Posted by Jock on August 23, 2007 at 16:19:01 from 87.105.81.146 user Jock.
In Reply to: Re: Well, I find the shape of the Pye End Buoy as interesting as Beckfoot's plumbing... posted by Laurence Monkhouse on August 23, 2007 at 14:47:45:
"a good old bump...Lots of boats have been smashed up on that"
Clarke is sailing on a true course of approx 250 when this incident occurs. Their last tack has left him and his crew exhausted. With extreme difficulty they have only managed to partially brail* the mainsail. Like John Walker in SD, Clarke is carrying too much sail.
He is on starboard tack and the sails are trying to gybe. He is exhausted after 60 hours steering and bringing this gale on to our starboard beam - which would have to be done if we turned into Harwich Harbour - was too frightening to consider. The port leeboard touches...
Solutions on a postcard attached to a bottle of Black Sheep to the usual address. (There is a clue in my previous post.)
[Note *brailing a sail on a Thames barge reduces the effective sail area, a bit like reefing.]