A scarey Trip
November 6th 2006 18:27
I had to drive my 4 metre tinnie from one end of the lake to it's new home at the other end. A trip of about 12 nautical miles. I had checked the weather and though there was a strong wind warning for the day it was very early in the morning when I had decided to do the delivery and the lake was still looking glassy.
I loaded the neccesary gear on board and as it was misty with a hint of drizzle, wore my wet weather gear. I had my hand held VHF radio but it was still to early to call in any of the volunteer rescue organisations to advise that I was on the water. The tinnie permanently carries most of the safety gear required so I had the rest on board quickly. I pulled the starter and throttled up and headed off.
Funny I thought? The engine would rev out full bore in neutral but in gear it was staining and the best speed I could do was six knots. Already the first signs of a not so good delivery were starting to show. I should be planning through the water at twenty knots and finish the trip in just over half an hour.
Well it was something that had to be done as I would not have another opportunity for about a week. The longer I left my boat where it was the more money it was going to cost me. I zipped up my wet weather jacket, pulled the hood up over my head and settled down to a long labourious ride.
Within minutes the waves were starting to get uncomfortable and though I was being protected from the wind by a large headland I could tell the wind was due south and strong by the way the moored boats were laying. As I approached the end of the headland I could see white caps on the waves which indicated there was more than fifteen knots of breeze. The wave action increased but it was not so bad yet!
Around the headland and the short sharp chop of the waves was causing the dinghy to raise it's head high to the sky then drop suddenly into the trough below. Raising itself again in a flurry of white water and briny spray. I slowed the engine and picked a more comfortable and safe way through the waves, hunkered down and stoicly continued on. I had passed the point of returning to my starting point.
I had plenty of fuel and some in reserve. I had all my safety gear on board and though the conditions were rough I was not taking any water on board. I could carefully work my way through the waves as long as it did not get worse. The motor was labouring but still it was not so bad and I was quite sure it would hold out. I had to cross a bay about a mile and a half wide and unprotected from the wind. There were a few yachts out but they had not put up their sails, they were just under motor and a long way from me.
Passed another headland called Wangi Point and the wind had picked up throwing spume off the tops of the waves and I estimated it was now around thirty knots. To much for my dinghy. I was only about fifty metres from shore. The shore however was rocky and waves were breaking against it. It was also uninhabited with a long walk to civilization. As the waves approached the shore and the shallows, they stood up higher and started to curl and crash. I had to get out of here.
I headed further out into the bay and soon was able to turn my heading from due south and into the teeth of the wind to west. The problem now was the waves were side on to me. I had to come a little to port and steer over them at an angle so they did not crash over the side of the boat. It was not an exact course for home but it was safer. This course continued for an hour and as I dipped behind a high wooded island I could up the speed again. Clear of the island I was back in the full fury of the wind which was starting to howl now.
I had a long hard haul over open water till I reached the mouth of the bay where I lived. even that bay which is usualy quite sheltered from all but the worst wind was very unsettled. The wind was still howling but by now I was out of the worst of the waves. Now it was a careful bit of navigating through shallows, weed beds and around crab traps to my wharf. It took me exactly two hours which surprised me as I was not sure I could average six knots for the whole trip into the teeth of that horrible wind.
Was I scared? a little bit but I was confident in the strength of the boat, the fact that I was never more than a mile from shore should I need to swim and I had my life jacket handy though in hindsight I should have been wearing it. The motor thankfully held on as I don't think I could have rowed very well into that wind.
I loaded the neccesary gear on board and as it was misty with a hint of drizzle, wore my wet weather gear. I had my hand held VHF radio but it was still to early to call in any of the volunteer rescue organisations to advise that I was on the water. The tinnie permanently carries most of the safety gear required so I had the rest on board quickly. I pulled the starter and throttled up and headed off.
Funny I thought? The engine would rev out full bore in neutral but in gear it was staining and the best speed I could do was six knots. Already the first signs of a not so good delivery were starting to show. I should be planning through the water at twenty knots and finish the trip in just over half an hour.
Well it was something that had to be done as I would not have another opportunity for about a week. The longer I left my boat where it was the more money it was going to cost me. I zipped up my wet weather jacket, pulled the hood up over my head and settled down to a long labourious ride.
Within minutes the waves were starting to get uncomfortable and though I was being protected from the wind by a large headland I could tell the wind was due south and strong by the way the moored boats were laying. As I approached the end of the headland I could see white caps on the waves which indicated there was more than fifteen knots of breeze. The wave action increased but it was not so bad yet!
Around the headland and the short sharp chop of the waves was causing the dinghy to raise it's head high to the sky then drop suddenly into the trough below. Raising itself again in a flurry of white water and briny spray. I slowed the engine and picked a more comfortable and safe way through the waves, hunkered down and stoicly continued on. I had passed the point of returning to my starting point.
I had plenty of fuel and some in reserve. I had all my safety gear on board and though the conditions were rough I was not taking any water on board. I could carefully work my way through the waves as long as it did not get worse. The motor was labouring but still it was not so bad and I was quite sure it would hold out. I had to cross a bay about a mile and a half wide and unprotected from the wind. There were a few yachts out but they had not put up their sails, they were just under motor and a long way from me.
Passed another headland called Wangi Point and the wind had picked up throwing spume off the tops of the waves and I estimated it was now around thirty knots. To much for my dinghy. I was only about fifty metres from shore. The shore however was rocky and waves were breaking against it. It was also uninhabited with a long walk to civilization. As the waves approached the shore and the shallows, they stood up higher and started to curl and crash. I had to get out of here.
I headed further out into the bay and soon was able to turn my heading from due south and into the teeth of the wind to west. The problem now was the waves were side on to me. I had to come a little to port and steer over them at an angle so they did not crash over the side of the boat. It was not an exact course for home but it was safer. This course continued for an hour and as I dipped behind a high wooded island I could up the speed again. Clear of the island I was back in the full fury of the wind which was starting to howl now.
I had a long hard haul over open water till I reached the mouth of the bay where I lived. even that bay which is usualy quite sheltered from all but the worst wind was very unsettled. The wind was still howling but by now I was out of the worst of the waves. Now it was a careful bit of navigating through shallows, weed beds and around crab traps to my wharf. It took me exactly two hours which surprised me as I was not sure I could average six knots for the whole trip into the teeth of that horrible wind.
Was I scared? a little bit but I was confident in the strength of the boat, the fact that I was never more than a mile from shore should I need to swim and I had my life jacket handy though in hindsight I should have been wearing it. The motor thankfully held on as I don't think I could have rowed very well into that wind.
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