Man Overboard .....

[The Bigfella]

yeah...... me!

I figured that a nice easy couple of hours on the boat would be good flu therapy - damn flu has had its teeth in most of the household for the last 3 weeks.

I had a leisurely couple of hours sanding and fitting the base block for the winch - and decided to pack away the bench grinder / multitool sander setup before glueing up and heading home. I've always been a bit wary carrying this grinder down the side decks, as it is a heavy, two-handed, awkward carry - being an industrial 8" grinder with a 3' belt sander and 7" disk sander.

Just as I was about to step through the door, I got a reflected wash on the other side of the boat - bumped the shoulder and it was an instant swan dive. Its about a 6' dive - and I threw the grinder as far as I could - I reckon if it would have hit me on the head I wouldn't be here writing this - and if I'd tried to hang on to it, I'd have gone straight down.

Nothing to do - other than take of my remaining shoe, retrieve the other one that came off when I hit the water and swim around to the small boat and climb in over the motor. The water was a bit cool too - it being mid-winter here.

So - the grinder is now listed at $358 - my glasses went to the bottom too - say another $500. Not the most productive of days eh?

[Chris.]

You shoulda asked for help! You know my number.

[The Bigfella]

You shoulda asked for help! You know my number.

The only reason I haven't called mate is this flu. Seriously - you do not want it - avoid exposure and get a flu shot! I shuffled around until midday before I felt up to going to the boat.

[PeterSibley]

He's right Chris ....you don't want it ! I had it ,picked it up on a job and kept working ...the money was too good to stop....then I had to take a 3 week sicky .Haven't been so crook in 10 years .

Ian ..glad you made it mate ,it's sooooo easy to make that last mistake !

[The Bigfella]

Yeah - now I'm aching all over - strewth, it was only a 6' fall into the damn water. It must have been the mid-air throwing of the grinder that did me in.

[PeterSibley]

Adrenaline has an effect too........Go out and buy a TATS ticket ..

[Hwyl]

At least the grinder was unplugged. Seems to me there's plenty of reasons to count your blessings.

PS I get a flu shot every year. With my asthma so bad, if I got a bad dose of the flu, you would not have to put up with my irrationality.

[WX]

I refuse to get the flu...I get a lot of other things, but I don't get the flu.

[carioca1232001]

I refuse to get the flu...I get a lot of other things, but I don't get the flu.

Interesting you should say that, as the flu has let me out of its clutches ever since I quit working in that 9-to-5 flu-ridden centrally air-conditioned office.

Happily you had your wits about you, which must have helped you work your way out of that unexpected fall, Bigfella.

[Jim Ledger]

Some days it doesn't pay to get out of bed.

Take care, there, Ian

[PeterSibley]

I refuse to get the flu...I get a lot of other things, but I don't get the flu.

I guess you're kind of lucky you didn't visit then

[rbgarr]

Yeah, the unplugged part is good! Glad you aren't hurt from the fall. I was handing a dinghy outboard to a guy on a schooner's deck once and he dropped it. Prop and skeg bashed my brow as I went overboard between the hulls. Lucky I didn't drown.

[TimH]

I did a swan dive off of an IOR boat while it was being stored in a building with a concrete floor. One second I am on the boat carrying a handful of tools, next I am being woken up on the floor by my co-worker.
Just some loose teeth and a big split in my lower lip. 12 stitches and I had to eat and drink out of a straw for a month.


be thankful you had water to fall into :-)

[Michael s/v Sannyasin]

There is a guy in my marina that will dive on lost articles for a few bucks. Depending on how long the grinder has been down there, it might still be salvageable, same for the glasses. Glad you're OK.

[Lew Barrett]

Salt water will likely wreck havoc with that tool in a matter of hours, but the glasses should survive, if they can be found. Glad you're ok apart from the flu.

[SamSam]

So - the grinder is now listed at $358 - my glasses went to the bottom too - say another $500. Not the most productive of days eh?

$500 glasses? You've got nothing to lose with the grinder if you can bring it up. Take it apart somewhat, put it in a barrel of fresh water and boil the salt out. Dry it out in the oven at a low heat, oil it up, get it turning or running and oil it some more. It'll bring back fond memories every time you use it.

[The Bigfella]

I did a swan dive off of an IOR boat while it was being stored in a building with a concrete floor.

Ouch.... I'm always a bit more wary when the boat is on the hard - that 6' dive turns into 10-12' - but at least the boat doesn't hit you in the shoulder to start you off. I've often run grab ropes along the cabin top when on the hard.

I just spoke to "the Mayor" down at Berwora Waters and organised to borrow a grappling hook. As he said, you can forget the glasses. Its 34' deep at my mooring with a soft mud bottom.

Here's an old shot of the Multitool / grinder in the foreground of the photo. I guess there's a chance with it. The Multitool part won't be affected - and its the expensive part of the combo.

[bamamick]

Sorry about the fall and the flu. Very luckily for me I don't get sick too often. I have some problems with disks and things in my neck and I will miss a day's work once every couple of years, but I haven't had the flu, well, never that I can recall.

As far as falling from a boat I did it once in Pensacola (Florida) at a big boat race. Stepped on a spinnaker sheet and went down between the boat and the dock. Lucky to not have been seriously injured.

Mickey Lake