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Then things started going wrong!

As evening approached, and with about 1 1/2 hours to go Jackie discovered that the GPS was down and displaying a low voltage warning. A check confirmed both batteries showing low voltage. Jackie shouted to Dave to start the engine. From my bunk, a point in the boat to which I seemed to have become welded, I heard the sound of an engine not starting and a battery rapidly giving up. Then we gibed!

A shout of pain gave me the shot of adrenalin that I needed to move and I threw on my kit and appeared on deck. The main sheet had knocked Nicola from where she was sheltering under the sprayhood onto the cabin floor where she lay unconscious. I felt next shot of adrenalin. It doesn't stop you feeling sick, but it does get you off your butt! Nicola recovered consciousness quickly and we discovered her left arm had taken the impact of the sheet but was not broken. We moved her to her bunk where she put on a brave face.

In this particular boat, the diesel needed hand priming prior to starting it. I was beginning to function a little and explained to the helm how to prime the engine. I then went below and lined up both batteries to the engine. We tried again and away she went. Dave and Jackie were now looking worried and started running through our options as the swell was such that anchoring in Village Bay, the only real refuge at St Kilda, was looking marginal.

They were concerned that they were the only two fully fit crew members and they were getting tired. Also, we were out of VHF range for Stornoway Coastguard, the weather was worsening and it was beginning to get dark.

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