I bounded through the companionway expecting to see a kid's kite caught in the rigging. WRONG !! It was a HUGE kite-wing from a kite boarder. He was trying "sail" through the fleet of anchored boats in the Tobago Keys. He lost control and flew his kite directly into Persephone; wrapping the rigging of the kite wing (including the harness) around the upper two-thirds of Persephone's mast !! The rigging lines of the wing (sort of looks like a parachute) was wrapped around the second spreader, and the rest of the lines were wrapped around the masthead. The wing was blowing in the wind about 40 feet behind Persephone and about 50 feet off the water.
WTF !!! I examined the situation and realized that something had to be done; and fast. The immediate issue was preventing damage to the instruments at the top of the mast. Steve and Janice (sv Sailacious) arrived by dinghy with their mouths literally wide open in amazement. We discussed THE PLAN… Now, you all know how I feel about heights….I would rather have a quadruple root canal without Novocain than go up the mast. Simply, I don't do heights, nada, never, no way…but the wing had to be cut down; and soon.
So, with mucho bravado I rigged the bosom chair for the assent up the mast. I rigged the chair, attached a safety line, swallowed heavily, and Steve winched me up the mast to about 30 feet. Did I mention the wind and the approaching squall ? The wind was blowing 20+ knots and the boat was rolling side to side in the swells. My legs were tightly wrapped around the mast to prevent me from becoming a human pendulum as the boat rocked side to side in the waves. I brought a boat hook with me and was able to hook the rigging of the kite-wing and pull it from the spreader end. The pole jammed and started to bend due to the pressure of the wind on the flogging wing…."Look out below", I yelled as I released the pole. The pole sprung free, and was propelled 50 feet into the air and nearly 100 feet behind Persephone where it landed in the water (at least this time I had bought a floating pole…recall the anchoring dilemma in St. Lucia last year ? ). The wing was partially freed; but continued to stream straight back as it was still wrapped around the very top of the mast., I just didn't have the testicular fortitude to go to the top of the mast in the wind and waves. (I don't leave the deck in the BEST of conditions….what the hell was I doing dangling between the first and second spreader 30 + feet in the air ? )
As I was hanging around (literally), a crew of charter boaters who we had met in Saltwhistle Bay arrived by dinghy and offered to help. One of the crew was a mountain climber and offered to go aloft. "NO problem" …I gasped in relief. "Steve, get me down "!
As Steve lowered me to the deck the wind increased as the squall approached….it just wasn't safe for anyone to be up the mast with the boat rolling in the wind generated waves. As we were re-working THE PLAN, POP !! the rigging line on the wing broke and the whole rig streamed free of Persephone . Free at last, free at last !! The last I saw was the wing flying toward Union Island….I never looked back.
Being a bit shaken from my aerial acrobatics, I darted below and reappeared with shot glasses, a nice bottle of rum, and beers for all. We (all 6 of us) retired to the cockpit to toast the squall (and for me to settle my frayed nerves). This is the first time I know of that a sailor toasted a squall !
About a year ago, Lynn and Ken on 'Silver Heels III' changed 'Persephone's name to "Flypaper". The change of name was due to the uncanny number of boats that anchor way to close to ' Persephone'. 'Persephone' could be the only boat in a wide open anchorage and the only other boat (usually French flagged) will drop it's anchor 15 feet away. When asked to anchor further away, the offending boat usually puts out fenders, and gives me the finger….thus, the moniker "Flypaper".
The name "Flypaper" now has a whole new literal meaning…. it gets things with wings stuck in the rigging….could the name be any more perfect ?
Capt. Dave
Dave - was the kite surfer French?
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