Mention sailing in polite company and talk will shift to quiet coves, "cocktail cruises" and other peaceful images. Mention sailing to sailors and talk often turns to things that went from good to not-good in a big hurry.

Need proof? Check out this video.

The cause of this potentially deadly calamity? A jib sheet over the side before the skipper started the engine. When the prop started to turn, it got wrapped by the sheet and stalled the motor. No motor, no wind, no control. Waves win.

Watch the video for a memory-jog to watch those lines. Anything loose in the water can get pulled into the prop causing big problems. And by the way, if this skipper had an anchor ready to go and dropped it before he got pushed into the "impact zone," could he have bought himself some time?