Final bit.
As I mentioned before, for you meteorologist types, there is a reason why wind starts to gradual increase over a given period. It usually means there is one mother of a storm following it.
I had been tied up to the outside wall of the nearest marina to the entrance. The mooring lines I had were a bit on the knackered side but I was there. Job well and truly completed. But, before the coasties left, they mentioned something in passing. "You might want to get battened down and check your lines, there's a bit of a thunderstorm on it's way later". Later turned out to be about fifteen minutes. Like a sensible chap, I got the sails stowed and the covers on and ran out a few more lines I could find. "OK, lets go find Mac and get some food and a damn drink, I got a throat like a camels ass in a sandstorm" I said to myself. I said it to myself because there was nobody else there and I tend to ramble to myself like an idiot. I had no real clue where I was so I just set off following the road nearest the creek. I'd gone about half a mile when it started. First the wind, then those huge drops of rain like some elephant is crapping on your head. I turned round and ran. By the time I got to the boat she was leaping about in the water like a salmon on crack. I jumped aboard and slammed the hatch cover over. Then I heard the grinding. We were getting pounded up the transom by huge waves that were lifting us up and dropping us like a rock. At the same time the side of the boat was grinding against the wall. No fenders. Shit. I grabbed one of the couch cushions and sprang outside. Sprang as in ripping my legs to shreds as I missed and slid down the steep steps. Got back up and got outside. It was howling now and the rain was just some old dude throwing buckets of water at me. I was totally soaked to the skin. I rammed the cushion between the boat and the wall and for about an hour sat there playing human fender.I decided I felt a bit of a nipple sat out in the rain like that so I dragged one of the jib sheets down and tied the cushion to that. Then, the only bit of safety equipment worth showing the coasties, my horseshoe life ring got rammed in there as a fender too. I got back inside and Mystic and myself spent the next couple of hours flying up and down and holding onto each other. If you ever fancy paying a few thousand to go to Disney, forget it. Just get a ride on a boat tied to a wall in a storm. an experience for all the family.
Final final part later