jimi
Well-known member
Brian\'s lost his glasses ... long post
They fell off a boat somewhere around Cap de la Hague and he wants them back ...
It started like this ..
Sunday morning in Cherbourg 4 of us sitting there trying to work out the weather and the options. All of us experienced sailors. The weather forecast had been “funny” for the last couple of days. Complex patterns, etc. warnings on Sat of gales, gale came through on Sat evening and all the forecasts were now talking of NE 4/5 ..drat .. oh well, we’ll see what we can make and if we can’t make the Needles we’ll go to Poole. Left Cherbourg in a Southerly F3,full 6 hours of westward tide to run, weather brightening slowly behind us. There was a big swell running, breaking over the outer breakwater coming from the north, must be the residue of last nights gale. We were almost on a dead run, tried various things flying the chute with the pole tacked out etc but everything just flapping in the swell , the engine was switched on and we motored north .As we were between the shipping lanes there were a few ominous clouds ahead, so we put in the first reef just in case. The helm suddenly said,”Hey look at this on the radar”. There was a large black echo about half a mile across, it grew as we watched! “Shit, its going to be wet.” We put in another reef and got the oilies on. As we converged with the weather the wind switched to North and very rapidly got up to 20+ knots and visibility deteriorated rapidly in the heavy driving rain. We continued motorsailing northwards in an everstrengthening wind, the rationale being that it was an isolated storm and we should get through it soon. The radar now showed solid black around us for 5 miles, the wind was now F8 and the sea was building rapidly, heading north we could only make 2Knots motorsailing, if we cracked off to 330ish we were doing 5 to 6 knots. We did this for the next 30 minutes. This was clearly no longer an isolated storm! Our position was now mid channel in a N F8 (and building) south of Portland Bill. Um options were now limited
1) We could continue, head towards Dartmouth .. but forecast for the Plymouth area had been gales and if the engine went we’d be stuffed
2) Eastwards not really an option, it would involve staying mid channel amongst shipping lanes
3) Run back to Cherbourg , still an hour of westerly tide and then 6 hours of easterly
Took the decision to run back to Cherbourg,, we turned and in the very confused seas, we gybed twice rapidly. Scandalised the main by dropping the halyard and got a bit of jib out. Dropped the main.
Ok time for a deep breath. We ran back initially about 160/170 but with the still W going stream it was giving us a 180 over the ground. I was now very cold because my oilies had leaked as I had helmed for the previous period. Eventually went downstairs and changed completely, as I was sodden through. Felt a lot better and had a good look at our position, we were now about 10 miles North of the Alderney Race with slack water coming up, the danger time would be when the race started squirting north, wind against tide .. not a good place to be .. we needed to get East Asap to get away from the danger zone. I sat at the Chart plotter and painfully sweated as I monitored our position and progress.
It was now pitch black of course, Graham and Lindsey were up stairs. I was sitting at the chart table Brian was relaxing downstairs as well.
I also started to relax a little as we were now 8 miles NNE or so of Cap de la Hague and the seas seemed to be starting to ease.
Just then .. BANG ..I flew across the saloon, something hit me on the head, and there I was perched in the corner between saloon wall and the roof, cushions, contents of fridge, lockers, cabin sole, Brian were flying through the air .. time stood still .. I looked up at the hatchway expecting to see the contents of the Atlantic entering … but dry. The boat gradually started to recover, I started to stand up, BANG the process was repeated … shit this is it … we’re going over .. I can recall looking at Brian and thinking “He’s thinking the same as me!” ..
Unbelievably the boat came up again, stench of diesel everywhere, shouted up Graham and Lindsey were still there … Graham had been on the helm and had been completely submerged in water. Apparently he’d seen just at the last second a large 10-15ft curling breaking wave hitting us! We recovered and carried on. Just then the engine overheating alarm (we’d had it on ticking over to keep batteries charged) went off. This was developing into a serious situation. I radioed Cherbourg CG
1)To advise them of our situation and position
2)To check the radio was still working after the mast had been in the water
They responded immediately in excellent English asking if we wished assistance, I said not at the moment but I would radio in when we reached the Grande Rade and expected to be there in 90 minutes. A nearby Ship offered to come and assist us (many thanks Europa .. I think) but we were in no immediate danger and should have no problems making and entering the western entrance.
Gradually the seas slackened off and we entered Cherbourg without too much drama. The engine started and gave us enough to berth up with .
The diesel had come from the spare can in the locker which had whacked the locker roof, cracked the cap and spilled diesel into the cockpit through the locker lid.
We suspect that the engine overheated because when the engine intake was exposed it had sucked air and caused an airlock.
Unbelievably the only damage done was a bent stanchion and a shredded dodger ..
.. oh and a few bruised ribs etc
Strange where thing end up … found a fishing reel that had been in an aft cabin under one of the cabin soles!
That’s the story and I’ll do the learning points later
Oh and Brian’s lost his glasses …
<hr width=100% size=1>O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!
They fell off a boat somewhere around Cap de la Hague and he wants them back ...
It started like this ..
Sunday morning in Cherbourg 4 of us sitting there trying to work out the weather and the options. All of us experienced sailors. The weather forecast had been “funny” for the last couple of days. Complex patterns, etc. warnings on Sat of gales, gale came through on Sat evening and all the forecasts were now talking of NE 4/5 ..drat .. oh well, we’ll see what we can make and if we can’t make the Needles we’ll go to Poole. Left Cherbourg in a Southerly F3,full 6 hours of westward tide to run, weather brightening slowly behind us. There was a big swell running, breaking over the outer breakwater coming from the north, must be the residue of last nights gale. We were almost on a dead run, tried various things flying the chute with the pole tacked out etc but everything just flapping in the swell , the engine was switched on and we motored north .As we were between the shipping lanes there were a few ominous clouds ahead, so we put in the first reef just in case. The helm suddenly said,”Hey look at this on the radar”. There was a large black echo about half a mile across, it grew as we watched! “Shit, its going to be wet.” We put in another reef and got the oilies on. As we converged with the weather the wind switched to North and very rapidly got up to 20+ knots and visibility deteriorated rapidly in the heavy driving rain. We continued motorsailing northwards in an everstrengthening wind, the rationale being that it was an isolated storm and we should get through it soon. The radar now showed solid black around us for 5 miles, the wind was now F8 and the sea was building rapidly, heading north we could only make 2Knots motorsailing, if we cracked off to 330ish we were doing 5 to 6 knots. We did this for the next 30 minutes. This was clearly no longer an isolated storm! Our position was now mid channel in a N F8 (and building) south of Portland Bill. Um options were now limited
1) We could continue, head towards Dartmouth .. but forecast for the Plymouth area had been gales and if the engine went we’d be stuffed
2) Eastwards not really an option, it would involve staying mid channel amongst shipping lanes
3) Run back to Cherbourg , still an hour of westerly tide and then 6 hours of easterly
Took the decision to run back to Cherbourg,, we turned and in the very confused seas, we gybed twice rapidly. Scandalised the main by dropping the halyard and got a bit of jib out. Dropped the main.
Ok time for a deep breath. We ran back initially about 160/170 but with the still W going stream it was giving us a 180 over the ground. I was now very cold because my oilies had leaked as I had helmed for the previous period. Eventually went downstairs and changed completely, as I was sodden through. Felt a lot better and had a good look at our position, we were now about 10 miles North of the Alderney Race with slack water coming up, the danger time would be when the race started squirting north, wind against tide .. not a good place to be .. we needed to get East Asap to get away from the danger zone. I sat at the Chart plotter and painfully sweated as I monitored our position and progress.
It was now pitch black of course, Graham and Lindsey were up stairs. I was sitting at the chart table Brian was relaxing downstairs as well.
I also started to relax a little as we were now 8 miles NNE or so of Cap de la Hague and the seas seemed to be starting to ease.
Just then .. BANG ..I flew across the saloon, something hit me on the head, and there I was perched in the corner between saloon wall and the roof, cushions, contents of fridge, lockers, cabin sole, Brian were flying through the air .. time stood still .. I looked up at the hatchway expecting to see the contents of the Atlantic entering … but dry. The boat gradually started to recover, I started to stand up, BANG the process was repeated … shit this is it … we’re going over .. I can recall looking at Brian and thinking “He’s thinking the same as me!” ..
Unbelievably the boat came up again, stench of diesel everywhere, shouted up Graham and Lindsey were still there … Graham had been on the helm and had been completely submerged in water. Apparently he’d seen just at the last second a large 10-15ft curling breaking wave hitting us! We recovered and carried on. Just then the engine overheating alarm (we’d had it on ticking over to keep batteries charged) went off. This was developing into a serious situation. I radioed Cherbourg CG
1)To advise them of our situation and position
2)To check the radio was still working after the mast had been in the water
They responded immediately in excellent English asking if we wished assistance, I said not at the moment but I would radio in when we reached the Grande Rade and expected to be there in 90 minutes. A nearby Ship offered to come and assist us (many thanks Europa .. I think) but we were in no immediate danger and should have no problems making and entering the western entrance.
Gradually the seas slackened off and we entered Cherbourg without too much drama. The engine started and gave us enough to berth up with .
The diesel had come from the spare can in the locker which had whacked the locker roof, cracked the cap and spilled diesel into the cockpit through the locker lid.
We suspect that the engine overheated because when the engine intake was exposed it had sucked air and caused an airlock.
Unbelievably the only damage done was a bent stanchion and a shredded dodger ..
.. oh and a few bruised ribs etc
Strange where thing end up … found a fishing reel that had been in an aft cabin under one of the cabin soles!
That’s the story and I’ll do the learning points later
Oh and Brian’s lost his glasses …
<hr width=100% size=1>O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!
