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Here is my story Mate....
Home Page Sundowners
Ballast on the lee rail.. by Kerry Ashwin
Kerry Ashwin lives aboard a boat at the Breakwater marina in Townsville for now while her and her mate Dion prepare the craft for broader adventure. Kerry is a dedicated writer that is well on her way to national attention. Expect to see the name again!
BALLAST ON THE LEE RAIL
What are you doing? He yelled to me.
It was blowing a force 10 and the yacht was bucking all over the place. I was trying to get a loose hatch closed near the bow.My life-line was suddenly pulled tight as a wave swept me overboard. I thanked my lucky stars I had bought the expensive life-line with the double stitching. As I began to be dragged along the side of the boat I suddenly started to think about what I would make for tea. A stupid thing I know but I was weighing up the bacon and rice or the pasta and tinned tuna.
The temperature of the water suddenly took my breath away. I started to gulp hoping to take in some air but I began to gulp water instead. Then I was flipped over and was being dragged face side down. Now I knew I was in trouble. My life vest was stopping me from flipping back. I flayed my arms about in the hope of turning over. I vaguely thought about unclipping myself to stop this battering, but in all the books I had read and all the lectures I had attended I knew that would be tantamount to suicide
Some where along the way I twisted right side up and was banged against the hull. My arm started to hurt. Not too bad I thought. I can still move it.
Time was elongated and I drifted in and out of surreal thoughts. A voice yelled at me through the rage of the storm. I couldn't make out the words but I knew it was my skipper Barnaby. I remembered the time we practiced this very maneuver.
It was on a sunny day and a slight south easterly was blowing in Cleveland Bay. I could see Magnetic Island on my port side and Townsville on my starboard side. I was on the helm and Barnaby was the body in the water. The water I recall was warm and stinger season was over. As he jumped overboard I began to about turn and bring the yacht into irons. The sails started to flap about and then I turned the tiller and rounded up-wind to Barnaby. The idea was to drift back to him. I completed the slow slide down to him and threw out the line. He grabbed it and it all became a bit of a lark. We were laughing as I pulled him out like a fish on the line and he landed on top of me.
Now I was being towed and also being thrown at the hull every time a wave came my way.
Barnaby had brought the yacht into irons and suddenly the noise stopped. The sea took my line then and started to play with me like a beach ball. My life-line which was supposed to save me now became my killer. Somehow I had got it looped over my head and it was slowly choking me. I wanted to loosen it but I was having trouble moving my arm. I gulped air desperately clawing at my throat. An enormous wave was coming my way. I could see it gathering strength and I felt I had to free myself or I wouldn't make it.
I tried to grab the noose around my neck but the nylon was locked in its' deadly embrace.
I had to decide then, let myself loose or try to hold my breath, maybe my last breath.A force 10 gale with waves 8 meters high. I began to go over the weather report I had read a few hours ago. Now I was in the thick of it and Barnaby words echoed in my mind. We can't outrun this one. I watched in fascination as the wave, my nemesis gathered height.
I grabbed the life-line, which was strung tight out in front of me and tried to pull a little slack. The exertion used up my last breath and I felt I couldn't take another. I had nothing left. A swell lifted me just high enough to whip the rope and I saw my chance to un-loop my noose. With my good arm I pulled till my lungs burst and I ducked under water and turned. The noose came off and I just lay still. My lungs were red hot now, but I was numb. I lay face down in the water looking into the dark, a calm overtaking me I felt sleepy. I closed my eyes. All at once I was pulled out of the water. The cold of the wind made me gasp. I threw up and then began to breathe. I was so cold now and I just wanted it to be over.
Then I heard Barnaby yell out "Hang on" he shouted. His voice roused me from my stupor and I focussed. I could just see his fluro jacket in the gloom of the spray and rain.
I watched him loop my life-line over the winch and he began to wind me in. I wanted to kick to help but I couldn't. I began to think straight, and I decided not to take my eyes off that fluro jacket. If I kept that in my sights I could stay calm.
A wave was building behind the yacht now and Barnaby wasn't looking. We were in a trough, and the wave looked even bigger. I felt I had to warn him, but I couldn't lift my arm and I was holding the life-line in the other. Then I remembered my whistle. I could see it floating in front of me attached to my jacket. I slowly brought my arm up to grab it wincing in pain. I didn't realise I was shaking so much till I looked at my hand holding the whistle. I lunged at it with my mouth and summoned up a breath to blow.
Barnaby heard the whistle and stopped winding to wave. He said something, but I could only watch as the wave broke over the boat. I knew I would be next to get the brunt of mother nature. What did happen surprised me. The yacht lunged forward and was baring down on me. 14 tonnes moves fast in the water and I had no way of side stepping. All I could do was watch.Neptune must have been watching over me that day. The yacht came to a skid and I was within about 1 meter of the back rail. That meter was the longest meter in my life but I summoned up my strength and kicked. I grabbed the rail.
I felt terribly cold, and my arm was hurting. With half my body out of the water the wind was chilling me to the bone.
