One thing I have leanred about on this trip is anchoring. Tai is a 21 ton boat and the wind in Greece can turn 180 degrees and blow up almost without warning, so if you want a restful night make sure you take plenty of care when you anchor. If in doubt throw out a kedge too. Last night in our desire to get to the Taverna we conveniently forgot these lessons and paid for it at 5.30am.
I awoke to Billy above me on the foredeck worriedly holding the chain. 'She's still draging, Ian and we're nearly on the guy next door.' Indeed Peter next door was already in his dinghy offering help. We decided there was nothing to do but to get out to sea. The wind was howling into our 'safe' anchorage and pushing our bow hard over to starboard. I started tolift the chain while Billy on the helm attenpted to take the strain off the windlass and point her bow up into the wind. Just as we thought we were free w esaw a chain over the anchor. Damn. Another dangle off the bowsprit witha rope to hold up the chain while the anchor was dropped, some help from Peter in the dinghy and we were free. Relieved we headed out in the dark. With two of us it would be difficult to handle he in this weather so we settled inthe lee of a nearby isaland waited an hour for the sun to come up and gave the marine support team a call to ferry Jonjo out to help us.
With Jonjo aboard we decided Loutraki Harbour 5 miles up the coast would be the best bet. The Greek fisherman in their fishing boat which was being used as a floating camera platform were there so we would have some help if things got sticky.
We set off into a building sea ................................. 1 knot into the waves................................choppy ................. (5 pages of boring descriptions of the difficulty of making headway against a strong wind and tide then anchoring in a harbour with in heavy yacht with an offset prop which drastically reduces manouverability)........ after a time standing around Billy declared, @she's holding, anyone fancy a cup of tea?'
At that moment there was a bang ahead of us and Jonjo and Billy who were on the bow looking forward bouth shouted 'Sh*t he's in, that's bad'
'What is it?'
'Some guy in that Sunsail yacht just took the boom on the side of the head from a chinese gybe and it knocked him clean off the boat'
'Is he alive'
'Yes he's in the wated writhing around'
'Come on in thre dingh, let's get him'
We were closest and our dinghy was sitting ready so we were b y him in the water in seconds. The yacht he came from was still getting the sail round and the occupants looked mildly less stunned than their crew member in the drink.
Jonjo's first aid sailing cam in handy.
'Are you OK?'
'Yes, just dented pride'
'What's you name?'
'Ken'
'OK Ken can you feel pain anywhere, can you move everything?'
'Yes'
'OK we'll pull you in'
Within a few minutes he was back onboard his yacht, but not before turning the water in the bottom of the dinghy a very vibrant red. We knew he had a nasty gash on the back of his head but were too scared to look at it.
We took him ashore a few minutes later where he was treated and given the rather natty headgear you see in the phot above.
We returned to Tai relieved that it had not been much worse.
| 