BlueSkyNick
Well-Known Member
This is as told to me by a 'friend.'
He had a great week's cruise in Normandy following a horrendous crossing to Cherbourg. 2 nights each in St Vaast, Deaville and Honfleur. The forecast to return varies between N and W, F3 -4 - ie right on the nose. Departing Honfleur my friend hopes to aim for Portsmouth, maybe motor sailing at times to avoid ending up in Brighton or worse places east.
Having cleared Le Havre, its actually blowing 20kts from NW and looking like a hard slog to windward. My friend only has SWMBO aboard who is complaining of stomach ailments from something eaten (drunk more like!) the night before. He decides to abort a channel crossing and heads west for St Vaast.
Now the wind is fine on the starboard bow instead of port and his COG is heading back into the DDay beaches, so he decides to motor sail - slamming into waves, and by now it is persisting with rain. Cold, wet, and disenchanted, he realises he can get into Grandcamp Maisy, which turns out to be a complete dump, where the water is about as clean as the fishermen's underwear who work out of there.
By now it is getting dark, and he is hungry - the only logical berth is alongside a UK-ensigned motor boat. He sees the elderly couple aboard (it's a Broom) put down their cocoa and change from slippers to deck shoes to come on deck. Our friend judges the (downwind) approach perfectly, coming alongside without so much as a nudge. SWMBO passes the Broom's skipper a midships warp which is quickly made fast.
Now this is where the useful tip comes in. When cold, wet, hungry and tired, and very eager to get the stern line across to the boat you have proudly come alongside, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE UNCLIPPED YOUR LIFELINE FIRST! Especially if it is between your legs at the time. This is particularly necessary on a centre cockpit boat where the stern cleat is about 10 feet from the helm.
Otherwise you will feel sudden sharp pain in the family jewels as the line tightens and then you end up sprawled face down on a cold and wet deck.
Take it from my friend, he knows from first hand experience !!
One for YM's Confessions page, I wonder.
He had a great week's cruise in Normandy following a horrendous crossing to Cherbourg. 2 nights each in St Vaast, Deaville and Honfleur. The forecast to return varies between N and W, F3 -4 - ie right on the nose. Departing Honfleur my friend hopes to aim for Portsmouth, maybe motor sailing at times to avoid ending up in Brighton or worse places east.
Having cleared Le Havre, its actually blowing 20kts from NW and looking like a hard slog to windward. My friend only has SWMBO aboard who is complaining of stomach ailments from something eaten (drunk more like!) the night before. He decides to abort a channel crossing and heads west for St Vaast.
Now the wind is fine on the starboard bow instead of port and his COG is heading back into the DDay beaches, so he decides to motor sail - slamming into waves, and by now it is persisting with rain. Cold, wet, and disenchanted, he realises he can get into Grandcamp Maisy, which turns out to be a complete dump, where the water is about as clean as the fishermen's underwear who work out of there.
By now it is getting dark, and he is hungry - the only logical berth is alongside a UK-ensigned motor boat. He sees the elderly couple aboard (it's a Broom) put down their cocoa and change from slippers to deck shoes to come on deck. Our friend judges the (downwind) approach perfectly, coming alongside without so much as a nudge. SWMBO passes the Broom's skipper a midships warp which is quickly made fast.
Now this is where the useful tip comes in. When cold, wet, hungry and tired, and very eager to get the stern line across to the boat you have proudly come alongside, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE UNCLIPPED YOUR LIFELINE FIRST! Especially if it is between your legs at the time. This is particularly necessary on a centre cockpit boat where the stern cleat is about 10 feet from the helm.
Otherwise you will feel sudden sharp pain in the family jewels as the line tightens and then you end up sprawled face down on a cold and wet deck.
Take it from my friend, he knows from first hand experience !!
One for YM's Confessions page, I wonder.
