Athene V30
Well-Known Member
One of the boats heading to Calais ran out of diesel.
The boat had been topped up before the winter, kept afloat part of the time in Bradwell and part in Brightlingsea and lightly used.
Skipper ended up sailing in light airs and anchored off the beach, rowed ashore and got a can of fuel. Ok he could have checked before going off sailing - how often do you check?
It did have a lighter side to the tale..............
Nearly 70 years on, the beaches of Pas de Calais were stormed in style. Hitler was adamant that the Allied landings in France would be in the Calais Region. He was right, just the timing was wrong. The skipper anchored off the beach and made a one man landing onto the beach. Only one Royal needed for the task. This one man assault was un checked by anyone. With 10 litres of white diesel the skipper was able to re join his yacht, top up his tank, bleed and enter the Port in a more conventional manner. To be fair he was not the only yachtsman to report leaving the boat in the winter full of fuel only to find after a short running period in 2014 that they run out of fuel. Another participant had been towed by a lifeboat into Sovereign Yacht Harbour under similar circumstance. Stealing diesel is more prevalent now. A cautionary note for all of us. A non RNSA boat suffering from dodgy fuel sailed into the harbour between the 3 departing and 3 arriving cross channel ferries. Port Control left the approach bridge open and gave him a clear run into the dock and alongside.
The boat had been topped up before the winter, kept afloat part of the time in Bradwell and part in Brightlingsea and lightly used.
Skipper ended up sailing in light airs and anchored off the beach, rowed ashore and got a can of fuel. Ok he could have checked before going off sailing - how often do you check?
It did have a lighter side to the tale..............
Nearly 70 years on, the beaches of Pas de Calais were stormed in style. Hitler was adamant that the Allied landings in France would be in the Calais Region. He was right, just the timing was wrong. The skipper anchored off the beach and made a one man landing onto the beach. Only one Royal needed for the task. This one man assault was un checked by anyone. With 10 litres of white diesel the skipper was able to re join his yacht, top up his tank, bleed and enter the Port in a more conventional manner. To be fair he was not the only yachtsman to report leaving the boat in the winter full of fuel only to find after a short running period in 2014 that they run out of fuel. Another participant had been towed by a lifeboat into Sovereign Yacht Harbour under similar circumstance. Stealing diesel is more prevalent now. A cautionary note for all of us. A non RNSA boat suffering from dodgy fuel sailed into the harbour between the 3 departing and 3 arriving cross channel ferries. Port Control left the approach bridge open and gave him a clear run into the dock and alongside.
