Anybody here guilty ?

[argonaut]

Watched the Countryside 999 today ....2 boating incidents on Windermere ..... anyone here involved, that wants to own up.

First one was a call out to a cruiser - the emergency was he had run out of fuel, drifting in the middle of the lake .......... surely one of the most basic checks before setting out.

The 2nd was an expensive mistake a Mastercraft ski boat ...... totally misread the buoyage and drove over the rocks instead of around them.... massive damage to shaft, prop & hull - owner looked very embarrassed when he was towed back to jetty.

[Ianfs]

anyone here involved, that wants to own up

Errrmmmmm..... No, but both would be very embarrassing.

[shibbs]

Don't tell me no one on here has run out of fuel before... I won't believe it!!
(I do carry spare though)

[argonaut]

In 30 yrs boating I have never run out of fuel.
Simple rule of thirds is a good approach -

No more than 1/3rd on way out, 1/3rd for way back, 1/3rd contingency .......... any scuba divers will be familiar with this.

[mlines]

Never actually run out of fuel but we thought we had.

We always leave the tank full over the winter and first trip of the season we put it into the sea at Calshot. As we approached mid-Southampton water James noticed the fuel gauge was on empty. We panicked and thought someone had syphoned the fuel out over the winter. We crept into the Hamble for fuel and at the jetty we managed to put half a cupful of fuel in before the pump cut off. It was, of course, full but the tank float had sunk over the winter. The brief woosh of fuel from the pump unstuck the float and it showed full again. Apparently the floats can do this even when they are fine.

[BruceK]

Don't tell me no one on here has run out of fuel before... I won't believe it!!
(I do carry spare though)

Nope, not ever. In fact I don't think I have ever gone below a 1/4 in a boat. Now, mostly because I fear diesel bug more than the taxman and never leave the tanks less than full to the overflow pipe when putting her on the berth.

[ChrisH]

Nope not here either. Did in my old v8 range rover once. Where I found out a 5 litre jerry can is not even enough to get it started let alone get home.

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[shibbs]

Well I feel totally ashamed of myself then!! I really must start taking more notice!
To be fair, it was because the fuel sender had packed up so I thought I had more than I did but oh well.
Just me then!
Luckily the spare carried got me home but the telling off from the wife was one to remember!!

[_Ed_]

Been very close on two occasions, but no. Did on a tender when playing about but it has oars not sure that counts ?

[ColinR]

I'm a never as well.

I was part of a S&R for a dive rib that was late coming back into Plymouth (can't remember where we launched on that day). We were all diving the James Egon Layne a WW2 liberty ship. Well known in the area. We were running a pair of RIBs and I was cox of one. When all of my divers were up we headed back leaving the other one there to follow us a bit later. After a couple of hours we started to get concerned so, with another RIB that was at the same place we headed out to try to find them.

No sign on the way or at the dive site.

Call out to coast guard to explain so they put the word out and offered to launch their heli. Anyway they called us to say that our boat was in Polperro having run out of fuel. They were getting a lift to a garage to get some fuel but

a) they had no containers
b) had no money.

Lots of red faces from them as they had left the wreck and headed west rather than east.

Oh how we laughed. That little incident cost them dearly with them having to refill both boats, plus the other one that helped us on the search, so that we could go diving the next day. No to mention the beers that they had to buy that night.