hoppybogan (25813km):
852 days ago Drama packed afternoon
Looked at the improving forecast and decided to sail again today. Rigged the 6m HSM GPS, F2 SXs 90, fangy combo and set off out to the first Oyster Lease with a nice 15-20knot Southerly blowing. It was a slow tide and i did an hour on the shallow edge waiting for enough water to go over the spit and have some faster, longer runs on both Port and Starboard. But before this could happen i was blasting into the deep bay on Port Tack when my Mast snapped at the joint.
At first i did not realise the mast was broken and i was thinking why am i getting such a Knock. I looked around, there was plenty of wind, i was scatching my head WTF is going on. Then i looked up and with a wry smile i thought Bugger!, i am in the deep and i am not going to gybe back onto Starboard to get back on the shallow spit. So i held Port Tack and was confident of sailing a line that would see me make the jetty. A couple of hundred metres further and a stronger patch of wind folded the mast over completely and in the drink i went. I was thinking clearly like 007 and figured it was off shore wind and i was sailing alone. A thought from the past returned to my mind, the day over on the Spencer Gulf when i ditched all my gear and swam to bird island. What shall i do?, I am a long way out, i will ditch the rig and paddle the 90 across the wind to try to make the end of the Jetty. If i dont make the Jetty i will stay on the board and let the wind and current take me over to the shore between Styansbury and Port Vincent ( closer to Stansbury ).
So paddle,paddle,paddle,paddle for half an hour. I did not need the exercise but was making ground, perhaps another hour of effort to make it to safety. I turned around and as luck goes a local fisherman was returning and came past. i waved him down and it was Paul who i know well and we loaded the board and went back over some ground searching for the rig. No luck and pretty sure it is on the bottom and doubt i will recover it.
I was realy enjoying the session too before all that drama.
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