The Easterlies were worsening, and there were several yachts in Swanage bay that had to move. The extent of the damage to watanga was unknown, It was time to put her to bed for the season. So with no electrics, and no engine I had to plan a journey from Swanage to Ridge Wharf. The first part was easy, we could still sail, but even if the wind direction was favourable enough to get up the river, there would be no room for error, and picking up a for and aft mooring, pretty well impossible. We enrolled a couple of friends to follow us with a rib that would become our engine in an alongside tow for the final part of our journey.
That’s when the fun began!!!
Although it was only blowing a F5 the sea had built and the waves were about a metre. We met Russell and Nicola at the beach, I was going to get them out to their boat before coming back for Louise. We had a plan, in hindsight not a good one, and before we had made 10 feet off the shore we were swamped twice. Amazingly I was still dry, Nicola had taken the brunt of the waves and was decidedly wet.
Plan B. I launched myself, got beyond the breakers and then motored over to the fishermans jetty where we successfully got Russell and Nicola aboard and subsequently on board “Penguin”.
Greg and Mark turned up and we agreed that they could probably leave about an hour later allowing time for us to sail to poole.
Lou and I are more practiced at getting off the beach and we’re soon on watanga and both pretty dry. And off we set, checking comms with Mark and Greg.on the handheld radios.
It was a fiesty sail with only a couple of tacks necessary to take us past Old Harry rocks, but strongly no sign of the others. We radioed in our position and Mark confirmed they were just about to leave the beach. All going to plan I thought.
Meanwhile back at the beach things were not so good.
There was a minor problem of the tender sinking under the weight of two, not small, gentleman, with kit, anchor, fuel, extra fuel. Second attempt was successful and achieved ith much the same manner as our own second attempt.
We were at the Sandbanks Ferry, by the time they turned up, with salt encrusted hair sticking up like Jedwood..
After that, everything went to plan. The rib tied on the rear quarter drove us very well and I was able to steer almost as normal whilst calling the engine commands to Mark. in the rib..
We were soon tied up on the mooring and the Rib left. for home. Lou and I took the sails down, and removed the boom before heading home ourselves in the car.
Many thanks to Mark and Greg.
You’ve got to laugh though.
4 Kidneys and a Wonky Leg 