On our last morning in the Canal we descended Neptune’s Staircase (which took about 2 hours), passed through the road and rail swing bridges and entered the final reach that led to the basin at Corpach. Here we paused to buy provisions and fuel before exiting through the final sea lock. After 48 hours Shimshal was back in the salt water and the sails came out. Songlines, the Moody 42 that had accompanied us through the canal, sped off south under motor on her delivery mission. She was bound for Lymmington and brokerage.
We sailed as far as the Corran Narrows before the wind headed us and the motor came on. By now we were getting gusts to 35 knots and it was during one of these that our towed Zodiac flipped and buried its bow. As the tender submarined the painter, fortunately, broke before anything else.
