The best laid plans of mice and men (and women)

At last a decent forecast: Thursday 18th February 14 - 16 knots SE and occasional showers, Friday wind dropping to 12 - 14 knots and still occasional showers. Savaad and I decided to head down to Harwood on Thursday afternoon and launch, ready for a full day of sailing the following day. The best laid plans of mice and men (and women)...

We arrived at Harwood in the late afternoon in torrential rain. A brains trust of Dick the caretaker, Savaad and I agreed that there was 35 knots of wind. The forecast was partly correct as it was SE.

By mid evening the wind dropped and the rain stopped. Savaad decided to try out his brand new very lightweight swag-tent (an E Bay "bargain"). No sooner than we snuggled down for the night, me in Little Dragon and Savaad in his swag-tent, than the wind and rain returned with a vengeance. The wind bounced Little Dragon up and down on the trailer: crash, wallop. Sleep was impossible so I retreated to the Ladies toilet block, which was a far better option and I slept well. Thanks Dick for keeping it so spotless. Savaad knew he could retreat to a bunk on Little Dragon or the toilet block but he toughed it out in the swag-tent. He announced in the morning that it was "not waterproof". I never found out how much he slept.

Friday morning it again pelted down so we retreated to a coffee shop in Maclean (my favourite has closed down) for a prolonged Mahjong session. Around 1 pm hunger took us back to base (we had a tasty lunch waiting). After lunch it dried up briefly so we launched Little Dragon still doubting that we would go sailing.

The launch was a bit dramatic. She came off the trailer unusually fast and the winch wire didn't hold her. The wire had come off the winch. I made a mad lunge for Little Dragon having visions of her sailing off down the river on her own. The photos show me soaking wet and Savaad fixing the winch in the rain - yes it started again.

By 3 pm that drama was over. At last the sun was out and there was a fine breeze. Finally we got away for a pleasant hour or so sailing down the river - we had to motor back as the wind died on us.

Was it worth it? Well I notice that we are both smiling in the photos.