A Sail Is Always Important...

[Little Song]

Hello,

I have a small 24" Jeanneau One Design, that i used to use in regattas, but nowadays is just to go East and West in the Algarve (Portugal) coast. I live in Faro, the capital of Algarve.

Some time ago, when going to Vilamoura marina (biggest in the Algarve, with 1000 boat places - 15 miles from Faro) with a 20-25 kts SW wind (weak, i know, but the boat only weights 1400kg), and against what i normally do, i put the sails down, folded and put them in the sailbag inside the boat, and with the powerful outboard Suzuki 4hp (!) i went to the marina entrance. Waves were about 1.5m, and exactly at the time the boat passes the E breakwater the engine stops! There was enough fuel, i pumped the gas to the engine, but nothing happened. As the boat started to move towards the breakwater, i started shouting to my girlfriend (she is still the same!) - i don't remeber what - and i run to deploy the anchor. At the same time the anchor grabs the bottom, i feel the keel touching the breakwater (at least the boat turned and only the keel touched the rocks). I went to the radio and started to ask to the marina staff for help. When the radio conversation finished, i went out and saw:

- My girlfriend on top of the rocks of the breakwater using the spinnaker pole to push the boat away from the rocks (i never suposed that she would work so good with the spi);

- A RIB dragging a zillion rubber buoys that was finishing a hard days work taking the people on the beach to a ride on some strange looking buoy. The RIB took us out of the breakwater, and Little Song gently came with all the awkward buoys to the marina reception pontoon. A bit of relief and shame was on my face...


Not very amusing, i know, but i confess: i'll never put the sails in the bag before the boat is secure on the pontoon again!


Jorge - Faro - Algarve - Portugal
(Little Song is a beautiful white 24'' Jeanneau One Design)

[DaveC]

That's a good lesson indeed. I think most of us are guilty of trusting our engines a little too much.

[Solitude]

Bom Dia Jorge
Good point. Good lesson

I know the area well and lived in Lagos in 90-92. I used to work on an old wooden vessel called the BomDia.