On Sunday 14th September I went out to the island in the afternoon at low tide. There was a bit of a swell and the South harbour was not usable. The East harbour was perfectly calm, as it usually is at low tide, so I put the boat in there. towards evening the swell was beginning to build up in that harbour, but I was not worried because the previous Tuesday we had had much stronger winds from the same direction (SE) and the boat was perfectly safe in the morning. However, when I checked before going to bed it was obvious that the boat was not safe. Waves were coming over the rocks, bouncing against the cliff and threatening to swamp the boat. I quickly grabbed some essentials and donned waterproofs, but by the time I got down to the boat she was already taking on water. Byt the time I had released the lines she was swamped, but I had to get her to quieter water, otherwise she would be lost by morning.

Even with a hole in the bottom she will float with about 9" of water in the bottom, but with no way to let the water out, it was coming  over the gunwales faster than it could get out, so she remained swamped. The bucket drifted out of reach before I could catch it. I managed to moor in quieter water, but was unable to empty the boat of water. I got the main engine started and (fatefully) cast off the mooring with the intention of getting into more shetlered water, but then the engine was swamped by a wave and finally cut out. The second engine was also swamped and would not start, so all I could do was fend the boat off the rocks as she was taken round the North side of the island, heading West towards the Atlantic. I anchored, but could see no alternative to calling the rescue services - the last thing I wanted to do. I had two mobile phones - one with no signal and a full battery, the other with a good signal and a low battery and was able to make the call on the latter before it died. I had flares on the boat, but was unfamiliar with them an could not get them to work and I'd left the VHF radio behind. I'd brought a torch, but it was lost in the bottom of the boat in the dark.

The helicopter found me pretty quickly and hovered overhead while the lifeboat came and took me off. I was glad to see them. Fortunately it was not a rough night, but I was still soaked from doing what I had to do.

Looking back, I have tried to think what I should have done differently.

• Firstly, any swell in the sea is more important than the wind. The East harbour is only safe at high tide if there is little swell and the South harbour is not safeat any state of the tide once a swell builds up. I would need to be able to get a boat out of the water altogether.
• Make sure to keep the VHF on board and know how to use the flares. (I do now!).
• Make a big flap in the stern of the boat to let the water out. If she'd had that, the engines would not have been swamped and I could have baled her out. (Next job).
• If I had not let go the mooring, I was only ten feet away from rocks that gave access to the shore. At the time, I was trying to keep off them, but I could have stepped ashore and gone back better prepared.