Wow I still have 4 fingers!
NOT ONE FOR BEFORE BREAKFAST…..
The windlass is a dangerous place. Our danger stems from the fact that our now extended 100m chain won’t stack down the hauser so on retrieval it jams up on deck. Leaving Tobago Cays the chain jumped off the hauser as the anchor and last 10m of chain were on their way home. Down plunged 200lbs of anchor and chain and my reaction was to intervene. I have no idea what happened from thereon but it hurt a bit.I looked down and checked that I still had fingers where I expected them to be.
It would seem that a couple of links crushed my finger tip and cut me under the nail. Pain increased as the pressure behind the nail rose on the sail north. That didn’t stop us competing with the catamaran Rolanda and of course we had the few obligatory squalls. Meantime this thing hurt and I felt a little sick so I held a very cold can of coke for a while which was soothing. But my finger became s spirit level as a small pocket of trapped air moved around in the blood which kept coming. So there was no choice but to drill the nail. What with? I had a 3mm wood drill and I also got out a new left hand 3m HSS drill.
Should we divert to Bequia for the medical centre or carry on to Mustique?
Offshore Surgery now OPEN.
I made some progress with the wood drill but as we bounced to windward 
in the swell I lost my position and grip again and again. I was keen to get this done as I felt sure the pressure was my pain. Outcame the metal drill and I was able to cut a crater but that was it. We arrived at Mustique and after taking a buoy with no further sailing required the pain intensified. We headed for shore….and met Silver Slipper briefly before strolling into Basil’s Bar for a taxi.
Basil’s cousin, who happened to be collecting his fish takeaway, explained that he ran the doctor’s farm and would run me to the medical centre. I held his fish and away we went to the airport.
A cool young doctor from Brighton pulled up in his ambulance about 30 minutes later and into the clinic we went. Now I had strictly failed my single-handed sailor ‘I’ll sort it myself test’ so when he said I have a big sharp needle and we will have that done in no time I said ‘Can I do it’.
Back on form I finished my drilling job which with the right tools was simple enough. Of course the doctor bless him did have to say you should have seen the guy the other day who got his hand between his boat and the quayside which butterflied it open…..
Onto the Xray machine and indeed it is broken. So I have to walk round with my finger on my shoulder but it feels so much better.
The doctor gave me two painkillers. I realise now that the first was for the finger and the second stronger one was to be taken before getting the bill at Basil’s Bar.
