We all knew going into this that I had a huge amount to learn on this boat. Now it’s time for me to fess up and reveal the big mistakes I have made in my first months aboard Sava. I’ve made some mistakes on the sailboat, and I doubt they’ll be the last, but we’re still having fun!
Mooring
The Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park offers mooring ball facilities, which are generally more reliable than anchoring on your own. The mooring ball is attached to an anchor, and you attach your boat to the mooring ball. While Brian drives – slowly – as close as he can to the mooring ball, I am supposed to hook it and tie it up to our boat. Easier said than done.
One time, I caught the mooring but couldn’t hold it as we drove over it and I dropped the hook in the water. I grabbed our net and fished up the hook to try again. Then I caught the mooring and broke off a piece of the hook. By this point, a man in a nearby boat had gotten into his dinghy and picked up the mooring for me. All I had to do was throw him the rope and attach it to our boat. Even that I almost did incorrectly. You have to run the line under all the rails – which Brian had to yell to me – because if you don’t you can rip the rails off the boat.
I have tried mooring three times and not succeeded without the help of someone in a dinghy. The mooring balls are really heavy! Our hook may not be long or sturdy enough; or I am just not good at it. Apparently it’s not just me. We have watched several boats trying to attach to a mooring and it takes most people a few tries. I haven’t seen other people lose and/or break their hooks though.
Docking and Undocking
When we are arriving at a marina or gas dock, it is my job to jump off the boat onto the dock and secure us to the posts or cleats as quickly as possible to slow down the boat. I have had more practice at this than mooring but still need improvement.
I am always worried I am going to trip on the netting around our rails or not jump far enough and miss the dock. So far so good. I have learned that it’s imperative to tie the rope immediately rather than trying to use my strength to stop or move the boat.
Leaving docks is just as stressful. Sometimes there is strong current that pulls the boat further in one direction than we want. Brian does the driving and it’s my responsibility to untie the ropes and push us clear from the dock. Sometimes there are people on the dock who help which makes this a lot easier.
Once we have left the dock, that may not be all. It depends where we are docked. In some marinas, there are rows of other boats to navigate on the way to the harbor.
Leaving the marina at Nassau we had a mega yacht parked behind us, a strong current, and I was busy putting lines away instead of looking for hazards. If we are getting close to an obstacle, I am supposed to push off of the obstacle before the boat hits it. Well, the current pushed us into this very fancy power yacht and I didn’t react quickly enough to push us away. The very tip of the bow of our boat hit theirs (we were reversing). It all worked out – we talked to the man in charge and exchanged emails and haven’t heard anything. This happened almost 2 weeks ago and I still kick myself for not being more alert.
Driving The Dinghy
When we bought the dinghy in December, I had no experience ever driving one. Brian was shocked but it’s a fact. Now it’s March and I have improved a lot. Which is good, because just last month in the Berry Islands when driving the dinghy to another boat I almost slammed into the side of the boat before remembering to switch to neutral. I have to thank Brian because he was in the side of the dinghy that almost hit the yacht and he still lets me drive. He’s a good man.
Fishing
I really want to catch and eat fish. The guy at the Bass Pro in Florida set us up with 2 reels and all the accessories. Brian bought me a handy guide to fishing and off I went!
Except I still have no clue. When we were still in Florida, Brian helped me set up the line of the jigger with a lure and I dropped it in the water. I tried reeling in and the reel fell off in my hand. I was turning it the wrong way and unscrewed the whole part! Luckily I held onto the screws and now know which way to turn the crank to reel in.
Fortunately when Dave and Freya were here, Dave set up our trolling reel so it has weights on it and sinks to where the fish are. He even caught us a fish so we know the rod works! Now I just need to catch some dinner.
Lately I have been trolling while Sava is moving. I have caught a few pieces of seaweed and even had a fish on the line the other day but it got away just as I got it to the boat. One of these days we will feast on a fish I catch. I won’t give up and hopefully won’t lose any important pieces of the rod either.
Making Mistakes and Moving On
I am going to continue to make mistakes as I keep learning all this new stuff. I figure I won’t get better if I don’t keep trying. Since I’m going to keep trying, I’ll be sure and share the stupid stories of my failures/learning experiences. I will also share photos when I finally catch some fish!
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