Finished working on the boat, and had just locked the hatch when the dog
looked at me as if to say "Are we off then?'..

I nodded and she leaped off the boat - missed the dock, and slipped into
the water 4' down.

There are no ramps nearby.

She's splashing around and looking up at me.

Clear decisive thinking left me, just a need to save my dog.

So I slipped off my shoes and jumped in after her.

And it soon became desperately clear that there were now two of us in
trouble.

I couldn't reach the dock, only the gunwale of the boat, so I inched my
way along toward the prow and a rope.

Hauled my self up to the wooden bar above the rope, but with dog hanging
on my back, didn't have the strength to lift both of us out of the water.

So both of us just hung there half-in, half-out of the water with
nowhere else to go.

I could, however, bellow. And bellow 'Help' I did for at least 15 mins
before a couple of guys came rushing up. In the interval I had the
thought 'Why didn't I make for the swim ladder at the stern?' Or 'Why
didn't I let down the swim ladder and call the dog round there?'

Guy towed me to the lowered ladder and up I came, then they fished out
the dog (I don't know how, I was lying on the aft cabin roof shivering
uncontrollably)

Breath wouldn't come easy, I was gasping and gasping besides the
shivering. Dog shook herself and leaped back down in to the cabin.

My toes and fingertips were quite numb, my legs opened up by many cuts
from barnacles on the rope and dock parts I was clinging to.

It's now three days later and only my fingertips are numb, not with cold
but with bloodblisters have formed under my fingernails.

All's well that ends well, but I'll never do something so impulsive and
stupid again.

--

Molesworth

Thanks for posting that. I'm very glad you didn't die. Experience is
a harsh mistress; maybe you've saved some us a bit of her cruelty.

-- Tom.

"Molesworth" wrote in message
...
Finished working on the boat, and had just locked the hatch when the dog
looked at me as if to say "Are we off then?'..

I nodded and she leaped off the boat - missed the dock, and slipped into
the water 4' down.

There are no ramps nearby.

She's splashing around and looking up at me.

Clear decisive thinking left me, just a need to save my dog.

So I slipped off my shoes and jumped in after her.

And it soon became desperately clear that there were now two of us in
trouble.

I couldn't reach the dock, only the gunwale of the boat, so I inched my
way along toward the prow and a rope.

Hauled my self up to the wooden bar above the rope, but with dog hanging
on my back, didn't have the strength to lift both of us out of the water.

So both of us just hung there half-in, half-out of the water with
nowhere else to go.

I could, however, bellow. And bellow 'Help' I did for at least 15 mins
before a couple of guys came rushing up. In the interval I had the
thought 'Why didn't I make for the swim ladder at the stern?' Or 'Why
didn't I let down the swim ladder and call the dog round there?'

Guy towed me to the lowered ladder and up I came, then they fished out
the dog (I don't know how, I was lying on the aft cabin roof shivering
uncontrollably)

Breath wouldn't come easy, I was gasping and gasping besides the
shivering. Dog shook herself and leaped back down in to the cabin.

My toes and fingertips were quite numb, my legs opened up by many cuts
from barnacles on the rope and dock parts I was clinging to.

It's now three days later and only my fingertips are numb, not with cold
but with bloodblisters have formed under my fingernails.

All's well that ends well, but I'll never do something so impulsive and
stupid again.

--

Molesworth


Thanks for posting... a good example of what not to do... jump in the water
to save someone. And, this was at the dock. Think what it would be like when
the conditions worsen and you're offshore. Unfortunately, this happens all
the time.


--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

In article
,
" wrote:

Thanks for posting that. I'm very glad you didn't die. Experience is
a harsh mistress; maybe you've saved some us a bit of her cruelty.

-- Tom.

I was in two minds about posting - shows what I dork I am... but then I
thought that if instinctively went to save my dog (who went thro katrina
with me) then so would someone else, and perhaps not in such good
surroundings.

--

Molesworth

"Molesworth" wrote in message
...
In article
,
" wrote:

Thanks for posting that. I'm very glad you didn't die. Experience is
a harsh mistress; maybe you've saved some us a bit of her cruelty.

-- Tom.

I was in two minds about posting - shows what I dork I am... but then I
thought that if instinctively went to save my dog (who went thro katrina
with me) then so would someone else, and perhaps not in such good
surroundings.

--

Molesworth


Doesn't seem dork-like to me.. it's an easy error to make.

For example, I was removing the mast from a small boat I owned a few years
ago.. you pull it up out of it's support to remove it. I got it out, and in
the process of trying to balance it, walked right off the dock. The good
news was that the water was shallow and I missed landing on the rocks.


--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"Molesworth" wrote in message
...
In article
,
" wrote:

Thanks for posting that. I'm very glad you didn't die. Experience is
a harsh mistress; maybe you've saved some us a bit of her cruelty.

-- Tom.

I was in two minds about posting - shows what I dork I am... but then I
thought that if instinctively went to save my dog (who went thro katrina
with me) then so would someone else, and perhaps not in such good
surroundings.

--

Molesworth


I'd recommend a doggie lifejacket with a handle on top. Then all you would
need is your boat hook to grab and hoist away.

In article ,
WaIIy wrote:

On Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:58:25 -0400, "Don White"
wrote:
....
I'd recommend a doggie lifejacket with a handle on top. Then all you would
need is your boat hook to grab and hoist away.


Do they make them in his size?

at least 70 cm long for Shepherds etc do exist, see eg
http://www.svb.de/index.php?cl=detai...12114&anid=920

HTH

Marc

--
remove bye and from mercial to get valid e-mail
http://www.heusser.com

I am very glad that it turned out well. I guess this illustrates the
chant I was taught for remembering the order of preference of rescue
methods when someone is in trouble in the water:

Reach . . . Throw . . . Row . . . Go

Reach (with a pole, boat hook or oar)

Throw (a life ring, a life jacket, an empty cooler, or anything else
that floats)

Row (use a boat)

Go (into the water and swim to assist . . . the most dramatic and
least preferred method for the reasons you shared.

Thanks for the story. Sometime I will relate the tale of how my
father and I ended up pouring gin on our legs to disinfect cuts we got
after we ran aground on a artificial reef made of old tires used to
raise oysters in the middle of the night.

John

In article ,
WaIIy wrote:

On Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:58:25 -0400, "Don White"
wrote:


"Molesworth" wrote in message
...
In article
,
" wrote:

Thanks for posting that. I'm very glad you didn't die. Experience is
a harsh mistress; maybe you've saved some us a bit of her cruelty.

-- Tom.

I was in two minds about posting - shows what I dork I am... but then I
thought that if instinctively went to save my dog (who went thro katrina
with me) then so would someone else, and perhaps not in such good
surroundings.

--

Molesworth


I'd recommend a doggie lifejacket with a handle on top. Then all you would
need is your boat hook to grab and hoist away.


Do they make them in his size?

http://www.dogster.com/dogs/405577

She's about 40lb, so medium is on order right now..

--

Molesworth

"Molesworth" wrote
I'd recommend a doggie lifejacket with a handle on top. Then
all you would need is your boat hook to grab and hoist away.

Do they make them in his size?

medium is on order right now..

I thought he meant *your* size...