Thanks Warby, thats a wonderful picture. Had NO idea you were there. Just shows you can be "snapped" without knowing!
Warby also informed me that some random person was "less than kind" on Facebook, regarding my non towing of a stricken yacht off our port beam when this was taken - perhaps?. Sparkle is currently floating low due to my deliberate mistake of forgetting the drain bung so that Jack could notice "The floors deep in water pops"! Replace and bilge pump OUT, as per New York water tenders. I noticed the craft slewed rather in the STIFF breeze and some waves.
For the RECORD---(because I was THERE----)
Cruising back past Portmerion a yacht was spied waving. I stopped and switched off.
The elderly couple had lost their rudder and were about 150 yards off Portmerion.
He asked for a tow BACK to Porthmadog into the teeth of a 20 mph wind perhaps 3-4 miles over sand bars I have no knowledge.
He did not want to go 150 yards into Portmerion as it "had rocks".
I declared - "certainly not as I would not endanger both our craft and four passengers to avoid loss of face----
I asked him if he wanted a tow into shore, but he declined asking me to "hold off" and take over should they not manage to row into the bank.
This they finally did with me avoiding being blown onto the rockie shore and adding another maritime problem into the mix.
(Rule No 1- don't end up ADDING to the problems)
It is not for me to criticise this mans equipment, or approach to how he made land fall or behaved afterwards, I just held back ready to step in should things have deteriorated. They didn't.
I
called out "advice" to help them extricate their mast and rigging from the overhead tree branches so their boat was sent out to sea, away, then pulled towards Portmerion, when a repeat was needed for their incremental journey!About 45 mins in total. I then asked if I was "released" and he thanked me , took photos of us, and away we went (eventually) following such an extended floatation and into the teeth of what was forecast as an increasing head wind.
Its a sad reflection that some onlooker, made totally erroneous, unkind assumptions, knowing nothing of the facts, but still found time to be unpleasant. I guess its just the times we live in. I NEVER do Facebook for THIS and 100 other reasons. I have pictures of the whole thing but my Iphone won't play ball today!