Wind NE force 4 to 5 dropping to force 3, visibility mod to good. HW 17.05 BST height 5.7m

The water was just lapping around the Three Brothers when Jack and I arrived. I went to the dinghy rack and with the help of Ian Johnson took the dinghy to the yachting steps and launched it. The water had not covered the ground under the Chicken Run so the dinghy had to be lifted across to the north side. I rowed across to the Three Brothers where Albert Brownhill and Jack were waiting on the Quayside.

The head rope was loosened and the stern brought to the quay.

The Pirate Boat was arranged for a tow and the ropes and sails got ready. The wind was supposed to be dropping to a force 3 but 5 reeves were put in the main sail and the storm jib deployed. The rudder could not be positioned until the Pirate Boat had towed us into the middle of the harbour, and then we proceeded to the harbour entrance.

The tow was dropped a short distance from the harbour after avoiding the Yorkshire Belle. We set the bowsprit and I started to pull the jib sail out when the wind caught it and blew it right off the end of the bowsprit and into the sea. By the time we had retrieved the sail and repositioned it, the wind and tide had pushed us southwards level with the sewage pumping station. The main sail was then hauled up and progress was made in an easterly direction.

We passed on the shoreward side of the south outfall buoy and continued on a course as close to the wind as possible towards Flamborough Head. When the buoy was in the distance, and Ebor Flats looked like a matchbox on end, we attempted to go about but the Three Brothers was having none of it. After five attempts we dropped the main sail and jibed around. When the main sail had been raised we were well south of the outfall buoy again! With bubbles racing behind us we sailed a slightly erratic course towards the harbour. The wind started to drop as we came under the land shadow so we turned towards Flamborough Head again. Steady progress was made towards the North Bay as we passed between the pumping station and the outfall buoy.

When we were north of the harbour we attempted to turn and were successful at the third attempt and we raced shoreward towards Trinity Cut. The harbour entrance was approached but the wind and tide continued to push us southwards so we turned again towards the Headland.

The Pirate Boat came alongside and we accepted a tow back to our berth, which was completed in a very quick time.

The sails and ropes were packed away and the crew put safely back onshore just after 5.00pm.

Three Brothers crew: Albert Brownhill, Frank Bull, Ian Johnson, Ian and Jack Thompson.

Photos by Ian Thompson

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Contact michael.wilson@tesco.net for further information.