MY CLOSEST CALL HAPPENED AS FOLLOWS:
I HAD JUST SAILED OFF THE ANCHOR FROM MATINICUS ISLAND (APPROACHES TO PENOBSCOT BAY) WITH A MODERATE SOUTHEAST BREEZE AND OCCASIONAL GUSTS. IT HAD BEEN FOGGY AS IT OFTEN IS OUT THERE BUT IT HAD BEEN CLEARING WITH INTERMITTENT FOG
PATCHES.
I WAS SAILING ON A REACH UNDER GENOA & MAIN WITH THE HELM ON AUTOPILOT WHICH I LEFT OCCASIONALLY TO MONITOR MY POSITION WITH THE GPS AND CHART BELOW. I HAD SET A COURSE TO CLEAR THE ROADSTEAD AND THE LARGE ROCK (OR ISLAND) THAT GOES BY THE NAME OF NO MANS LAND.
A GUST OF WIND HAD CAUSED ME TO GO OFF COURSE A BIT AND I KNEW I HAD TO RESET THE AUTOPILOT BUT SHORTLY THEREAFTER I NOTICED I HAD A SPILL IN THE CABIN.
I WENT BELOW TO CLEAN IT UP AND AFTERWARDS THOUGHT I SHOULD CHECK MY POSITION ON THE CHART WITH THE GPS. AS I PLOTTED OUT THE LAT AND LONG CO-ORDINATES I THOUGHT TO MYSELF- HMMM, ACCORDING TO THIS I SHOULD BE JUST ABOUT ON TOP OF...A HUGE ROCK! IMMEDIATELY I RAN UP ON DECK AND LOOKED AHEAD TO SEE A HUGE WALL OF GRANITE TOWERING OUT OF THE MISTS OVER MY 24 FOOT SLOOP SPEEDING TOWARDS IT AT ABOUT 5 KNOTS OR MORE.
I INSTANTLY GRABBED THE TILLER, PUT HER OVER AND CAME ABOUT WITH MY BOWSPRIT JUST INCHES AWAY FROM THE ROCKFACE. BEING AS CLOSE AS I WAS I EXPECTED TO AT LEAST GRIND MY KEEL INTO SOME OUTLYING LEDGES BUT BECAUSE THE WATER RAN DEEP RIGHT UP TO EDGE OF THIS THING NOTHING HAPPENED AND I SAILED AWAY UNSCATHED.
HOWEVER, I SPENT THE WHOLE DAY AS I SAILED UP PENOBSCOT BAY TRYING TO GET OVER HOW CLOSE I CAME TO DESTROYING MY BOAT THAT MORNING.