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HighunDry for Options

My wife (aka 1st mate) is a semi-retired community midwife and drives a
fairly new car built somewhere in Croatia by a South Korean company - oh
how the world has changed, and so it did for her sister when she joined us
on “Options” for a quick sail up the Humber from Hull Marina to North Fer-
riby and back.

The prevailing westerly blew in the opposite direction allowing us, unusual-
ly, to set sails for a few gybes up river, under the Humber Bridge toward
our childhood home of North Ferriby. The intention then to turn and head
across the river toward South Ferriby, where the cement works dominate
that riverside landscape.

Alison, new to boating, eagerly joined us In fact the keel was
for the four-hour sailing experience and
mostly up; forced by the
to see her childhood home area from
the big river. All was well after gliding shallow landing, but with
past Ferriby Foreshore and executing a a mainsail still powered
clean gybe away and diagonally across
the river. The last gybe before intending up we were still moving
to turn about back to the marina for late
afternoon tea. Suddenly our world stumbled and took an unplanned route
toward the cement works with no turning back...my mind went into over-
drive as the boat slowed unexpectedly and instructions to “gybe ho” were
met with puzzled looks.

I had a novice at the helm following instructions from me, the skipper, as I
worked with 1st mate handling the sails. That arrangement had seemed to
work well … until now. Drop the main? No, the boom is hard over to stbd
on a broad reach, port tack. No response from the helm to move the rud-
der and even if we could swing to stbd the boom would be thrown over to
severely test the rigging. Lift the keel to steer out? No steering and also no
keel hydraulics! Manually pump the keel up - ok that worked but we’re still
moving (in fact the keel was mostly up forced by the shallow landing, but
with a mainsail still powered up we were still moving) - cement works in
view, still distant, but getting closer. Start the engine, perhaps we can pow-
er away to drop the sails? Still no steering response! We’re slowing now,

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