Yachting

LEARNING CURVE

MAY 2016 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com 33

Lessons learned

n Offshore sailing is not for everyone. If

you’re happy with coastal sailing and being

in a safe harbour or marina at night, you

may be better off sticking to that.

n When passage planning, refer to several

different forecasts. GRIB files are good up

to a point but, being based on computer

modelling, lack the human interpretation

of a GMDSS forecast. Even using both,

sudden changes can happen on ocean

passages, so be prepared.

n Preparing your boat properly for a long

passage is a prerequisite but it is worth

double-checking everything. Something as

simple as an unsecured tender can become

a major problem in stormy conditions.

n It is difficult to sleep on a boat at sea,

especially in rough conditions, and fatigue

can affect your performance and decision-

making. Try to rest regularly and consider

earplugs to block the noise.

n You should always clip on while on deck

in rough seas, but it’s also worth doing

below decks, particularly in the galley.

Serious injuries can be sustained if you’re

thrown around.

The gale continued for fifteen hours,
through our first night and into early
morning, taking us well off course and
extending our passage time. This was my
first night passage and it was strange being
able to see only as far as the glow from the
navigation lights allowed. Added to this,
all my senses were heightened by the noise
of the wind howling through the rigging
and the roar of the ocean as surging waves
passed the boat.
The noise below and the boat’s erratic
movement made sleep impossible. Despite
cat-naps in the cockpit, sleep deprivation
was becoming a real issue.
On day two the wind dropped to force 7
and we were back on course. Three days
in, the wind softened and moved astern
so Will goosewinged Bounder. The wind
picked up again in the afternoon so we
furled the main, and by sunset the wind
was once again up to force 8.
In the darkness, with the sea battering
the boat from all sides, Bounder was
rolling and heaving and the noise was
incredible. I had the sensation of travelling
at great speed and it felt as if we were
being thrown down a white water river
in full spate. Fatigue and the sensory
deprivation of the night caused my eyes to
play tricks – I could ‘see’ trees, cars, other
boats and even people in my peripheral
vision. There was no chance of seeing any
obstacles so I was just hanging on trying
not to be thrown around the boat. I have
never been more terrified in my life!
As Will took over the wind speed hit
45 knots – severe gale force 9! There was
nowhere to hide and nothing to do but
keep going. For all of us it was the longest
night we would ever experience.
With around two hundred miles to go we
decided to put the engine on and get this
journey finished as quickly as possible. The
wind remained at force 7 for the duration
and we ploughed on. At one point, while
Jane was preparing our meal, the boat
corkscrewed on a particularly big wave and
she was thrown across the galley. From
the crash I feared she might be injured but
luckily only her dignity was bruised.
Approaching Lanzarote, we all strained
our eyes for a first glimpse of land. The
strange shape of the Roque del Este rose
up from the ocean and then to our relief
the north of Lanzarote came into view. W

Graham, 55, is a freelance

writer originally from

Dorset but now living in

Lanzarote with his wife,

Sally. He started sailing

in his early 40s he has

gained a great deal of

experience, mainly between ports on

both sides of the English Channel and

now around the Canary Islands.

Graham Snelgrove

We thought we’d seen the

worst of it when the wind

dropped and veered, but

it was soon back to force 8