Capsize

There was a reasonable tide and some exhilarating wind today so I nipped out in the afternoon for an hour's sailing, and it was brilliant - I was even having to hang over the side to keep it upright, and storming along at oh, a good four knots. But in a sudden gust, I capsized. All of a sudden I thought "Oh - OH!" to myself and then I sat in the sea wondering why I wasn't sinking even though I couldn't touch the bottom, and I realised that's what they make you put a buoyancy aid on for. And far from panicking, I went all calm and started thinking "Right, this is what I have to do" and went about doing it, merely wishing the sea wasn't quite so cold and the bailer was a bit more voluminous and wondering when I dared climb aboard again. I was amazed at how long it takes to bail all the water out of a tiny boat like an Optimist. Now I have to repair the sail, because the poley-gaffy-thing got twizzled up round the mast and stabbed a hole through it. And I must have turned turtle, or else the sea is shallower than I thought, since there was mud on the top of the poley thing when I got back. Had to sail round looking for my bits of foam, too, which had all floated off. (I have bits of foam to kneel on, cos I'm old and wimpy.) And my holey soleys stayed on and my glasses stayed on and my hat stayed on and the bailer stayed attached to the boat so everything went right, insomuch as it can given the circumstances. -

Right, how d'you know I'm not a Proper Sailor? - cos I don't know what the name of the poley-gaffy-thing is. It's probably called a garboard strake or a bosun or something. -