Ep. 48 - REMOTE ISLAND SAILING EXPEDITION: TRIP CUT SHORT

Описание: I hesitated to publish this episode, but ultimately felt it was important to share — both as a story and as a lesson that may help others.

We left Spring Bay on Tasmania’s east coast with Schouten Island in our sights, about 27 miles away. It was one of those unforgettable sails — dolphins, seals, and even whales joined us while surfing downwind between 6 and 7 knots. We made it to Crocketts Beach on the northern side of Schouten in just over six hours.

The plan for the next day was to head around the east side of the island and stop at Hen and Chicken Bay for lunch. But about an hour into the sail, things went sideways. The boom caught me square on the head — hard enough that we had no choice but to turn back.

So how did it happen? On Sapphire, the boom is fine when the main isn’t reefed with plenty of headroom, but once reefed, the boom sits much lower. Being a new boat, I’d only sailed her a handful of times, and honestly, should’ve fixed this before taking her on such an ambitious trip. My large frame, compounded by a drysuit and two lifejackets, made it difficult to keep ducking low enough with each gybe and tack. This scenario led to the boom clipping the top of my head.

The next morning I adjusted the rig — dropping the halyard attachment point on the yard by about 200mm, which lifted the boom just enough to clear my head when the sail was reefed. The downside was that the tack no longer reached the downhaul, so I improvised with a strop. Not perfect, but it worked well enough for the return sail.

Lessons learned:
1. Never become complacent about the boom — even those that usually clear your head can still catch you off guard.
2. Confirm your boat is safe to sail in all conditions and configurations before heading offshore.
3. Keep your First Aid Kit stocked and up to date.

If you’d rather avoid the sight of blood, feel free to skip ahead to the discussion between Geoff and me with my bandaged noggin— and don’t miss Geoff’s BIG announcement!

Thanks again for watching and STAY SALTY!
Mat

Geoff's book, Cruising Wild, can be purchased on Amazon here: https://mybook.to/CruisingWild

‘Sapphire’ is a Swallow Yachts BayRaider 17: www.denmanmarine.com.au/swallow-yachts-c1/bayraider-17-c36/

‘Dinghy Spart’ is a Welsford Houdini: www.jwboatdesigns.co.nz/plans/general-purpose-boats/houdini/

Jimmy’s Sails and Canvas: www.jimmyscanvas.com.au/

Cooper anchors: www.cooperanchors.com.au/

Zoleo: www.zoleo.com/en-au

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