There was snow on the hills under a silver grey sky, and I was on my own in the harbour it seemed.
Its unsurprising given I’ve just lifted sheet of ice off my boat that could’ve housed a small colony of seals. But this is fantastic, with a high spring tide and Poole Harbour suddenly becoming the largest natural harbour in the world.
I’m caning downwind at 20kts towards the open ocean and then a flash in front of the boat and deceleration like an f16 catching the landing wire. Except it was a submerged mooring line, but it did the trick just as well. In that half a second my ears waited for the crack of carbon. And joy of joys… silence, except for me splashing around for my beanie. All intact. Thank you God… and John.
But then I found that the fast tide was pinning against the wing with the mooring line underwater, hooked through the wingbar, tight as hell. I dived down a couple of times to try and release it – and it was cold cold cold. I half expected to doff my cap to a polar bear on each dive. This wouldn’t be a great place to spend time waiting for help. One last dive and I finally got the line free.
Up to that point I wasn’t unduly worried – Even in mid winter I’m always happy venturing out alone with no boats around, and no rescue cover. I have two emergency water bottles in cages on the wing bars. Bottle one holds: a “pay as you go” mobile with all my mates numbers who have access to a rib, a twenty pound note if I get becalmed and need a cab home, a leatherman, some gorilla tape, line, block and cable ties. Bottle two holds a really small waterproof vhf radio – if the shit really hits the fan. And I keep a rescue knife in my buoyancy aid. (people have drowned under a dinghies for want of a knife). I’d recommend this kit for sailing solo midwinter on the sea – it gives you loads of confidence so you can really concentrate on the sailing.
And what a great days sailing it was. The sky turned ice blue and the breeze steadied and the harbour was my playground.
Joy
Joy
Joy.
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