I love sailing ....

I washed up, and that was it, really. Not sick, but nauseous, and with a splitting migraine that would last for the next three days. No use taking notion sickness pills - I get interesting hallucinations and feel worse than ever. I just hoped it would pass. It never did.

As the rest of the day passed, the wind rose and waves broke over the boat, sending water through all the nooks and crannies water will find, down into the shallow bilges and sloshing from side to side as she rolled on the deep Atlantic breakers. I was half aware of K using a hand pump under the cabin floor, and seeing buckets of water bing filled then emptied into the deck scuppers.

As I lay there, holding up a section of flooring, the water rolled towards my side of the boat, and I felt it swamp the outer edge of the bunk cushions beneath my bottom. I huddled inboard against the restraining leecloth, pulling my now wetted sleeping bag off the upholstery. I should resist sudden impulsive decisions, unknown skippers, strange boats - it might have worked perfectly earlier in the year - four months sailing round Newfoundland and the eastern Canadian Maritimes. I now found I preferred coastal sailing - just a bit too late....