A man in three boats

Gilbert Park has a white knuckle experience saving three boats from Storm Eunice

- Gilbert Park

Storm Eunice hit the UK on 18 February with the highest winds ever recorded in England at 122mph at the Needles, Isle of Wight. That’s literally off the scale: the Beaufort scale stops at 12 with a maximum speed of 83mph.

I live at the top of Chichester Harbour right on the water’s edge. The highest windspeed (Force 11 at Chichester Bar) occurred about lunchtime, at the same time as a spring tide.

The slip at the end of my road was being blasted by high waves and winds. The wall where many boats are moored is around a corner. Although still blasted by the wind the waves were not as violent. The storm was well forecasted and there was plenty of time to prepare.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gilbert Park has been a keen sailor for the past 45 years. Before retirement he was an Intensive Care Consultant in London, and a Director of Intensive Care. He held many other positions including non-executive director of the organisation’s Organ Donation and Transplantation, and was also in the Royal Army Medical Corps.

Indeed, the day before had been windy (Storm Dudley had just passed through) and a small rowing boat broke away from its mooring. I’d been watching this boat for many months filling with water or ripping its rubbing strakes off. It seemed nobody cared for it. Fortunately, as it broke I was thinking about taking my rowing boat round to the slip so I had oars and a lifejacket ready. Off I went to try and get it. At the time it was blowing a Force 6 according to Chimet.

Bailing water