A wild Ryde
Colin Staples went below to make tea...
Misadventure off the Isle of Wight
The cover of PBO February 2021 and its photo of a Hunter Duette sailing near Old Harry Rocks triggered a memory which, after a few years and crew changing, can now be told. The boat was also a Hunter Duette. The crew had sailed together for years so we all knew each other and mostly just did what was required without much discussion or instructions. We all had a good knowledge of the Solent and boat.
The day was a glorious summer one with an unusually good wind off the mainland directly onto the Isle of Wight. The plan was to leave Warsash in the Hamble and sail past the forts with the good spring tide – maybe troll a line for mackerel or bass, and then return with the ebb.
The Duette is quite a stiff boat for its size and with three mature men all sitting on the windward side it was an exhilarating sail; any more wind and it would have been sensible to tuck in a reef. So I went below to make tea. I was almost finished when, too late, I could feel the boat coming to a stop with keels rubbing the sand. We were aground on Ryde Sands.
No panic. We had a strong rising tide, so no problem, but I wanted to act fast as with the short seas we were bumping on the sand and the boat had slewed round with wind and sea dead astern.
Sails dropped, we started the outboard to reverse off: this didn’t work as the wind and sea was too strong for the inefficient reverse gear. Each time a sea floated us it took us a few feet nearer the shore. The next step was to deploy the main Fortress anchor, which normally had very good holding, from the stern – the aim being to hold us still while letting the tide rise so we could motor off. Unfortunately despite letting out more scope the anchor just ploughed through the disturbed sand.
The inflatable dinghy was quickly pumped up, launched and the tender outboard fitted. I got on board and took a line from the dinghy stern and fastened it to the bow of the Duette. I was getting a bit wet in the warm seas but with the outboard at full throttle each time a wave lifted the boat I was able to slew it round eventually facing out to deeper water. Meanwhile the main outboard was started and at full revs the boat was quickly afloat.
The crew were jubilant but I was still in the dinghy being towed stern first at some speed into the choppy sea and was filling fast. Eventually the crew heard my shouts and slowed down so I could bail out and eventually get back aboard.
Apart from the tea being cold, all was well and the rest of the day was a good, uneventful sail.