14 Things We've Lost Overboard While Sailing

If you've spent any time sailing, you'll know that sooner or later something ends up overboard. Sometimes it's something small like a peg, and sometimes... well... it's a family member. Over the years of sailing around the world we've accidentally dropped all sorts of things into the ocean. Some we've recovered, most we haven't, but they all make for good stories now.

Today I thought it would be fun (and a little sad in some cases) to tell you about some of the random things we've lost overboard while sailing.

#1 A Watch

Yep, want to know how that one happened? I mean, they're supposed to be stuck to your wrist!

Well, Kris was pulling up our stand-up paddleboard for the night one day in remote Papua New Guinea when the edge of it caught on the safety rails and somehow flicked the pin out. Plop... straight into the dark water.

#2 Filleting Knife

Okay, you can probably guess what happened, and you'd be right. We caught a fish, had just filleted it, put the knife down and... dink, dink, dink... gone.

A very frustrated Finn was the result of that one because he then had to try and fillet the rest of the fish with a big kitchen knife.

#3 Screwdrivers

Plural, actually... and add spanners to the list because they seem to like a salty end as well.

#4 Water Maker Elbow Fitting

A VERY critical piece, as you can imagine.

And, well, we dropped it overboard in a marina. A very murky marina with a muddy, silty bottom. But we needed that piece...

Kris and Finn were the brave ones who spent ages making multiple dives to the bottom where they could hardly see their own hands in front of their faces. Somehow, one of them eventually popped up with the fitting, waving it around in victory.

#5 Surfboard

Somewhere in remote Indonesia we were hit by a big squall that brought 40 knots of wind. In the chaos of turning downwind and dropping all the sails, one of our favourite surfboards was pulled loose from where it was tied to the side of the boat and thrown into the water.

Rest in peace, Wally. We hope you've washed ashore and a surfer found you.

#6 Pegs

Ugh... a personal pet hate is hearing the plop of one of our stainless steel pegs accidentally going over the side.

Thankfully they'll eventually rust away... but still!

#7 Grandpa

Yep, true story.

Off the coast of Costa Rica we had my parents on board and caught a fish. My dad volunteered to fillet it and, as he was throwing the scraps overboard, a rogue wave must have hit us because the next thing we knew he was disappearing very quickly behind us.

Praise the Lord it was a calm day because we were able to slow the boat, turn around, and go pick him up.

All jokes aside, this was definitely not a funny experience and we all learnt a lesson that day.

#8 Reading Glasses

Surprise! For some reason, glasses don't always stay on your head. We've also lost sunglasses several times.

It may sound small after the grandpa story, but it's genuinely annoying because you can't just walk down the road and buy a new pair.

#9 Polish

Okay, this one is quite good.

It was a calm day at sea, so Kris decided to get the kids involved and do some polishing on the stern deck. Well, somehow the polish went overboard and—before I tell you this, I know it wasn't wise—he decided to jump in after it!

Thankfully Bella has very quick reflexes and sprinted to the helm, slowed us down, turned us around, and we picked him up.

She wasn't very happy with him... and fair enough.

At least they got to finish the polishing.

#10 Fender

I feel like a lot of sailors have probably lost a fender, and we're definitely on that list.

#11 Line

We were sailing off the coast of South Africa at night and had dropped the spinnaker because the wind had died.

Knowing there was likely to be more wind later that evening, we left the lines out and ready.

Somewhere in our sleepiness we hadn't secured one of them properly and... yep... over it went, straight into our spinning prop.

Thankfully it only took a freezing cold midnight dive to get it unwrapped and working again.

#12 Shoes

Losing flip-flops is common, but most of the time we recover them.

We've also managed to soak several pairs of running shoes... not fun.

#13 Dive Bootie

I still struggle to believe this story.

One day, as we were motoring towards an atoll in French Polynesia, Finn put the fishing lines out. The previous day we'd gone freediving and Bella had used her dive booties as normal before hanging them out to dry when we got back.

As we were bringing in the dry swimmers and towels, we noticed one of the booties was missing.

Annoyed, we just accepted it... until we neared the pass and started bringing the fishing lines back in.

Finn thought we'd caught a small fish, only to pull in the missing dive bootie!

I know... crazy.

#14 Wetsuits & Clothes

We don't always peg or tie our swimmers and clothes on properly. Then the wind picks up and, well, suddenly you have mismatched socks and a different-coloured pillowcase.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do things sink immediately when they go overboard?

Not always. Some items float for a while, while others disappear instantly. We've managed to recover a few things, but most become permanent additions to the ocean.

What's the strangest thing we've lost overboard?

Probably Grandpa! Thankfully, that story had a happy ending and we were able to turn around and pick him up quickly.

What's the most expensive thing we've lost?

Probably the surfboard or the watermaker fitting. One hurt financially, and the other almost stopped us making fresh water.

Do sailors lose things overboard often?

More often than most people would think! Wind, waves and tiredness can all play a part, especially during long passages.

Summary

It happens—you lose things overboard.

Most of the time it's frustrating, but when you look back at them like this, you realise they're mostly funny and inconsequential... mostly.

Hopefully you'll now tie your clothes on a little better and make sure you put your filleting knife somewhere a bit safer. You don't want to end up with a list this long!

Have you ever lost something overboard while sailing? We'd love to hear your story in the comments below. Whether it was something expensive, something sentimental, or just something completely ridiculous, let us know—we're always keen to hear we're not the only ones!