Sailing, Home Again

Captains Log Broad adventure Date numero Septimus


Day Septimus started at 130 when no 32 (me) woke on my sofa (yes, I’ve been back there the last three nights) with a pain.

I knew not whether the pain was above or below.

I did stagger to the loo and discovered it’s possible to have a pain above and below.

Luckily I was able to maintain control and dealt with each in sequence and not concurrently.

I reassured the rest of the crew who shouted ‘you okay’ and fell asleep before I actually answered.

I went back to my pit, grateful the Pains had subsided but woke again and hour later and did the same again.

Thankfully i slept the rest of the night with no more incidences.

At eight the crew congregated for the leaving harbour brief.

We hadn’t mentioned it since we woke; but we were all contemplating the task before us with dread and had been watching al boat movements with dread and nervous anticipation.

The two speed boats were still ahead with no navigable space to manoeuvre.

We watched as one brave soul reversed out ; but he only had six boats to traverse three on either side - we had those six and another eight.

A boat similar in size to us began the sail to the top of the canal.

They hit off (albeit gently) one of the speed boats and then swung in correction and hit the other.

At the top they got stuck and there was much too-ing and fro-ing until the managed free.

We cheered them as they past and they shouted good luck!

I said, ‘let’s go for it’.

We couldn’t leave it any longer.

We couldn’t; Someone else might come in.

We untied and the Capt and First Mate pulled the boat back 20ft to give me room to align myself with the centre between the two speeds.

We set off and got through.

I made the right turn at the top and then reversed hard ... Capt jumped off the back and grabbed the ropes. I forward again hard right; and he pulled the ropes left.

The wind blew us against the left berth wall and the First Mate shoved off with all her might ; I reversed once more and then hard right. And we were round!!!

We pulled up alongside to let the Capt back on and then renegotiated the speed boats and all of the other boats berthed side by side .... we reached the end of the canal - when the first mate had to hang off the front of the boat because it was obviously a t-junction which we were crossing....

One boat and then clear......

And we were off......

We were all cheering and crying with relief and then I passed out.

That’s a big fat lie; but at that point we all decided that we were now brilliant sailors and we wished we were staying for another week.


Since then we have berthed up twice and for the last four hours have sat and cast judgement on all the new Friday weekend sailors.... (you know who they are- they all drive too fast, have eight cases of beer and multiple boxes of wine on deck and they are all wearing pirate hats)

It’s pathetic really... they all think they know what they are doing.... but just wait til tomorrow!




On a side note: the First Mate did her Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award sailing around the outer Hebrides. Using charts and navigation skills and ropes and knots. The Capt was a sailor for 12 years ..... did that help us this week? Not a flipping chance.