In recent weeks, while visiting Bohemian to measure and fit her new boom cover, I notice a little yacht had sunk on her mooring. It's a sight that rocks the soul of any owner of an older boat.
Strangely, this little boat was fully submerged, sitting on the bottom with most of her mast sticking out above the water. Anyway, I noticed someone had begun relocating her lashing a 1 000 litre Appleton to her. I also noticed a row of drums in a tiny cottage directly ashore, and as the resident old fellow there used a walking frame, I decided to ask if he needed a hand. And he told me some things:-
- she was a Bluebird 22' in GDP, had no through hull fittings and he couldn't work out how she sank.
- he'd had her 10 years and had been sailing and doing her up until his health failed him. He developed diabetes and his legs had "carked it" and he was prone to collapse. He'd hoped to get over it and resume sailing until this happened.
- he rang a local workboat operator over the holidays but has since found out he died on Christmas Day.
- with several helpers thirty lashed two ballrooms and a dozen 44 gallon drums to the boat but "she never budged. I reckon her keel is about two feet into mud and it just won't let her go".
Then so said, "it sounds like a monster from the deep has grabbed her by the keel and won't let her go". And with a solemn serious look he agreed: "Yeh it does".
Motto: Sail when you can and don't let the old man in.
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