Real Sailing Heroes - 12:48 PM, Apr. 6, 2005

Added a couple of new names to my personal list of sailing greats; Ian and Grace Mackie.

I was working aboard on the hard on Monday but all battened down inside (typical Scottish spring weather) and had stopped for a cuppa. Nipped up into the cockpit for the milk and saw a chap and his son admiring the good ship Silkie. I said hello of course, one thing quickly led to another, and it transpired that he and his wife (who promptly appeared) had done an Atlantic circuit in their Hurley 22 Raggles prior to the birth of their son. Respect! I know that this has been done many times (there is a PBO article by John Simpson on the HOA website about preparing his H22 Miss Content) but to actually meet one of the intrepid crews was very exciting.

I immediately tried to embroil them in six pints at the Frog but sadly it could not be and they came aboard for 15 minutes or so. Ian seemed delighted to be aboard a 22 again and said all the right things about how beautiful she is and how seaworthy the long fin 22's are. He went so far as to say that if he was to repeat the experience he would far rather do it in Silkie than Scrabble (the Sun Odyssey 43 which towers over us in the yard) unless good weather could be guaranteed!

When asked how she had enjoyed the experience, his wife Grace said that it had been "wonderful" and that she "wouldn't have missed it for the world". Ian is clearly a man lucky in love as well as in sailing.

The time passed too quickly and so, desperate for an opportunity to hear more of their yarns, I invited them for a sail on Silkie "for old times sake" and we swapped numbers. They seemed keen on the idea and when we parted Ian said that he hoped I wouldn't mind if they actually took me up on my offer. I assured him I would be delighted if they did.

Fingers crossed!