Howdy All: Bruce's always interesting saga is somewhat surprising this time, with the news of the tired tupperware sloop in the photos from Grenada thrashing about in the face of an eastern blow between Papa Stronsay and Stronsay. It is interesting to note how often an honest mistake in judgement, can quickly endanger lives, and when the cry for help goes out, the numbers of people at risk multiplies. Far too often innocent lives are lost. In performing the post mortem on this interesting harbour front close call, there seems to be a few things stuck in my mind. I recall that piece of water between Papa Stronsay and Stronsay, when I stayed on Papa Stronsay, and a big east blow with convoluted seas in that location, would be for me easy to imagine. Bruce, the first thing that I was wondering, is if indeed it was a situation with a south east gale backing to east. That sort of pattern would make the harbour there like a dishwasher in full thrust wash mode, with seas thrashing on both ends of Papa Stronsay. I recall that Papa Stronsay while providing some protection indeed, is far enough off with a wide gap on the south end and a much wider gap on the north end. I recall that the ferry service seemed to use the north gap entrance to Whitehall, from the vantage point of my stone cabin on the shore at Papa Stronsay. When we flew in our north, one of the tricks of the trade of a float- plane pilot, was to seek out proper protected shores in a given gale, to secure "down" weather refuge, to ensure that in the case of a wind shift, the butt was covered. What is perplexing, is for a wind to be well established in a weather pattern to be backing, or turning more to counterclockwise, would indicate in the northern hemisphere, a significant low passing from north west to south east, located south of the location of the incident. This type of predictable condition, would be evident on weather charts and isotherm plotting on all the usual relatively inexpensive equipment usual to smaller sailboats such as the one involved in this case. Basically, as I recall, in the northern hemisphere, when you turn your back to the wind, the low is on your left, and our patterns of weather cross from nw to se. Thus, the question in my mind is this: Why would someone wanting to ride out criss crossed seas and a south east to east gale, park his boat on the east side of Stronsay or the leeward shore? I recall when on a delightful tour with Bruce, the whacking great bays on the west side of the island, and those amazing sugar sand beaches. To drop the hook and wait out the backing winds and the arrival of a calming system in the weather, would seem to have been easier had the lad from Grenada gone to the protected side of the island or the windward shore, perhaps in that north bay where the beaches are. This would have provided a secure hook for his anchor, without the thrashing which yanked his windlass overboard as his nose popped up and down like a cork. Somehow the whole thing, as in so many of these cases, gets it's footing on a big chunk of bad planning. The variable is a freak unpredicted squall, but in this case, it would appear from Bruce's evidence, that the winds were sustained, and when they started a backing process to east from south east, one could visualize the departing low pressure trough to the south of that location, moving to east before they would subside. Thus, the alternative to this risk of nine lives, including our friend Bruce, was to simply recognize the weather risks as predicted and anticipated by those in Orkney charges with that reporting responsibility, on the marine channels and the satellite broadcasts. The second issue is as old as Treasure Island, where a prudent captain taking shelter, would do so on the windward shore of a protective island. This skipper chose the leeward shore, downwind from his boat off Stronsay that night, the existence of wee Papa Stronsay notwithstanding. It would have taken no time to run with the winds abaft the beam in a following sea, that short distance around the corner on either end of Stronsay to the vast quiet bays on the west of Stronsay in that condition. If there is a reason beyond pilot error why this was not the option pursued, it would be interesting to know what it was. Many a sea captain in the Caribbean made this shore selection error, and I often wear a pieces-of-eight from the conception (1642) which reminds me of this. Indeed the famous 1715 fleet was a lee shore disaster of mammoth proportions, albeit in hurricane winds. My partner crashed his cessna 185 float-plane while moose hunting in a remote area of northern Ontario on a moose hunting trip, in 1986. It was pilot error. His plane was destroyed, his three passengers badly smacked up, and he was burned and suffered severe damage to one hand and arm. Then, when the air rescue squadron was engaged, one of the sky diving paramedics got tangled up on a spruce tree, and badly broke his leg. Oddly, this happened too about the third week of October. Point is, this little boating saga could have been so much worse. The other point is, in boats and planes operating in tricky weather, the skipper always has to be thinking about emergency strategies and those other three things....safety, safety and safety. Seems to me that the visitor from Grenada wasn't paying attention to some very basic rules. Most skippers would have struck out for the windward shore in the sugar sand beach bay. I am just glad, in reading the saga, that our friend Bruce didn't end up in the drink that night, as the rescue boat flipped end for end, and wallowed in those combative waves and driving winds. This little "event" could indeed have produced a serious consequence, for those on the aged tupperware Grenadanada sloop, for the captain and crew of the rescue helicopter, or for the crew of the rescue zodiac, including our good friend Bruce. So, what type of person would leave the comfort of his heated rover to jump into a rescue zodiac in a raging sea, to help a little sailboat crew flailing about in the face of danger? Well, I've met Bruce, and he is exactly that type of unselfish person. Good on ya Bruce! Steve From Canada From "the Shipwreck" by William Falconer, we can see the threats of that leeward shore, and the decision to avoid it. go, and haul!” ’T is the last command, In dark suspense on deck the pilots stand, Nor can determine on the next command : Though still they knew the vessel's armed side Impenetrable to the clasping tide ; Though still the waters by no secret wound A passage to her deep recesses found ; Surrounding evils yet they ponder o'er, A storm, a dangerous sea, and leeward shore ! ** Should they, though reefed, again their sails extend, Again in shivering streamers they may rend; !” ’T is the last command, And the head-sails fill to the blast once more: Astern and to leeward lies the land, With its breakers white on the shingly shore.And the head-sails fill to the blast once more: Astern and to leeward lies the land, With its breakers white on the shingly shore.et go, and haul!” ’T is the last command, And the head-sails fill to the blast once more: Astern and to leeward lies the land, With its breakers white on the shingly shore.et go, and haul!” ’T is the last command, And the head-“Let go, and haul!” ’T is the last command, And the head-sails fill to the blast once more: Astern and to leeward lies the land, With its breakers white on the shingly shore.sails fill to the blast once more: Astern and to leeward lies the land, With its breakers white on the shingly shore.

I must point out that it certainly wasn't me that took part in the rescue!  It was Bill Miller (local fisherman) who took part and it was Bill that wrote the item in my blog. The lifeboat is a bit more substantial than a zodiac too - see http://www.rnli.org.uk/rnli_near_you/scotland/stations/kirkwallorkney Bruce