AQUAHOLIC

Nick Burnham: I abandoned ship and hopped in a taxi - 10 mins later I was tucked up in my big, comfy, and most of all, quiet and still bed at home!

- 

Fortunately, despite challenging conditions, Smuggler's Blues 2 has been far from immobile during the first half of this year. Prolonged easterly winds, which would have curtailed boating back when I berthed in Torbay, have meant that my Noss On Dart Marina river mooring's sheltered location came into its own, and some pleasant river runs were had. Then, the day before the late May bank holiday, the wind finally switched to a very breezy southwesterly offshore wind, albeit accompanied by grey clouds and cooler temperatures. Which was fortunate, as it was the weekend of the South West Sports Boat Rally. I've attended this event for a decade now and it's always great fun with great people. I battled round to Torquay on Saturday morning, staying close inshore to take advantage of the natural shelter, and joined friends Greg and Sally ab