So what of Henry the crazy sailor, my ex canoe partner , I hear you ask.

Well, he’s now on a sand bank in Folkstone, having crashed again, got a hole and almost sunk.

He’s lost 2 phones, a ( new )  ipad and   his Ship to Shore emergency  VHF radio, all having been dropped into the Solent ( bit of ocean between England and The Isle of Wight ). That in itself takes some doing, especially whilst not actually sailing anywhere…

He’s waiting for the rising tide to lift him off apparently. Hopefully he’ll remember then that he has to pull his anchor up onto the top of the boat, rather than just sail along dragging it behind him. Who knows? He holed the boat by crashing into a World War 2 harbour, just below sea level. I’m no sailor…. but I imagine there are bouys in the vicinity, and certainly charts that tell you where rocks and harbours are….and possibly even waves crashing over submerged rocks to give you a clue too? As well as mermaids sitting on the rocks in the evenings.

Anyway, bizarrely he’s now heading east, to ‘ go round the world ‘ rather than the obvious west.

Would you head out to the Atlantic for certain death if you couldn’t sail, or head towards France, and try to cross the Channel where it’s narrowest? My sailor buddy, Ian , had this to say –

‘Wight Cat ( his boat ) wasn’t in Colwell when I sailed past so assumed he / it had sunk and / or he’d moved on and sunk. Sounds like the latter is more accurate! I’m all up for people starting new adventures but the RNLI will go bust if they have to rescue him again! I’d like to remain optimistic about his future, especially as it sounds like he’s going to do some courses and get some qualifications. He still needs time on the water under sail – and a lot of it practicing his sailing and navigation skills. V odd that he’s gone east to Folkestone – presumably because he thinks it’s easier to get to France by crossing from Dover to Calais being the narrowest and therefore shortest distance. In theory correct but it’s also the busiest narrow stretch of commercial seaway in the world with merchant ships the size of small islands and killer tides pushing him east or west up to 2 to 5 miles east or west each hour! We can but hope the repair to his hull fails, Wight Cat sinks and he gets off safe and sound before she becomes another wreck in the English Channel. ⛵🌊☠‘

There you go then – the words from Captain ( Ian C ) Haddock.

Our ‘enry is gonna die whether he goes East or West, I’d venture.

There are parallels between Enry and I, my one time kayak partner,  i feel. Both of us were on paths of success, both happy, both definitely not ‘ average in character ‘ but both reckless in nature.

For us both, the wheels fell off one day. For sure in very different ways, and only one of us woke up next to a dead boyfriend. The other almost didn’t wake up at all, a few times. Both of us have tried suicide ( me properly, him I don’t know- 2 overdoses apparently ).

Now one of us is probably going to be ok, but the other is seemingly intent on dying ( through a disregard for his own safety ).

I’d forgive you for not being sure which one of us is which.