My last blogs have been about going up the mast, a sometimes necessary occupation when sailing, my next stories will be about going underwater while at sea.
Hopefully these stories will help those who want to know what sailing is all about and how to avoid, or make it easier and safer should they have to do it themselves.
My very good doctor friend had asked me to help him sail his boat from Richards Bay to Maputo so we could all take part in the Inhaca race with his family and friends.
He had a Wild Cat catamaran and this was to be his first race in her.
We set off with the rest of the fleet in a NE wind that was going to strengthen and of course turn SW in about 24 hours. We would have to race hard if we were to make Richards Bay before the wind turned against us.
Up went the spinnakers and off sailed the fleet, some went off shore to try to catch the current, and some stayed closer in, we took a middle route between distance and picking up current.
not the same spinnaker or boat, but a good shot anyway.
The wind got up to 30knots true and we were flying with the spinnaker up, the autopilot could not handle the speed and big seas so we were hand steering, the choice was hand steer and get into port before the wind turned or slow the boat down and let the autopilot steer. This was a race, with other boats, and the weather.
As usual in the early hours of the morning there was and explosive sound and the spinnaker, as if in slow motion, drifted down and sank into the water in front of the boat, putting on the breaks. The Halyard had snapped, chaffed through on a rough patch as we found out later.
We did not want to damage it in any way, so we let go on the sheet and pulled her gently on the guy. There was some resistance so rather than pull we decided to see what it was caught on.
That meant a swim. I was the only qualified diver on board and the only one who had done it before, besides I was not going to risk their lives. They had children.
I put on my costume and got my mask and fins, the advantage of being in a warm current is wet suits are not needed. We were about 15 nm out to sea, the waves were big, after all it was a 30kn wind we were in. Before going in the water I put on a harness and attached it to a long line, which just happened to be the end of the main sheet, this way I was sure that if something happened they could retrieve me.
I had one of the crew shine the spotlight into the water so I would be able to see, it was most likely to be snagged on the sail drive or rudder, or maybe hooked on the keel.
I jumped in and was careful when diving under to keep my rear up and my head down, after all our rears are better designed with padding to take a few bumps.
The trick is to dive down, and keep the rear up to take the bumps as the boat heaves on the waves. I usually wedge myself if having to work so I can move with the boat.
Sure enough all the lines from the spinnaker snuffer (sock) had neatly wrapped themselves round the port sail drive. It took me a couple of dives to unwrap them, granted I was enjoying the sight of the Phosphorescence shooting past and lighting up my limbs as I moved, it was beautiful, anyway there was no hurry, a few more minutes would not make much of a difference. While I was down there I noticed the rubber cover over the hole where the sail drive comes out of the hull was coming adrift, so I took it off so we would not loose it, I checked the other side, sure enough that one was coming off too.
When I surfaced after my final dive, having enjoyed myself, I saw that my friends brother, also a friend of mine had wrapped my safety line round the main winch, instead of just holding it. He was determined not to loose me.
We got on our way again under the Genoa at a much slower pace, staying in the current to take advantage of it, sure enough the SW gale caught us near Cape Vidal, we headed inshore to get out of the big seas caused by the wind over current which causes giant waves in the area and beat our way down to Richards Bay. By this time we had retired from the race and “motor sailed” her home over the shallows where the waves are smaller, the only way to successfully make progress.