Not much to report today - a relaxing day by the pools and on the beach interspersed with a bit of sailing for me!
The wind has been blowing quite hard, probably force 6, so the morning's sail was curtailed as the wind increased and made life a little hairy! Not for me, I hasten to add - I stayed in the bay and the shelter of the islands but some mad man had headed out beyond the relative safety of the bay and was last seen heading for Thailand! As he realised his slight error of judgement he turned and headed for home! I was on a broad reach and creaming along trying to reach the beach before I got blown over when I noticed his capsized boat about 400 yards away off my starboard quarter!! Now obeying the rules of the sea, I hauled in on the sheet and tightened the sail and tacked towards him, not that I would have been much help as by this time I was leaning out with my feet firmly wedged under the straps trying to keep both hulls in the water! After what seemed an absolute age I caught the rescue boat emerging from the beach out of the corner of my eye . Relief! I eased the sail and ran for home running the boat up the beach and almost half way to Kuah town! Strolling nonchalantly back to my sun bed, I turned to see the capsized boat the right way up and now with two people on it, making it's way very quickly to the beach. I stopped and waited to greet my fellow sailor. It turned out that the skipper of the other boat was English and his fellow was one of the beach boys who had been put aboard to bring the boat in to safety! I asked the English guy what had happened and in a dulcet Geordie accent he told me that , "he'd been trying to execute some high speed racing turns and had forgotten to release the sheet from the jambing cleat!" Trying to baffle me with nautical speak, I thought, - little did he know that my friend Mac sails big boats and I can bluff boat speak as good as any landlubber!
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| Safely ashore! |
That was , however, as far as the conversation got - me thinks he was a little embarrassed as he tried to ignore me later by the bar. "Recovered from your ordeal?", I enquired with a slight self satisfied grin on my face. His reply was just about audible, I think he said "Tosser"!
By the afternoon the wind had died down a little so I tried to persuade Sue to venture out with me for a little sail - you can imagine her reply!
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| I think it's just wind? |
Dinner was a mixture of Malay and Chinese food, spicy but not hot and the most interestingly green coloured Pandan Creme brulee!
The wind has been blowing quite hard, probably force 6, so the morning's sail was curtailed as the wind increased and made life a little hairy! Not for me, I hasten to add - I stayed in the bay and the shelter of the islands but some mad man had headed out beyond the relative safety of the bay and was last seen heading for Thailand! As he realised his slight error of judgement he turned and headed for home! I was on a broad reach and creaming along trying to reach the beach before I got blown over when I noticed his capsized boat about 400 yards away off my starboard quarter!! Now obeying the rules of the sea, I hauled in on the sheet and tightened the sail and tacked towards him, not that I would have been much help as by this time I was leaning out with my feet firmly wedged under the straps trying to keep both hulls in the water! After what seemed an absolute age I caught the rescue boat emerging from the beach out of the corner of my eye . Relief! I eased the sail and ran for home running the boat up the beach and almost half way to Kuah town! Strolling nonchalantly back to my sun bed, I turned to see the capsized boat the right way up and now with two people on it, making it's way very quickly to the beach. I stopped and waited to greet my fellow sailor. It turned out that the skipper of the other boat was English and his fellow was one of the beach boys who had been put aboard to bring the boat in to safety! I asked the English guy what had happened and in a dulcet Geordie accent he told me that , "he'd been trying to execute some high speed racing turns and had forgotten to release the sheet from the jambing cleat!" Trying to baffle me with nautical speak, I thought, - little did he know that my friend Mac sails big boats and I can bluff boat speak as good as any landlubber! 
Charlie again here. Sounds like you had an interesting day Dave!
ReplyDeleteOur son James was born in Ashington, home to the Charlton brothers, The Harmison's (cricket), Ken Ferrie (golfer) and the legendary 'Geordie' number 9 - Jackie Milburn! Sue and I are season ticket holders at St James's Park - Gallowgate End! We're now adopted Geordies!
Enjoy the next few days - especially the food!
Charlie