My attention was diverted away from the helm as I noticed something flopping about in the water 100 yards ahead. A fin? Two fins? No, they were wing tips attached to graceful and gliding manta rays. I called my wife Melanie and we turned off the engines to try and avoid frightening them off. We drifted slowly towards them to discover that our Privilege 435 catamaran, Rock ‘n’ no Roll, was surrounded by a family of them, eight in all.
Incredibly they seemed not the least bit bothered by us, cruising around gently in circles, just doing their thing.
Now stationary, I stripped off, donned mask and snorkel and slipped into the water with them. Wow! In front, beside and below, everywhere I looked, I could see one; this was magical. After a while they got inquisitive and glided gently straight towards me. It was a little intimidating having a 6ft wing span, huge white mouth and big beady eyes heading for you, but with a gentle flap of their wings they glided by. We spent about an hour with the mantas before they dived slowly into the deep and we said goodbye. Another magical moment to cherish and we felt it was an auspicious start to this new phase in our sailing adventure, although it wasn’t to last long.
Denne historien er fra January 2020-utgaven av Yachting Monthly.
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Denne historien er fra January 2020-utgaven av Yachting Monthly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Midsummer on Hanö
This wonderful little island in the south-east of Sweden is a real gem off the beaten track
ADVENTURE SAILING TO HAITI
After spending two months in the Dominican Republic, Andy Brown sails west to Haïti bringing medical and school supplies to the town of Mole Saint Nicholas
In celebration of bad sailing
New owner Monty Halls tests his sailing skills with his family aboard their Colvic 34 ketch, Sobek. A recently qualified Day Skipper, Monty faces a few unexpected challenges...
Winter brings excitement and opportunity
Oddity’s double glazing, insulation and heating create a warm, homely environment as I bash out this column.
ADVENTURE MAISIE GOES TO GOES
To depart or not to depart? That is the question. Is it safer to stay, or suffer the wind and weather of a rough North Sea?
'MAYDAY, GRANDAD OVERBOARD!'
When David Richards and his grandson Henry went out racing from lowey, they didn't expect their sail to end with a lifeboat rescue
VERTUE
For a 25-footer, the Vertue has a huge reputation and has conquered every ocean. So what makes this little boat quite such an enduring success? Nic Compton finds out
Sailing siblings
Mabel Stock, her brother Ralph, a friend Steve and an unnamed paying passenger passed through the Panama Canal in December 1919 on the sturdy Norwegian cutter Ogre. They were towed to a quiet anchorage in Balboa away from the boat traffic but within rowing distance of the shore.
TECHNICAL MAINSAIL MODIFICATIONS
Safety and performance improved hugely when Mike Reynolds reduced the size of his mainsail and re-configured the systems controlling it
PILOTAGE DONE PROPERLY
Chartplotters are an amazing aid, but can detract from your real-world pilotage if not used with caution, says Justin Morton
