Single Handed !

Saturday -  Boat preparation Predator Cameras were down to fit the on board camera so we can have some fly on the wall filming, with the last of the decals fitted and checks completed it was off to the harbour to meet the harbour master and put the boats in the water for a short test, Problem 1 was Pat’s boat the fuel primer bulb had fallen apart internally so this was a quick fix by fitting a new unit.  Everything completed and boats were put back away in to Rob Perry Marine Workshops.

Lyme Regis Powerboat Club put on a great leaving party for us with a live band. That was a tremendous surprise for us all.

Sunday – Early start filming at Rob Perry Marine, boats down the slipway and a quick fuel run get kitted up and visit the harbour master for a weather check, 5 of our race companions made the effort to bring down there boats to follow us off. We are in the water with the life boat and race companions escorting us out on our epic trip.

After splitting up from the racers after some 15 miles we headed off with the sea chopping up, first issue the satnav was switching itself off? After about the 5^th re boot it seemed to settle itself down, Second issue my radio was working fine up to a point as i was receiving coast guard information then everything went very quiet? what had happened was the remote push to talk switch had locked itself in to transmit mode blocking out channel 16 to everyone in range, we discovered this when we met up with some friends of pat’s on a boat and removed our radios, disconnecting the cable stopped the transmission so it was obviously the equipment  that was  faulty, with this now disconnected but with a flat battery we departed to try to make our way to the lizard now only having a fixed radio, part way i had a problem with the satnav again and then this switched over onto its internal battery? Checking the fixed VHF radio it was dead! Big problem we were now some 6 miles off shore and knowing that without communication things were not good, as with no power the tracker is not operating, Heading inland as quickly as possible as we were in some really heavy swell 8 to 12 feet and heading in to the wind. Tuning in land was the good bit with the wind behind us we were making a easy 25 knots, by this time the coast guard that had been tracking our progress firstly due to the open mike on channel 16 and then on the marine track tracking was obviously getting concerned as we had not made contact with Mike and Phill our land support, the Coast Guards were in constant contact with the land crew updating everyone, our big mistake was missing our radio call in time, it was now 2 hours since the tracker had given our last known position and we were the only people that knew we were ok a real big problem we were  putting our land crew under  serious stress  and the coast guard station were bringing emergence procedures in to place, we hit land only to have on the approach to the beach a plastic sack picked up by the propeller on my boat, Pat got on shore and with a mobile signal called in, but before this two keen eyed lady’s had spotted me and had raised the alarm contacting the Coast Guard  they were informed that were there two boats and two men in yellow suits “Yes” We have been looking for them!! We then as you do, kindly put ourselves on their hospitality and you would not believe even if i told you just how kind and considerate they were as by the end of the evening they were feeding and looking after  6 of us. We enlisted the help of her son to get the boats back on the water and moved to a safe place for the evening.  

Local Coast Guard came down to see us and give us the biggest  “B------G” off our Life and with all this on board we have spent today Monday re thinking our plans re preparing the boats and making ready for a Wednesday start due to the weather conditions around lands end, tomorrow Tuesday we will test in the bay.

Will post up some photos as soon as we can get a good reception for up load.