“If thou hast a woe, tell it not to the weakling, Tell it to thy saddle-bow, and ride singing forth.”
Proverbs of Alfred
06:00 The swimmers were already arriving for an early morning dip in the open air pool. Anchor up and out into the Little Russel to catch the tide northwards.
07:00 The wind was set with a fair SW and a strong F4 to sail close hauled back across the Channel. We have been waiting patiently, and the forecast came up. A repeat of the first crossing with 10 hours across two shipping lanes and the destination Cawsand Bay were all in the plan.
15:00 The skies became darker, and spots of rain fell. Suddenly, we were hit with the front edge of a squall. The winds veered and blew F6 at 20kts. The boat heeled over until the starboard gunwale disappeared under the wash of the bow wave. The boat was powering through the seas at a 45 degree angle.
All hands on deck. The main sheet was released to right the boat, and then all the sails were reefed by winching on the furlers. Stability was returned within minutes; however, the course to windward had been altered by 40 degrees to the north.
16:30 Squalls continued, and rain dampened our spirits. Then the tide turned, and our arrival time at Cawsand Bay became 22:00. It’s time to head for nearby Salcombe and cross the Bar at high water.
This very desirable seaside town has very expensive houses on the shoreline. And fittingly, one of our neighbouring vessels can be chartered for €66,500 per week. Can you guess which one?
Experience Sailing 