We can appreciate that it’s not always ‘plain sailing’ when it comes to boats, what’s the biggest challenge you’ve had to face so far?
My biggest challenge was actually getting back from Lawrenny the same day I took the photo above. I was advised to always go with the tide (with my tiny engine), but I was insistent that I wanted to go to Lawrenny and on our way back we were really battling against the tide.
It was a calm day with hardly any wind and to cut a long story short we ended up having to sail onto the Mackerel Stage before being towed in. I had spent 16 hours on the estuary by the time I’d got home but with the mindset of every cloud has a silver lining, I would never have sailed onto a pontoon with no engine otherwise - all good learning!
Luckily, I managed to get back to my berth, but I always make sure my lifejackets and radio are in good working order in case of an emergency.
If you ever find yourself in difficulty whilst on the Waterway, it’s imperative to know how to call for help.
Have you got any sailing goals that you’ve set yourself?
The next goal I have after a few local sails (I feel a bit rusty now) is to sail out of Milford Marina on my own with a fellow berth holder on their boat in front of me and then anchor or moor up a short distance up the estuary and then once I feel comfortable, I’d be happy for them to leave me on my own for the night. Eventually, I would want venture further afield and maybe even make use of the Passeport Escales scheme!
When will you be heading out on the water next?
I’m being lifted in this week, just in time for the good weather. I’m eager to get back on the water once I’ve carried out all the necessary pre-season boat checks!