LESSONS LEARNED

1 HAVE AIS FITTED

Even the correct safety equipment and training can’t prevent a panic if you have no means of contacting land while sailing in offshore waters. A satellite phone is probably necessary to put people’s minds at ease. As my passage will now be within coastal waters anyway, I’m getting AIS fitted as a sensible compromise.

2 WRITE A WILL

You may be surprised by the banality of some of your concerns while in a storm. I found myself wishing that I had written a will.

3 MAINTAIN CONTACT

I spoke to several ships during the time I was reported missing. Coast Guard services may be excellent, but don’t assume that even large freighters are keeping tabs on alerts.

4 APPRECIATE RNLI

We are extremely lucky in Britain to have the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Had I found it necessary to call for help, I would have ended up selling the boat to pay for the rescue.

5 FORGE ONLINE CONNECTIONS

Though an agent of anxiety and fake news, Facebook pulls together very well in a crisis. It is worth joining all the yachting groups which receive and distribute alerts, as well as very useful practical advice.

6 STAY POSITIVE

Blaming yourself for incompetence is less attractive to the opposite sex than ‘I got hit by a freak hurricane.’