Margaret and I planned to sail our Wanderer Rhapsody in Blue to Fell Foot 5 miles from Ferry Nab, a beat all the way, wind speed about 16 miles per hour but gusting. The approach to Fell Foot at the southern end of the lake is crowded with moored boats making finding the landing stages a bit difficult, especially when one of the small ferries is hard astern as we approach. So we sail to pass her bow giving the ferry passengers a surprise. During our lunch stop here we notice a number of buoys, orange and yellow, where the lake flows out into a river. We watch as a small motorboat lines up to use the buoys as channel markers. So, lunch finished, we beat between the yellow and orange marks, the centreboard finding the bottom when tacking just outside the channel. The river then opens up, taking a wide bend to the right then left; there is a railway track on the right, reeds on the other. We pass some moored boats then a little bit further along Newby bridge comes into view with a hotel on the right bank. Here an old notice warns of a weir ahead.

In very little wind due to the tree cover, we turn around to head back but we are still heading for the bridge only this time going astern: a current has us! Quick use is made of the oars and we are on our way, back through the channel to the lake. Now it's a long run making our way back to Ferry Nab, the sun is shining and the wind seems to have dropped a little. With the main out to port, the genoa to starboard, and Margaret sitting on the thwart in the middle and I on the starboard side forward at the thwart. Suddenly the boat heels to starboard, and I try to get over to the other side, but Margaret is alongside me and we are both tipped into the water. I swim around the stern and grab hold of the centreboard, pulling it all the way out (we were on a run and it was partly up). As I'm climbing on to the board the boat quickly inverts and I find myself standing on the hull, Margaret is by the side of the boat in the water. As I start to right it, the boat to my horror comes round, so that when I get the mast and main sail on the surface they are pointing to windward instead of my intention to leeward. Inevitably as I right her the wind lifts the sail, I clamber in as she comes up and make for the other side, but she capsizes again. Once again I find myself on top of the hull. Margaret is still in the water I am thinking she must be getting cold. (We are both wearing waterproofs and buoyancy aids but not wet suits or dry suits, just a shirt, fleece and trousers under our waterproofs. The water temperature is 13deg C). A motorboat arrives, we are asked if help is required, I say Yes please. Margaret swims and climbs on board the motorboat. It's decided one of the motorboat crew will change into his wet suit and come and help me to right the boat.

As he tries to stand on the hull he immediately falls off. He is in his bare feet and cannot get a grip on the hull. When I right the boat this time she stays upright. I think the motorboat is alongside, or came alongside shortly after righting. I am in the water but my helper climbs aboard and starts to bail with the bucket. I'm starting to feel cold and try to climb in but I can't without help. Once in the boat I furl the genoa and take over the bailing to keep warm. Now out of the water, I feel warmer because of the warm south wind. With most of the water out I sail on the reach with the bailers down to get rid of more water.

Back on the run now with my new crew, and just under main and the motorboat following close astern. After a short while I am asked if I would like a tow, as there's still a long way to go, so I say Yes please. We are towed all the way back to Ferry Nab. The motorboat crew tell us how sad they are because of 10mph speed limit and that they can't water ski. I suggest an alterative venue, but they like Windermere. They say they have decided to learn to sail.

Lessons Learnt

I now have a new mainsail with a flotation bag fixed; I don't want to have an inversion capsize again. (Masthead buoyancy is recommended by the WCOA. Wanderers, like most other sailing dinghies, may invert after capsize. Masthead buoyancy avoids this and aids righting significantly.) I'm going to fit two U bolts either side with a 12mm rope led aft and attached to the hull with Velcro so that they can be easily pulled off and used to right the boat. Maybe I could form a loop with the rope by reaching in and jamming it in the jib fairlead and using it as a step to get over the side of the boat? A fellow Wanderer sailor at Windermere suggested never sailing dead down wind but at an angle, like some high performance racing dinghies do. I now make sure everything is tied in to the boat.