| HOME |
| ABOUT |
| CALENDAR |
| NEWS |
| CRUISING |
| RACING |
| SOCIAL |
| PHOTOS |
| LINKS |
| CONTACT |
 |
 |
|
STORIES: Sometime, someday….we all sail alone.
Let me point to a recent scenario where I sailed alone from the ever friendly Saldanha Bay Yacht Club to Mykonos Yacht Club. Sunset sailing is great in the West Coast. Wonderful blankets bulled over the horizon, relaxed breezes over the lagoon and the last of the birdlife on their way to peace. Last Sunday the 12th of November 2006 was no different. The lagoon was prepared to show its best dress, little wind and a nice relaxed sail promised for my return journey to Mykonos around 9 the evening. There was no rush and 2.9 knots on the log and open skies with birds returning home, fish jumping and the fluorescence in the water fantastic. It satisfied my needs to end the weekend in peace with the love of my life (A 30 ft Carribia called Flirt). I was grateful not to be in the Sunday night traffic to Cape town like my twin friends that spent the weekend on their yachts at SBYC the weekend. Outside Mykonos, I fired up the engine and put away the genoa. Everything is super slow and relaxed mode, exactly the way nature made the evening. Bending down to release the mainsail, Flirt had made a slight adjustment in direction that caused a jibe not anticipated for. I only remember a distant, solid wooden sound and my head jerking to one side. Semi conscious I found myself halfway in the cockpit and the other side on the gunnels, on all fours in a position almost better described to be humping the starboard winch. Knowing that I shouldn’t stand up and possibly fainting and falling overboard, I stayed down till feeling better. After being so disgusted with the error I have made and after uttering some fowl Afrikaans words I know, there was nothing to be done but to rub my head in pain. Fifteen minutes later I was terribly nauseous and suffered a severe headache. My eyes would not focus as normal and I then I realized that the blow to the head was much harder than just the faint wooden sound that I recall. This all happening just outside MYC and the last bit home went quick but with no enjoyment at all. Two days later I still have a massive headache, blurred vision and the nausea is ever-present. This incident could have ended so tragically. Single handed sailing and MOB does not go hand in hand. It could just as easily have been prevented. It is also true that with errors the learning curve is so much greater. These sorts of incidents should not be learnt with errors, it is just too damn dangerous. No matter how peaceful the sail is or how little wind are present or how slow things are happening, all sailors and especially the single handed sailors should look into the following safety measures that can so easily be taken.
We possibly all have harnesses and rope to make jibe protectors on board. Accidents can happen so quick and unforeseen. In retrospect, I should have made contact with any person, Port Control or Cape Town Radio and inform them of this knock on the head and ask to be called every ten minutes to make sure that someone knows of me should any physical harm have come to me as result of the blow during the rest of the journey. Este Noble
|
||
 |
 |
|
Sailing alone offers great escape from the general life burdens. Burdens like traffic, whining woman, debtors being out or reach and even the sheriff cannot deliver his mail to a floating address. There is however a few potholes that one needs to consider.