not let go a bit to keep boat straight.
By the time driver react it was too late. They let go both lines and made a good manuver to get in line with current. Call was close to hit the other side of the lock but it worked.
Than sailboat guy prob request to be untied to this idiot. Idiot untied the front line and started to go forward. Back line made sailboat turn and go straight in the wall.
Mission_Reply_2326@reddit
I was in a sailboat tied to a motorboat in these locks one day. The current coming from aft. The motorboat guy untied my stern line and gave my boat a shove with his foot while my bow line was still attached. Needless to say, I exited the locks in reverse that day. People with motorboats need a physics lesson on what happens when a current hits a 2 ton, 4 foot keel. FFS.
bigDeltaVenergy@reddit
Im surprised the sailboat did not put full trootle forward, it would have made them turn quickly and they could have exited in tandem. Or crab walk to where they where.
LateralThinkerer@reddit
That's perfect. I'm calling it the trootle from now on.
Mission_Reply_2326@reddit
In my situation, I was sideways before I could do anything….
bigDeltaVenergy@reddit
I have a full keel with underpowered engine. ....I would have just accepted my faith. LoL
Techwood111@reddit
*fate?
bigDeltaVenergy@reddit
Yes thx
Mission_Reply_2326@reddit
Yeah I had a 8hp outboard and with that current and already being sideways, there wasn’t much I could do!
ZeroCool1@reddit
And you're just supposed to trust your boat to someone when you go through? That sucks.
bigDeltaVenergy@reddit
Yes. That's how it's done . Work great 99.99% of the time.
Tony_Three_Pies@reddit
In these locks (The Ballard/Chittenden Locks in Seattle) the lock workers direct each boat on where to go. The larger boats generally tie up to the wall with smaller boats rafting to them. If it's really busy you can have several boats rafted to each of the inboard "wall" boats.
What's supposed to have happened was that the sailboat would have released their stern line and then bow line from the power boat and exited the lock. Then the power boat would have released their stern and then bow line from the lock wall. All of that is directed by the lock staff.
Apparently the powerboat released their bow line without instruction, before any of that happened. The current then started pulling boat boats down the lock. The guy clearly in a panic on the bow of the powerboat released the bow raft line to the sailboat which caused it to spin and hit the opposite wall.
bronk3310@reddit
Yeah I was confused the whole time.
arcticpoppy@reddit
Yeah +1. No clue what’s happening here
mokunuimoo@reddit
Good lord the powerboat operator is an utter idiot
buttrumpus@reddit
Almost always are. Sailboat’s mistake was trusting that moron.
LameBMX@reddit
probably didnt have a choice.
Vicker3000@reddit
Yes, but....
Any time you're tied to another vessel you should have the lines made off in a way that you can cast them off from your end. That way if something goes sideways like this, you are still able to escape. You untie them on your end and toss them onto their boat. If you own the lines you can retrieve them later and you haven't banged up your boat.
Near the end there the powerboat cast off just the bow and not the stern, which was the last nail in that coffin. If I were in the sailboat, I'd have my crewperson cast off the bow while I cast off the stern.
Or at least that's what my plan would be. I'd probably still end up smashed into that wall, because the powerboat folks seem pretty determined to ruin everyone's day.
EnderDragoon@reddit
Rope knife comes out in these situations. Lines are a lot easier to replace. Probably leave engine idling while dealing with this too.
poolnickv@reddit
And then your line gets into your prop....
desertrumpet@reddit
Yeah, the locks workers tell everybody where to go.
bigDeltaVenergy@reddit
Well that sailboat requested to be untied before starting engine.
Requested now line to be untied first.
conflan06@reddit
Based on what info are you making these assumptions?
justinchina@reddit
Yeah, general consensus in the local sub that originally poster was that the motor-yacht thing cast off before the canal folks told them to, and then cast off bow first.
mokunuimoo@reddit
You can see that they did because of the way that they did
bigDeltaVenergy@reddit
Cuz you don see any water move around the sailboat after you see the guy aft of sailboat talking to the guy aft of the motor boat right before he uncleat the line.
The motor boat made an idiot move, leaving the wall but he managed to but both boat in line. They could have exited in tandem without accident.
But sailboat requested bow line to be untied, aft line slingshoted him in the wall. That was a dumb request.
Ticklechickenchow@reddit
Oh Norrrrrrr! Gets me every time
Techwood111@reddit
Melbourne maybe?
retirement_savings@reddit
Does the sailboat owner have any recourse here? Like can they file a claim with powerboat owner's insurance?
we-otta-be@reddit
Arrr naaauuuurrrr
60yearoldME@reddit
ARRRR NAAAUURRRRRR
canofmixedveggies@reddit
this is one trick always pisses off lockmasters.
if you did that here you'd be right into a 1200 ft towboat and those aren't guys you want to bounce on.
That-Makes-Sense@reddit
This is very relevant:
https://youtube.com/shorts/Zcg3HOxyVzw?si=F699tGRygQYV61Er
Ever-Wandering@reddit
This is incompetence. The guys holding the line should have had them tied off.
They miscalculated the strength of the current. Even if they were easing the line you put a wrap(s) around the cleat, which gives them much more leverage and the ability to finish the cleat hitch to tie off the boat.
Emergency-Doughnut88@reddit
Tie off to the boat maybe, but you usually do not want to tie off to the lock as well because it can break stuff when the water drops. It should not be that hard to hold the boat against the wall though with a loop around a tir off point or even with a boat hook.
ChilledRoland@reddit
Don't the walls on the big lock rise & fall with the water level?
Emergency-Doughnut88@reddit
I've never seen a lock with moving walls, but I've only gone through locks in the Chicago area. That sounds like it would make things a lot more complex and prone to failure than needed. Water level change here is usually around 2-4ft.
ChilledRoland@reddit
They're just buoyant panels on tracks; there's not many added failure modes.
Emergency-Doughnut88@reddit
I see.. Either way I don't see anything like that in the video
superjj@reddit
It's just for the small lock.
madethisforpornn@reddit
Always put it on the cleat! Never pull it by hand.
Mission_Reply_2326@reddit
There are locks in Ballard where you have to pull the line as the water level goes up. Which doesnt excuse these people- just saying
summit_bound_@reddit
I work in marine construction and you wouldn't believe the actions I have seen around our punts and boats. We had one start sinking recently, got it over to a scow and one of the guys had the head line in hand. I yelled at him to tie it off so we could do a recovery with one of the cranes. This fuckin absolute turnip stood there with rope in hand trying to brace himself to hold this thing from sinking singlehandedly. It was eye opening, these are guys that soend all their working time around this and still get blinders on and forget basic skills that can avoid huge disaster.
myt@reddit (OP)
They definitely released before the operator said so.
sola_mia@reddit
A stuck bollard / pin you're tied up to is my lock fear. Have knife handy!
iron82@reddit
You're not supposed to tie to lock walls. Especially if you're going down.
Tony_Three_Pies@reddit
In these locks the inboard boat is moored to the lock, and other boats will raft to that them.
sola_mia@reddit
The 25 lock masters I encountered along the corp of engineers SE US would beg to differ
light24bulbs@reddit
On this lock if I remember right, it's required you tie up. The cleats are floating, if I remember right.
WayAgreeable3999@reddit
Oooh naaaarrrruuuu
BaselineUnknown@reddit
World’s worst catamaran.
MTonmyMind@reddit
They probably already have a youtube channel and a patreon to fund their new moto-sail-maran circumnavigation attempt.
raehn@reddit
Wtf why is homeboy on shore holding that line lol. He can't pull that cmon, amateur hour.
iron82@reddit
You're supposed to manually control lines at locks. You need to adjust the length as the level changes.
raehn@reddit
He could manually throw that around a cleat and control it that way... Instead of you know, what happened.