A Valentine's Day never to be forgotten

I mentioned yesterday a passage from Sailing to Purgatory about the Pancake Day I experienced in an enormous storm in the Southern Ocean on my very last voyage as a sailing professional.

Joan, from Edinburgh, reminds me of another reference in the book to the odd events of that weird day at the end of the last millennium. 'You were cheered up by quite an astonishing message, weren't

you,' Joan wrote.

'Go on, share that spot of romance with us on this very romantic day.'

I had broken my 'swallowing the anchor' voyage in the Madeira archipelago.

I met up with and enjoyed the company of two quite special sailors who were involved in the big cruise to distant ports, a dream that many people passionate about the sea and sails often undertake.

Became involved

Somehow, completely unintentionally, I became involved with the lady, Sofie.

When the shared feelings couldn't be hidden, I felt I should do the decent thing and leave before, well, before more serious things might happen.

I sailed off on my own, heading down towards the Doldrums, South Atlantic, Roaring Forties, and the Southern Ocean, en route for Cape Town.

A very odd send-off ceremony was held on a jetty that morning, with the boyfriend understandably hardly able to hide his enormous relief that I was going, with Sofie in rather an opposite mood.

Brilliant amateur radio by then encouraged emailing and at Sofie's prompting, we exchanged many messages.

Towards extraordinary desolation

This excerpt from Sailing to Purgatory takes up the story, as that odd expression goes ...

Continues on the blogs for my sailing adventure story, Sailing to Purgatory, at SailingToPurgatory.com