I get by with a little help from my friends...

Saturday 18th April



Dawn on Saturday promised fair winds and a good day for sailing.  
I'd climbed the hill Friday afternoon to check the forecast - westerly 15 knots turning SW 20 knots in the afternoon.  Looked good to go.

I was the third boat to leave, and I weighed anchor soon after 0730 with a light westerly ghosting us though the heads.  Some strong katabatic winds around the high cliffs on the way to Cape Brett saw me first reef the main, then wind some turns in the Genoa as the wind continued to increase and turn northerly.  By the time I ranged off Piercy island it was blowing a full 20-25 kts and the seas were quite lumpy. 

Kalai seemed to relish the on the wind sailing, comfortably handling the conditions, but I was a little anxious as to what I might find around the point on a lee shore.

Sure enough the wind continued to increase and I listened again to the forecast ( If I'd heard it before I left i might not have!) Now they were issuing a strong winds advisory with 25-30 knots gusting 35, shifting to SW 25 kts after midday.

I had little choice but to continue - there, surprisingly, were no other boats out enjoying the autumnal breezes - not even any of the tourist vessels in sight...

A little apprehensive now, even though Kalai was still unperturbed I suddenly was startled by the loud "woosh" of a fast moving object a few feet away... first one and then a whole pod of dolphins swooped into my flank to reassure me that everything was OK - this was ideal weather for a bit of fun and play.  For the next hour or more we laughed and chatted as they swam alongside, literally within touching distance at times.  One in particular three times swam up close and then I swear winked at me as he barrel-rolled alongside the cockpit.  In twos and threes they sped upwind and would come hurtling back surfing in perfect symmetry as they shot under my bow.  

I was reefed down and doing 6-7 kts and they were doing several magnitudes faster, effortlessly and with amazing grace.

Absolutely marvellous - and what a gift of companionship and encouragement!.

I couldn't help but think back to Resurrection Sunday a couple of weeks back when my colleague Lynton sketched a dolphin at play as he told stories of the dolphin rescuing and saving people and of how the dolphin had come to be been seen since earliest times as a symbol of the Christ. The one who saves, the one who draws alongside, the one who guides us safely home.

Enough said!


Watch them here...

http://youtu.be/yd5qYss-QKA