Saturday 10 May 2008

Seaworthiness


Looked at in a harsh, rational light Onawind Blue might not be the most seaworthy boat; with her light weight, flat bottom and low freeboard high seas and wind will obviously be challenging. But I’d rather be in a blow at sea in OB than in some of the squid fishing boats tied up in Tarragona’s port.

Patched and repaired and listing, if their engines have received as much care as the hulls I don’t know how far I’d like to trust them and as for auxiliary power, well some of them have oars, some only one, some more, but none seem to have an even number of thole pins.


I grapple with how to propel this one, with three oars and a solitary pin I imagine she makes an unhandy rowboat.
When sailing to Formentera I repeatedly heard an advisory over channel 16, all craft were requested to look out for and assist a boat adrift south of the Ebro delta. I wonder if it was one of this lot.

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