Don W wrote:
Okay, I almost posted this without prompting, but held off.

Gusty day on Lake Travis TX with peak gusts pushing 32 MPH. Not
dangerous, but not benign either. My wife and I host another
couple on our Catalina 27. We have shut off the motor, hoisted
the main, and I've given the tiller to my friend so that I can
go forward and hoist the small jib. The ladies are having drinks
in the back of the cockpit. We are beating out a channel from the
marina to the main channel where I intend to hoist the jib. I've
unfolded the jib and hanked it on, and am on my knees holding the
jib down while I unwind the jib sheets in preparation for leading
them back to the cockpit when I hear a yell!. The jib is requiring
my full attention to keep it from blowing out from between my knees,
so I ignore the first yell figuring that there is nothing that can
be that pressing at the moment. Another yell for me! I look back
and see that the helmsman is in the water, and the two ladies are
sitting in the back of the cockpit where they cannot easily reach
the tiller!

A couple of quick wraps with the sheets secure the jib to the railing,
and I rush back to grab the tiller. The helmsman is now 30-40 yards
behind us and only 15-20 yards from the side of the channel where the
chop is breaking against a cliff. We do the figure-8 MOB drill for REAL
with a gybe instead of a tack on the backside and iron the boat to a
stop within 10 feet of my dripping ex-helmsman.

Turns out a gust blew his hat off, and he jumped in the water after
it...

And yes we still go sailing with them. Sure was glad for all the times
we played MOB with the channel bouys.

Don W.

Larry wrote:

This newsgroup could sure use a lot more stories like this than it
gets....

Thanks, Peter!



Once we had our top regional boss and his wife out sailing on the Boat I
crewed on. A gust of wind snatched his cap and dropped it in the drink.
Our helmsman did a quick 180 and I immediately dove for the storage area
under the cockpit seats...scattering the ladies. I was able to get the
boat hook ready just as we passed by the cap and with one swoop I picked
it up. Timing was perfect...more by luck than any skill.