As always, nature has to be respected, whether it is the herculean strength of the sea or the fickle wind.

I went sailing yesterday afternoon in conditions I found a little doubtful, but at the same time as a sailing class for youngsters on catamarans taken by a highly experienced sailing instructor, someone I know and greatly esteem. A Zodiac with a 50 HP engine in the neighbourhood is reassuring. So, even if I would get a 20-knot gust from time to time, the conditions were quite good. When you get such a gust, you just release both sails and push the tiller over, which heaves the boat to, and you just wait out the gust. It is a bit wearing on the sails and rigging, as they flap wildly in the wind, boom violently swinging back and forth – but it saves a capsize and a bath!

The sails of the catamarans were not reefed. We were all aware that stormy conditions were not far away, and we are all trained to recognise cloud formations and the warning signs. I would not have gone out alone – this is why we look eagle-eyed at the weather forecast and the conditions we find.

Out of a sense of precaution, I decided that 4.30 pm was time to put in and beach the boat, which I did. I was closely followed by the four catamarans and the accompanying Zodiac. The clouds were gathering, but we were all safely on the beach. I took down my sails and went to fetch the launching trolley. As I approached my boat, the wind whipped up to about what you feel riding a motorcycle at top speed on a motorway. Such a speed would be above 90-100 kilometres per hour or about 40 knots. It made lines in the wet sand and whipped the sea up into foam. My boat started to blow over, which could have damaged the rig, so I reached it in time and pointed it into the wind. The sails were already down and stowed. Three of the beached catamarans, also unrigged, were blown over. They are fairly heavy craft and hardly capsize at sea unless you really want to! I helped to right them. “I’ll pick up the mast. You turn the boat into the wind”. Then the boats were righted without any damage. I said to the instructor “Good job we weren’t at sea!”. “Yes, we would all have gone over”.

The gust lasted for a short time, but remained strong as the clouds came in from the north-west. It settled down to 15-20 knots. We hauled our boats off the beach and packed everything up.

It was a close one! Winds like that are terrifying, and my heart goes out to the people of New Orleans being blown out by a hurricane. Man is no match for God and nature, for the terrifying force of the wind and the sea. As always, the sea teaches us modesty.