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The end of my circumnavigation I had set sail on 10/5/03 from Hartlepool , (Probably the best marina in the country, and as an added bonus is situated on the North East coast). I was sailing my 28ft steel(32ft with bowsprit) cutter rigged yawl called 'KES'. designed by Van de Stadt and built in 1982. I was actually doing a clockwise circumnavigation, and apart from a couple of minor problems everything went as planned, until the final day. I had sailed into Sunderland marina on 9/8/03 and my plan was to sail and arrive back in Hartlepool on the 10th, three months to the day after setting out. I was invited to the Sunderland yacht club on the evening as there was a folk group singing. At the break the compere introduced me to the audience, and told them what I had done and collected on route for charity, and I received a rousing applause. I think it was only then that I actually realised what I had accomplished and achieved over these last three months, and I felt rather proud of myself. I set out for Hartlepool the following day and on the final leg of my circumnavigation and home, it was a bit misty with a northerly breeze, all sails were up and flying, and I hoped to arrive in Hartlepool for 14.00hrs. That was when everyone was expecting me. The sun came out and I was back in shorts. Then when I was off Blackhall it came in cold and as black as night and I had to put my nav lights on plus my oilies. It started to rain again and there was an electrical storm very close and the rain got heavier. I had a call from a friend in Billingham (a town about 7mls away) and he advised me to reef my sails as they were getting extremely strong winds and it was heading my way. Shortly after that I received another call from a friend in the coastguard office and he told me to take all my sails down and securely lash them and to secure myself to the boat. He said that it was blowing in excess of 55kts at Hartlepool and heading towards me. The rain was now horizontal and stung as it hit, it was like being in a power shower. Lightening was striking the sea pretty close by, which was quite spectacular, it hit the sea with such a noise then the sea boiled. Then the full force of the wind joined the rest of the elements, I heard seven May days go in, and every lifeboat in the area was out including a helicopter and a police spotter plane. One boat had sunk just off Hartlepool with a loss of life and four vessels were unaccounted for. As I sat in the cockpit in all my oilies and lifejacket and safety lines, I wondered how wicked I must have been in my past lives to deserve this sort of melee, the arrival of a lifeboat brought me back to the rolling and crashing reality. It had come to check that i was OK and asked me to keep my eyes open for any wreckage and to report it if I found any. The storm abated and I continued to the marina entrance, then another severe weather warning came over the radio, (the first one didn't) I reached the lock at exactly 14.00hrs, but as I was approaching I sailed through some boat wreckage which I reported. I entered the lock to a fantastic welcoming committee of about 35 people standing under their blown inside out umbrellas and the sounds of air horns and klaxons being sounded. My wife and daughter joined me on board when I was in the lock and we sailed round to my berth, where everyone joined us and celebrated my return in champagne and beer. It was a really great day, one that I'll never forget, but marred by the unfortunate loss of life only one hour before. I had sailed 2,297mls in 'KES' and she had really looked after me in all conditions, especially the last one! Mike Fellows Read more The full story of Mike's adventure can be read in 'I'm a Sailor Get Me Out of Here' Click here to order your copy. |
| Comment from Robin |
| What is a "cutter rigged yawl"?.. Surely a contradiction.. A cutter is a single masted vessel,carryign two or more headsails; while a yawl has two masts, with the after, smaller mast being stepped aft of the sternpost!! |
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