ParaHandy
Active member
There were two boats tethered side by side and, although both should have been roughly the same length, it was obviously apparent that this was not the case. My friend's boat, a bene 33, had shrunk. I could hear the cogs and the gears shifting in his bonce as he puzzled why this should be. We were both stone cold sober. Clearly, some structural defect, as yet unknown, might be causing this.
Thinking on my feet and not wishing any ill to befall my friend's boat, I opined that for safety he should forego the use of his foresail in the upcoming race against my fine boat as the additional strain might cause his boat to crack up in the conditions then appertaining. I further advised that his best course of action might be to head straight for home and not partake in this race.
I was pleased to note, as I pointed my sturdy boat's head into a fairly stiff breeze, that my friend was heading straight for home under a fully reefed mainsail alone. However, my instinct was that the wee scaldie bauchlie had other ideas and was legging it to the shelter of the lee shore whilst I was bashing through the windward shore in an ever increasing strength of wind so we tacked and headed after him.
(Subsequent questioning of his crew only elicited a mutter that he couldn't recall the event and if the skipper said he wasn't under engine at the time, he had no reason to doubt his probity in these matters. All documents eg log had been inadvertently mislaid)
Unfortunately (for me) there was a sandbank in my way, which my friend would have avoided, so I could not get far enough over for the next tack to be a making tack to the eventual destination so several tacks had to be thrown in. Nevertheless we trundled into harbour under sail and, illegally, without engine (as the current harbour master who's a stickler for these things is currently preoccupied elsewhere and wouldn't be in a position to object and, from which preoccupation, one hopes he recovers from).
To our enormous surprise, upon returning to our berth, there he was, looking not a little smug, I have to say. He explained that he had indeed used his engine but, only from a mile or two out.
I have absolutely no reason to doubt this version of events. Would you .... ? /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
Thinking on my feet and not wishing any ill to befall my friend's boat, I opined that for safety he should forego the use of his foresail in the upcoming race against my fine boat as the additional strain might cause his boat to crack up in the conditions then appertaining. I further advised that his best course of action might be to head straight for home and not partake in this race.
I was pleased to note, as I pointed my sturdy boat's head into a fairly stiff breeze, that my friend was heading straight for home under a fully reefed mainsail alone. However, my instinct was that the wee scaldie bauchlie had other ideas and was legging it to the shelter of the lee shore whilst I was bashing through the windward shore in an ever increasing strength of wind so we tacked and headed after him.
(Subsequent questioning of his crew only elicited a mutter that he couldn't recall the event and if the skipper said he wasn't under engine at the time, he had no reason to doubt his probity in these matters. All documents eg log had been inadvertently mislaid)
Unfortunately (for me) there was a sandbank in my way, which my friend would have avoided, so I could not get far enough over for the next tack to be a making tack to the eventual destination so several tacks had to be thrown in. Nevertheless we trundled into harbour under sail and, illegally, without engine (as the current harbour master who's a stickler for these things is currently preoccupied elsewhere and wouldn't be in a position to object and, from which preoccupation, one hopes he recovers from).
To our enormous surprise, upon returning to our berth, there he was, looking not a little smug, I have to say. He explained that he had indeed used his engine but, only from a mile or two out.
I have absolutely no reason to doubt this version of events. Would you .... ? /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
