DANGER POINT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 131, 4 March 1940, Page 8

DANGER POINT

a yachting sketch (Copyright) : I-I. Leonard Heatley. J A c We are making for an anchorage. Alter a clay that lias been beautifully fine Avith just the barest suspicion of a breeze from the South, the wind has swung round to the . West'rcl and freshened and rain is threatening. We are making for an anchorage. The sea has been calm all day (how we have cursed it) but is rising now and beginning to break. We halve . n e\y hand with us and lie views - the grey seas with apprehension. He speaks to the skipper. "It's getting rough, isn't it?" The skipper laughs. It is apparent that he, too, does not go too much on the prospects. We are 'tramping' by now and he has donned his oilskins. The spray is coming aboard. Not exactly, as we read, in sheets, but it lashes one. \es, it can sting and when the Hat bows smack on a breaking sea the spray seems to gain impetous. Wc are leaning outboard and the skipper gives his Aveight as .mikUi as possible. A fine lead avill not see us into the bay ancl Ave Avait for the order to ,'come about.' The skipper is watching the 'tell-tales' on lihe main-stays ancl keeping an eye on the seas. Must do it at the right moment. Here it comes. "Stand by!" We unlash back-stay ancl jib-lead "Right! Lee-ho!" We are about. Have fastened back-stay and jib-lead ancl are once more getting our weight out. The skipper has got his work cut out with the tiller and curses as Ave lose ground on this board. He Avill have to make it a long one or else we won't get in before dark. Here | come the squalls. Watch them, skipper! He luffs her once or twice and we steady doAvn. The Avind seems to be working up to gale force ancl clouds are blanketing the bit of daylight left. "Stand by!" Pause. "Lee-ho!" Can Ave make it. We can faintly see the red clay of the miniature headland and doubt Avhether Ave can. There is one thing certain. If Ave can't mr.ke it on this board we Avill have the beautiful task of going in in the dark. No , we can't. The skipper shakes his head ancl wo come about again. It isn't Avorth the risk. With hardly any Avincl Avlien Ave started out in the morning we had had the full spread up. How 1 would have blessed a couple of reefs noAV. We hear the hum of the Avind in the rigging and it doesn't sound too pleasant. The squalls have stopped. We are thankful. But the Avind has increased and exerts a steady pressure on the mainsail. The skipper Avatches it but he has to concentrate most of his attention ancl all of his energy on the tiller. We heel until the port scuppers are practically awash. We are still heeling and the new hand yells, "Luff her, man, lufl her!" He is anxious. He is not the only one. But the skippeddoesn'l say any tiling- He lends his weighl as far outboard as he can and hi: hand is showing Avhite as he grip: the tiller, AVe settle back a little and the „ skipper's judgment is proven. We Avill have to come about agaii More Avind ancl we are practically on our beam-ends. When Avill tin skipper bring her up? Noav! Now But the skipper hangs on and th< angle increase?. Suddenly there is a crash. Th< water-jar has 'gone for a skate Luckily Ave have a cask full lashe< . . ■» _ /l 1-

And then then the skippar brings her slowly round into the wind. Gradually, so gradually, he brings her round and slowly she rights her self. We have made ground and. ioy! avc won't have to make another board.The miniature head'ands pass on either side and the wind drops as we slide in to the shelter of the land. The skipper doesn't relax. I don't think he needs tn. "Stand bv to let go! Readv with the 'hock' 'Continued foot previous column")