Mud Man Article

[Guest]

I read the article by the Hamble yachtsman who got into serious difficulties while attempting to relocate a mooring.
I had a mooring made up and laid professionally in La Rance. The weight of the sinker block required to subdue my 2.8mt boat was way beyond anything I could handle.
To inspect my mooring at LW I rowed the inflatable as near as possible, then slipped over the transom and PUSHED the rubber duck infront of me across the very soft and deep mud.
This excellent article - one of very few recently - certainly made me think about the risks involved. Especially in a quiet and secluded creek.
Surely the East Coast sailors must have some thoughts

 

[Guest]

You are quite right mud can be a killer - there are so many different types.

As an Eastcoaster myself you can tell and hear many stories about the stuff. I actually fear mud more than bad weather but I still reckon sailors with rocks all over the place are the real heros.

I remember watching a capsized sailor who left his dinghy and swam ashore at St Lawrence. Myself and about 15 others stood watching helpless about 100 yards from him as he kept throwing himself onto the mud like sky divers leave planes with everything splayed out . He was exhausted after about 20 minutes of having to do this till the inshore lifeboat with special 'mud mats' came to the rescue. I often feel that a Hovercraft would make an ideal rescue boat in these parts.