Duncan Cameron's tale of misadventure going ashore in Havre Gosselin Sark.

Visiting Sark last summer in Border Reiver we picked up a buoy in Havre Gosselin. Wishing to go ashore we piled into the tender and motored to the steps on the shore, attaching the painter to a cleat on the steps. We were very careful to ensure that there was sufficient painter to allow for the fall of the tide so that on our return we wouldn't find the tender hanging from the steps. Unfortunately we omitted to consider the rising tide, and on our return several hours later, having had a splendid lunch - and a drink of course - we found the cleat, to which our tender was attached, some 2 metres below the surface of the water. We hadn't gone ashore equipped with snorkeling gear, so had no means of undoing the painter from the cleat. Our only option was therefore to get the tender near the steps and untie the painter from the tender prior to motoring back to the boat. Recovery of the painter was achieved some hours later after the tide had fallen. Our lesson was a very simple one, when tying up the tender ashore, don't forget that the tide rises as well as falls! Remember also that the tidal range in the Channel Islands can exceed 10m, so a 3m painter is not going to 'cut the mustard'

Duncan Cameron

Border Reiver