26 September 2020
Nicky Greenlaw, Saavad Wells and I met up at Harwood excited that the forecast conditions meant we could sail downriver, maybe even as far as Iluka. The plan went well downstream but the return trip wasn't what we had in mind...
It was forecast not to be above 8 -9 knots all day, SW in the morning turning SE by lunch time. We started off at 11 am with 10 knots due west. That made for an exhilarating sail running and reaching down river on slack tide confident that a flood would help us back upriver. We were having such a great time we kept going to Iluka but it was gusting 19 knots west when we arrived.
Thanks to both Savaad and Nicky, you are always welcome but on our return leg you were really needed!
We pulled in at the pontoon in front of the pub for a short break, then headed out of the harbour under motor into the main channel and faced the westerly head on. I decided we would keep motoring until we got past the training wall. The time came to hoist the main and briefly all went well even though we were beating into the still increasing westerly. It was clearly going to be a long, tough slog back to the BRSC.
Suddenly the mainsail dropped, the D shackle at the head had broken/unclipped. So we had no alternative but to motor, our 5 HP outboard did us proud. By then it was gusting 20 knots due west and mid ebb. Inevitably with wind against tide there were white caps everywhere. Little Dragon bounced around. I'm not as well balanced as I used to be and at one point ended up on the cockpit floor. Never mind, Savaad and Nicky carried on like the troopers they both are and managed to refuel the outboard on the bucking bronco. I rang Hariet and asked the BRSC rescue boat to stand by in case our outboard failed, but little by little we chugged back upstream and we got back unaided and a little relieved. The rescue boat crew looked quite relaxed in the new clubhouse enjoying time to relax together with a beer. The wind didn't turn to the forecast SE until 6 pm.
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