De Lage Landen

De Lage Landen’s Hallowe’en story

It was a dark and starless night. Aboard De Lage Landen starboard watch slept, warm and cosy in their bunks, while on deck port watch took turns at the helm, guiding the boat through black and heaving seas.

Storms were expected that night and earlier in the day the crew made preparations, checking and repairing lines and sheets, inspecting halyards and replacing spectre loops and strops around the boat. Below decks they took further precautions stowing most loose items and securing the rest as best they could.

The night wore on and the cold seeped in through the many layers of clothing, chilling to the bone. Port watch, two by two, went below for warmth. The wind began to rise and the rain to squall as the storm approached and came upon them. The man at the helm struggled to hold the course as the weather worsened.

When the shout went up that the reefing pennant was slipping in the jammer, 2 crew went forward ready to make it secure. The helmsman luffed up to de-power the main sail, and as he did so felt the wheel in his hand being pulled by a force far greater than in own, in the opposite direction, causing the boat to bear away instead of heading up. As the boat crash gybed, the crack as the preventer broke could be heard above the raging winds. The poled out head sail backed and ripped the car out of the track.

The cry went up, "Wake the skipper. All hands on deck" and starboard watch clawed their way out of sleep and into their foulies. In the dark and the rain figures moved around on deck, capturing the pole and bringing it safely to the deck. Just as it seemed that the crisis was over the boat gave a sudden lurch. The skipper, caught off balance fell towards the rail. A hand reached out and caught him by his life jacket and he scrambled back up the deck.

Down below, with hot drinks in their hands, the crew reviewed the night's events. Gradually they pieced the story together. Port watch were about to turn in for the night when the skipper looked up from his mug as said "By the way, who was it that caught me?" They looked from one to another. "Not me," they each said in turn.