SARAH SMITH
FAMILY AFLOAT PART IV
Having finally left the UK for
A Coruña
a new life afloat with her
husband and two children, Laxe
Sarah Smith discovers that,
when cruising, you should
Camariñas
always be prepared for
the unexpected.
Muros
Noia
Ria de
Arousa
Vilagarcia
Vigo
Baiona
Sauntering
do.alt5
w
n.end t
h.alt
e.end S
p
a.alt
n.alt
i.alt3
s.alt3h.end coa.alt2
s.alt
t.end

W
e left La Coruña in early nothing happened and we simply carried the locking nut holding it on must have
July and, since there wasn’t on bobbing. We had a team meeting to go sheared. While we were going ahead it
a breath of wind, set out to through the possibilities. Had the Morse was OK, but as soon as David put it into
motor the 32 or so miles to control cable snapped? Had the gearbox astern, it just wound itself off.
Laxe, seduced by the photo in the pilot packed up? We checked the engine room David and Lawrence had a good snorkel
book. Even being on a bouncy pontoon to see if anything had come adrift in there around our swinging circle to look for the
hadn’t prepared our sea legs and Beth and – but it was all fine. offending item, but the water was just a
Bryn were being sick within 15 minutes of Since there was no prop wash – perhaps bit too deep to see anything on the bottom.
leaving the harbour. Unusually, I too was we’d picked up another rope around the We tried locating a diver to have a look
green for the following few hours. prop? Lawrence went over the side to for us, but our Spanish just wasn’t up to
Luckily it only takes a few dolphins investigate and promptly came back with it (although we now know the Spanish
and the sight of a new bay with a beach to the answer. Er, there was no prop wash for propeller). We had a spare two-blade
explore and the kids forget how much they because there was no prop. folding ‘hélice’ on board, but it has eight
hate life at sea. Now, we knew we had a prop when we pieces and a handful of screws, so can’t
We motored into the photo in the pilot left La Coruña – it must have been what be fitted under snorkel power.
book and prepared to drop anchor. Letting got us to Laxe. We’d removed it to fix the There was a 16T hoist in the harbour,
out the anchor and some chain, David leg in Neyland, so it hadn’t been neglected but it only had 5T wires and lifting strops.
put the engine astern to set the anchor – it had been lovingly greased and refitted Eventually (after many team meetings and
and – nothing happened – we just bobbed. while the boat was on the hard. We came beers) we gave in and ordered a new prop
We tried to go ahead instead, but still to the conclusion that the split pin through to be couriered out to us.
86 Sailing Today July 09
ST147 Family4 RE.indd 102 12/5/09 18:30:25
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