Pritchard Windsurfing

Are you training to become a Somalia Pirate :)?

WATCH OUT! those ships can cause serious wind shadows and funky current patterns that literally draw you in close and suck your rig underneath while at their moorings. Don't ask how I know.

Oh come on Kieth, tell us a story..

I went out for a closer look at one...just like you. Unfortunately, my windsurfing talents aren\\\'t as good.  
 
I was schlogging along, keeping my distance, until I\\\'d seen enough. I tacked to go back to shore, and promptly fell in (Funny how you never make \\\'em when it really matters!). 
 
Anyhow, the current in the harbor was ripping. So strong that the ship pointed with the current, instead of weathervaning...the huge hull blocking the wind over what seemed like a football—field-length swath of the harbor.  
 
So thanks to the current, before i knew it I was in a wind line, then the wind shadow created by the ship. It started taking me closer...closer to the huge rusted hulking behemouth. And I was powerless. 
 
Within a minute or two i was looking straight up...like VERTICALLY up!...the side of the ship.  
 
My bro saw this and sailed over to help...like a hero or s

Unfortunately, the \\\"Hero\\\" quickly turned into \\\"the Just as Helpless.\\\"  
 
He sailed over to the bow area, grabbed the anchor chain with one arm, I think, while holding his (actually my) rig with the other. 
 
Realizing he was now in a worse position than me, he let go the chain. Unfortunately, the ship did not let go of him.  
 
What happens next is a little sketchy. I didn\\\'t really see what was going on, but my friend said after he let go, the current took him literally right to the bow...and started sucking him under.  
 
He said he was hanging on for dear life to the bow of the ship, as the water literally pulled the sail and partially the board underneath it.  
 
He was rescued by the crew, who as luck would have it, were just happening by in their launch boat. 
 
My friend got a real good scare. He was looking pretty frazzled

The crew on the launch were just laughing, glad to be in port I guess, and had no idea what had happened to my poor friend  
 
The irony is the whole time I was just chilling amidships checking out the hull...safe and sound. 
 
Guess I owe him a few rounds! For sure.

Wow that sounds scary.. a good story.. would love to hear his side of it..

Amazin story, is a thril to read it :)