A Dodgy Landfall

This wouldn’t happen now……. but 41 years ago, it did for me!!!!!

Heading North from St Martin, trying to break out of the NE Trades in my tiny 22-foot boat, ‘Miss Content’, a white squall came through in the dark. After waking and leaping out of my scratcher……. boat knocked down with two slabs in the mainsail and the working jib. After shining my torch, I soon realised that some damage had been done, one of my two forestays was bust, and the baby stay fitting had on the mast had snapped. My boat was still trying to make to windward with the mast panting. The wire luff of my headsail was holding the mast up; with the inner of my twin forestay being slack.

Clipped on I made my way forward, dropped No 3 and put a 3^rd reef in the mainsail, which fortunately stopped the mast from waggling around. I went forward again to set up 2 pole rope uplifts as hard as possible. This had solved the problem of saving the mast!!!!!!

Not a good start for a passage back east to the Azores. St Martin to Bermuda is roughly 800 nautical miles so I decide to make for there. Listening to the radio didn’t lighten my mood……the ‘Marques’, a tall ship, sunk with large crew and master, possibly in the same squall as Moi!!!!!!! (I had sailed on her in the Windwards and knew some of the crew)

My next major problem……no large-scale charts of Bermuda, just North Atlantic chart, which showed the island as half an inch long. A small atlas and Reeds Nautical Almanac.

I’d worked out it was surrounded by reefs but 2 good harbours in the North…. this was great as I was heading to the Spanish harbour in the South??? This was probably poor planning from me though I never intended to head East but after being robbed, a lack of cash left me with little choice!!!!

I had good luck when approaching Bermuda in light winds, this meant my Astro was good from sun sights. Although rather a low island I saw it quite early. Slowly sailing NE, during late afternoon I headed quite cautiously West. My cat, Skanky, being a good lookout (smelt the land)

A yell from a Yank in a small powerboat, “Hi, do you need help into St George’s Harbour?”

“Yes, thank you” in reply.

“Do you want a cold one and I like your cat”

The guy was called, Orbrie Holist, he helped many sailors into Bermuda…. was I lucky or not??????

I’m not a Christian but I did go to the burial of the sailors from Marques……never crossed my mind when younger that this would ever happen to me……. but no imagination from me!!!!!

Certainly, I do get very scared at sea; but I think I might be able to fix it……which just makes you realise how stupid I am; or I was back then……. also though becoming quite good at it!!!!!!!