A dangerous thing, a love of the sea. Just after signing off from the Mudcat last night I was rung to be told that a good friend had gone down off the Shetland trying a single-handed round Britain voyage.
He's 55, has done the Atlantic single-handed and is a bloody good sailor, but it seem that on this, his last big adventure, the sea had got the better of him.
The wind was blowing up to Force 9 and the waves were 25ft and more. For an hour I honestly believed John was dead, his fabulous wife was a widow and he'd never see the third child she's carrying. Then the unbelievably good news came through that a coastguard helicopter had located his boat and was winching him up.
John's now OK, but I don't want to go through another hour like that. And, however romantic it is to travel under sail, thank god we now have EPIRBs and all the other gadgets and gizmos to make it that bit safer.