Seeing as we hadn't got much sailing in during the week due to work etc...we decided to do another early session down at marsamxett...(read more)

Up at 5.15...at the boat by 6 (still dark)...on the water by 6.30 (just getting light). It was only blowing about 17kts but the sea was massive. Leaving the Harbour we could already see big jets of white water shooting up Grand Harbour break water as the waves relentlessly pummelled the shore. 

We dared to head out. The sea was massive, easily 4 meters big and pretty steep. Most waves were breaking, white water everywhere. We flew upwind, weaving through the peaks and slamming back down so hard that the whole boat would shudder. There were a couple of wipe outs. We managed to navigate the boat pretty well through the breaking waves but every now and then we'd come face to face with a wall of water. Sharp jab on the tiller and big ease on the main, the bow just managed to miss this monster...then the whole world went white. The crashing wave falls on us out on the wire. Our world becomes a foaming, bubbling mess and all we can do is pray that our feet remain planted on the boat as our bodies are drowning in this foamy water. The boat hurtles on. We just about manage to stay with it. Take a sigh of relief. Now get ready for the next one.

At 8.30 we call it a day and head back in. Broken and battered by the sea, exhausted but smiling. What a rush. De-rigging the boat I decide to check the mast after all that slamming. I find the forestay hanging on by 3 instead of 4 wires. One had broken and started to unwind. It surely couldn't have withstood much more that pounding. 

Damn we're still lucky to have a rig...and a boat for that matter!