Drowned Cell Phone

[Ian McColgin]

I decided to experiment with hanging my binocs case on a cleat near the helm. Very nice these last few days as it’s so handy. I keep my phone and watch in the bottom of the case and can zip up of there’s any spray. Handy. Nice. The case is cloth with moderately stiff closed cell foam to hold shape and protect the binocs. A zipper at the corner between the side and the depth arcs all the way from one bottom corner up and around to the other.

So yesterday I put the binocs down on the seat, not in the case. Then I started reefing. At some point, nearly done, I looked up and spotted a bit of black garbage or something floating off about 20 meters.

The binoc case!

I guess that it was light enough that a weird eddy of wind got under and lifted it out. I could see the open flap streaming downwind, so it had landed right side up and was floating like a duck. Making a few knots down wind at that. I figured that if the phone rode the case that far, nothing much worse would happen in the short run so rather than cranking the Yanmar, I set the clew, dropped the board and sailed to the rescue.

Just as I was bearing off a couple of kids in a whaler neared the case, looked like they were going to run it over. I shouted that the case was ahead and would they grab it for me. I guess they thought I was angry about something. The missed the case but just as the stern of the whaler was close abeam the case, they jammed the throttle, their stern squatted with the surge, and that sudden peaking wave sloshed a good dose of water over the case’s gunnels.

By the time I picked it up, the phone was under about an inch of nice salt water. I indulged in the futile gesture of pulling the battery and dropping it in fresh water, followed by a sun drying, but the phone had been on when it got wet and really had creased its diodes in the first nanosecond.

I’ve had a cell phone for over 20 years and never got one even damp before.

Ah well, it was a nice sail - all sail. Off the mooring without engine. Cell phone rescue under sail. Shot the mooring under sail -not as smoothly as I’d like but at least no Charlie Foxtrot.

[CarlZog]

Don't give up yet. It may need more time and some extra help drying.

We put one through the washer and dryer last weekend. I figured if the water hadn't killed it, the heat of the dryer certainly would have. We soaked it in denatured alcohol for a while and then set it out dry.

Tried plugging it in a again a few times this week with no response. Finally, this morning -- five days later -- it popped on and worked fine.

I dropped one in the bilge last year that finally came partly back to life too after a few days -- the electronics worked, but the speaker was shot. Oh well... win some, lose some.

Carl

[Woxbox]

I lost one last year -- 5 seconds in salt water and it was history. Which brings up a pet peeve, I have a totally waterproof pocket-sized camera, so why can't (or won't) they make a waterproof phone. The only one I've seen is a big bulky thing.

[Tom Hunter]

I put my cell in a ziplock bag when I go rowing. Saved me at least once.

[hansp77]

last phone I lost off the boat I had been working on the engine, totally greasy hands and was taking a break up on deck stretching my back. The phone was ringing below, my girlfriend trying to find it. Missed the call as she hands it to me.
I hit redial, and whip the phone up to my ear all prompt and keen- and with the greasy hands it slips straight out and continues its arc past my ear over the stern straight into the drink. Sunk like a stone of course. My uncle who I was calling had just picked up and heard the line go dead.

The one before that I left outside turned on durning a very heavy summer downpour. Remembered the next day and it was well and truly soaked.
I pulled it apart a little, and put it in a slow oven:D.
a bit of plastic drooped... eventually it started working. But even then it would stop working anytime it got near damp, and I would have to give it another bake for an hour or so.

[Dan McCosh]

Last one I drowned fell out of a shirt pocket into the toilet while I was climbing in the bathroom window. You can usually salvage the SIM card with your stored numbers intact, I discovered.

[tonydezoc]

I hit redial, and whip the phone up to my ear all prompt and keen- and with the greasy hands it slips straight out and continues its arc past my ear over the stern straight into the drink. have to give it another bake for an hour or so.[/quote]
Hey that reminds me of a time I took a friend mackrel fishing, he had never caught a fish before, we fished off rocks for a couple of hours before he finally hooked and landed one. Then he asks me "what do I do with it" and I say just hit its head off the rock a couple of times and put it in the bag. He grabs the fish raises it above his head and it slips out of his hand and lands back in the sea.

[Concordia...41]

The only one I got wet was safely stowed in my pocket at the time... :o

[Joe ( Cold Spring on Hudson )]

http://www.woodenboat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=43408&highlight=Cell+phone

I think I have a few threads about loosing cell phones in the hudson :)

[Jay Greer]

Well, at least you didn't drop it in the head like my wife did.
Jay

[Canoez]

http://www.woodenboat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=43408&highlight=Cell+phone

I think I have a few threads about loosing cell phones in the hudson :)

C'mon, Joe - they're trying to get the heavy metals OUT of the Hudson. ;)

[BETTY-B]

I lost one while clamming the other day. My little excavation was full of salt water. And like a smart guy, I had it in my flannel shirt pocket. A split second dunk was all it took. I vacuumed it out and propped it up above the heater and got it to work without the screen. But it died again when I had it out of my pocket in the marina showers(moisture).

The real crappy thing is that we still have freaking heaters on around here. I hope today is the last day of that...

DAN

[willmarsh3]

I had mine in my pocket when I dropped myself in the water.

http://www.woodenboat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=76227&highlight=fell

Fortunately it was fresh water. It was turned on and it started acting funny. I took it apart. When I got home I slung the phone a few times to get as much water out as possible. I then slow baked it in the chandelier - of all things - overnight. I was not really hoping for much when I reassembled it and hit the on switch but viola! It is still working fine. I'm told that I was extremely lucky with the phone.

Hope you are able to get a replacement easily.

[clancy]

In work I am in charge of 150 cell phones and I have had them bought into me after falling from lifts, ladders, scaffolds, trucks and buildings. Run over by cars, trucks, lifts, cranes and a plane. Crushed by drunks falling on them. Flooded in puddles, pools, downpours and drains, ponds, lakes, oceans, rivers and toilets. The most common excuse for flooded phones is "My son/daughter threw it in the family pool."

[Captain Blight]

That's why I use a crappy old Motorola V170 from Tracfone. If I lose one (and I haven't yet) I'm only out twenty bucks.

[Dan McCosh]

I was standing in line at the Apple repair desk, and the guy behind the counter was looking at an Ipod. He turns to the woman who brought it in and says, "This has been washed and dried."

[John B]

True scene: standing on the beach at Te Kouma harbour after a cruising race a couple of years ago having a conversation with a man whose name may or may not be Tony.

" My cellphone fell in the water at the boat show last week" says Tony.

" Rilly ?!" says I.

" Yes, and by a strange coincidence, I fell in as well."

[George Ray]

My iPhone lives in a ziplock snack size bag in my pocket. It amuses many and makes me more comfortable.

[skuthorp]

Locals round here say the reason the fishing is off is because most of them have a cell phone now (dropped by same fishermen) and warn the others where the boats are.