Eventful Finish 52:29.6N 05:36.8W
Ellatrout3
Tue 21 Jun 2016 17:53
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After passing Coningbeg the wind gradually faded
as I ran towards the SE corner of Ireland and Tusker Rock. Here there are strong
tidal streams and traffic separation lanes so you can't just sit there, go to
bed and wait for the wind so I had to motor, which is what i started to
do. Problem was , with no auto pilot, you remember it broke in the strong
winds earlier, the only way I could motor round the corner was to sit there and
steer until the the wind came back. I started to do one hour stints but at the
same time tried to rig up some steering device with rope and a bungy. I started
hand steering just before midnight when the last wisper of wind died and did 3
one hour turns helming. When I went to start the fourth, the engine which
was tickig over suddenly stopped dead. I new the signs, rope in the proppellor!
I got the torch and checked all round but could not see a problem. I gingerly
tried it again, it would tick over but stopped immediately I tried to engage
gear. After an hour messing about in the dark a slight breeze drifted in
to my relief because we were sat next to a traffic separation area and unable to
move. We drifted about all over the place gradually creeping up on and
finally rounding Tusker at 07.00 hours. I'd been on deck all
night.
During the morning the wind slowly filled in and
when we started to achieve 4 knots there was a loud vibration/banging on the
bottom of the hull. I quickly found the cause was a spinnaker sheet (rope)
disappearing under the hull. It was still cleated on but obviously during
the night when I was trying to set up some sort of self steering I'd used the
ropes end and not taken up all the slack in the dark. By slackening the tension
I could stop the vibration and we sailed on ike that for a while but the
rope was obviously moving as we sailed so I put the propellor into forward
and reverse, no engine on, and it suddenly freed itself. The spinnaker sheet is
ruined but the engine now works!
It was now lunch time and I hadn't slept for 30
hours. My worry was sleeping through the alarm so i planned an afternoon sleep
when I got half way across which is away from traffic and I should wake before
we reach land. I did sleep throgh the alarm and was awakened by the sound of big
engines and someone shouting 'Ella Trout'. I scrambled out of bed to a
scene of wild water and a large navy fast patrol boat running alongside. On the
side 'Range Patrol' While i was asleep the wind had got up and ET was very much
over cavased, as they say, and I was sailing into the Aberporth live firing
range and they were playing with there guns today!!!! When I got my head
swiched on, being thick with sleep, I learnt that firing would shortly start and
I had to turn round and go north west. Easier said than done, they did
move away in this hugely powerful patrol boat and left me to get on with it.
Fifteen lively minutes later we had two reefs in and half the jib rolled up ans
were sailing surenely north; well I wasn't goning to give up my easting was I?
They did call me up at 16.30 to thank me for co-operating and to say they had
finished and I could sail where I liked and wish me a safe
journey.
So the adventure isn't over until it is over but
as I am just south of Bardsey Island and hope to be in before midnight this is
probably my last epistle but I will send my Pwllheli position tomorrow so if
anything else happens I will report it. Thank you for following me and if
I can tell you anything else about my sailing dont hesitate to make
contact.
Love to everyone
Poppa/Dad/Roger
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