I Am Sailing – Part 1

I Am Sailing – Part 1

It’s more than thirty years, since my wife, Jean and I, discovered sailing. It wasn’t planned – we didn’t harbour any particular ambition to learn how to sail.

We did both love being on the water and had regularly taken cruising and sailing holidays, preferring the smaller ships, including skippered yachts, rather than the floating apartment blocks.

Jean was 5’ 10” tall with long levers – and was actually, strangely, steadier on her feet on a moving boat, than on dry land – and neither of us had ever been sea-sick – not even on a North Sea Ferry in a force 9. We were both Cancerians – a water sign (if that makes a difference) – but it was still pure chance that we ended up -, regularly sailing 39’ yachts – just the two of us, on the Greek Ionian.

Introduction to Sailing

Jean was then working at NatWest Bank and a friend/colleague, Sharon, was into sailing, as was her husband, Roger, who was actually delivering training classes regularly at the sailing club where they were members. – which was based on Elton reservoir – near Bolton and just a ten-minute’s drive from our house. The girls decided we should get together one weekend and give it a go – with their help of course.

Elton Reservoir

I was up for it – so, the following Sunday, we roll up at the club – lovely sunny day and a nice breeze.

Sharon suggests that she takes Jean out for a nip up and down and then her husband would give me a run. Seems that the conditions are close to ideal – warm and dry with a good breeze. Roger soon gets technical – moderate breeze – force 4 – approx. 12 knots.

So, Sharon and Jean set off – in a small dinghy, just two sails and comfortable for two – and a squeeze for four. Quite a few similar boats out – most owned by the club – but also a few bigger, private ones.

Made good progress up to the end of the reservoir – a left turn (a ‘Port Tack’ as I found out later) and back to the jetty – looked easy.

Then my turn – given a flotation jacket and we are off – same route but the wind gets up a bit – Roger told me – and he is looking for speed and we do zip a bit with a heel (boat leaning sideways a bit) – I was fine – just had to hold on a bit more – quite exciting really.

I eventually discovered, from experience – that travelling at 10 knots (about 11.5 mph) in a small yacht on the water- feels like about 40 mph in a car – plus, you have the wind in your face.

Then we get towards the end and he decides to do a version of a hand-brake turn – by now he was showing off.

He gets it wrong!

As we turned/ jibed ( a change of direction with a following wind and the stern turning through the wind) -more dangerous than a tack, where it’s the bow which turns through a head wind, because the stern moving through a following wind means the wind catches the mainsail as it crosses and it can swing from one side of the boat to the other at great speed – with a boom (heavy fitting securing the base of the mainsail) often about head high to anybody stood in the cockpit.

Many sailors -over the centuries. on sailing boats, of all sizes, have been killed by an uncontrolled boom – either killed by the impact or knocked unconsious into the water.
We actually caught a stronger gust of wind as we came broadside (square on) to the wind. We were both sitting below the swinging boom, which flew across over our heads. But caused the boat to suddenly heel over – enough to dump us both into the water and then it almost turned upside down.

He did shout – ‘Was I OK’ – the water was freezing, and I had some heavy deck shoes on – but I was treading water OK – thanks to the flotation jacket.

We tried to size up the situation. The boat wasn’t just floating on its side – the mast was underwater and the hull was almost upside down with the keel pointing up to the sky.

He says – ‘two of us can right it’ – he gets around to the side I was on and together, we see if we can lift the hull enough to right the mast – wouldn’t move it at all.

By then the rescue motorboat was close – they are on constant watch. As it approaches, its engine suddenly cuts out. luckily it had nearly stopped so it didn’t drive into us – they quickly realise that one of our ropes, floating in the water, had fouled its propellor.

So, the second rescue boat came out to rescue the first, -which, after them ensuring we were OK – if cold – is towed back to the moorings and then the second comes back to pick us up. In their attempts to right our boat – to tow us in – – they discovered that our boat was not only upside down – but the mast was stuck in the bed of the reservoir – and they would need more manpower and/or lifting equipment to get it out.

They had room for two passengers so we hitched a lift – I guess we eventually spent about 40/50 minutes in the water – and it was bloody cold.

We finally get back to the club house – for me to discover that Jean had gone home!

She is, however, back in about ten minutes – with a change of clothes for me and some stuff for Roger. So, she hadn’t just got bored.

Hot shower – dry clothes and a large brandy and I was fine.

At one point, I said to Roger – ‘That flotation jacket did its job, anyway.’

He says – ‘Oh, it wasn’t a flotation aid – it was just a lined, waterproof.’!

We agreed that it was probably better that I hadn’t known.

AND ! — we went back for more!