Editor’s note: this has been transcribed pretty much as written, in the aftermath of what must surely have been one of the most challenging small yacht voyages undertaken by a club member in many years. Clearly the Lord was looking after him.
For the full story click on Alastair's Voyage Page (The Trials of Slow Motion) above the heading photo
I am emailing because my phone was in the water, tried drying it in a bowl of dried rice but didn't do it in time.
I have been away on a boat trip with Slow Motion.
Planned a trip to St. Kilda. 40 miles due west of Pabbay (into the Atlantic.)
Left Sunday evening at 21.30. arrived the Sound of Harris Monday 21.30 at Pabbay island, 14hrs on the engine, no wind for the overnight part then 10 hours on sails.The sea was calm across the Minch. 24hrs without a stop.
When I got to sound of Harris the wind increased significantly and at Pabbay the sea was dangerous. I couldn't drop anchor anywhere so I turned bach for an hour to Leverburgh where I got onto a pontoon for the night. I spoke with another guy who had a much bigger yacht, he had heard the shipping forecast was a storm heading our way, he would leave early on tuesday going to home berth at girvan.
I left around half an hour after him and never saw him again he was motoring I was sailing.
It was good sailing weather bumpy and breezy but manageable. I thought I would head for Skye maybe go down the coast to Mallaig / Small Isles coming back around the sheltered water on the east side visiting all the lochs in the area as I passed.
About three quarters way accross the Little Minch the weather and sea state were growing increasingly more dangerous, too dangerous to go with my original plan, My option was to change course and run with the wind for Loch Snizort for shelter/ the waves in the Little Minch are short and steep and angry (probably due to shelves under the water). I had been towing a tender to enable me to land on St Kilda. The tender broke away and my choice was to leave it and get another one or try to attempt a lifeboat style rescue, you guessed it I wasn't going to leave it without a fight to save it. During this time a huge white cruise ship which had been looming forever was now within close range, which gave me courage as they were almost certainly aware of the drama.
With a bit of nifty maneuvering and a boot hook the rope was refastened I couldn't believe I had done it, The Lord himself had surely helped me. Within five minutes it had broken free again, another successful rescue but this time as the tender was surfing the waves into the back of Slow Motion then taking up the slack abruptly my arm would take the shock as the painter was old rope and had no spring in it.
Up until I changed course for Loch Snizort I had been on the home-made auto helm which was working well, I was so confident in it that I went up to the mast and wanted to get some of the helm working in pretty extreme conditions.
After changing course the auto helm wouldn't work with a tail wind without fine tuning and rather than spent time I took over the helm. Afer the auto helm was disconnected (by removing the rusty nail) The large vane was waving about in a frenzy shaking the rudder violently. If I grabbed and held the vane pole it would control itself momentarily.
One arm as a shock absorber for the tender, the other between the tiller and the now disconnected auto helm, thankfull I could see my target and didnt have to check a compass.
The waves were angry steep and breaking around me, If I could only get around the point about an hour or more away I would be safe but till then I was on full alert.
Around the point and the waves followed me round, they had changed direction but the edge was off the danger.
Read on. Things can only get better? Think again... Click on Alastair's Voyage for the rest of the story.