Wet feet

I'm currently sitting in this internet cafe with very wet feet. Why? Well today's plan was to sail on one of the America's cup boats around Auckland harbour for a couple of hours and then come and write a few emails before leaving Auckland tomorrow. However, there was a small problem whilst out on the boat which is why I have very wet feet. No doubt you'll get two accounts of this tale. One from a pundit who knows nothing about sailing. The other from someone who's more authoratative on the whole matter. So, we head out of the harbour under engine power and once outside the harbour we stop and winch up the sails. Grinding proves quite hard work for the arms but the boat looks specatular. You all take turns to help crew the boat. We're sailing with the wind for a while and then we apparantly do a jibe turn and then yours truly is asked if she'd like to have a go at steering. All's going well. I comment to Stef that's it's not quite as exciting as I thought it was going to be. The boat is going a steady 12 knots and the boat is flat in the water. Everyone gets a go at steering so Stef takes over. The boat starts to tilt. Quite alot. We're not going any faster but it feels it and this is more like what I thought a sailing boat would feel like. Then there's a big bang. All's calm for about 30 seconds. Then a slightly alarmed crew member looks at another and asks, "Did we just lose our rudder?" Looking back and seeing it floating in the water I'd say the answer is yes. Stef is rugby tackled out the way and I soon learn that having no steering on such a boat ain't that much fun. We're steering just with the sails and the boat starts tilting even more so lots of water is coming over the side. Hence the wet feet. It fleetingly crosses my mind whether this could be a problem and I reassuringly feel my life vest. The water soon flows off the back of the boat. Nearly taking a few French passengers with it. That'll teach 'em to be laying casually at the back rather than partaking in the hard work up front :) Anyway, it all feels a bit chaotic for a while as the boat is turning one way then the other until they manage to stall the boat enough to drop the main sail, wrap up the front sail and set anchor. A passing policeman is flagged down who pulls up along side. The captain explains our predicament to which he responds "Excellent, well you're all getting your monies worth". Two rescue boats eventually arrive to take us back to shore. You might be mistaken for thinking the day's excitement was over. However, we happen to get on the "rescue" boat that is being driven by an adrenalin junky. Who asks "Are you guys in a hurry? Let's go and do some wake riding" This proves to be *alot* of fun!! So most of us return with a smile on our faces ready for a nice cold beer. A few others didn't enjoy the experience quite so much. Unfortunately one lady had a nasty cut to hear head and it turns out the french contingent had brought a bag on board with all their tickets, passports etc. in which, you guessed it, got washed out the back of the boat and is probably somewhere on the bottom of the harbour. Not sure how they'll be getting home. Being New Zealand the crew took it all in their stride and were excellent.