line. Then suddenly he was shouting at her: ‘Stay sitting down!’ He was at the wheel, holding on firmly, whilst shouting instructions to Ed about the sails.
‘We need to gybe – now!’
Ed seemed to be confused and was pulling on one line, as Greg kept telling him it was the wrong one, then yelling more instructions, but it was so windy Ed could hardly hear him. The sail started to flap violently in the wind.
‘Christ!’ Ed shrieked loudly, just as the boom swung round. Luckily, Maddie saw it, and she ducked quickly out the way.
‘No!’ shouted Greg. ‘We’re going to broach, hold on!’ The boat suddenly heeled over nearly horizontal and skidded sideways. Maddie clung on to her seat, terrified.
After he had regained control, Greg told Ed to take the wheel, as by now waves were leaping down the sides of the boat as the speed increased. Maddie looked at the sky and the whole canopy above them was the colour of a purply bruise. The sea was a murky grey and her waterproof was a poor defence against the wind and rain. Rain pelted on her cheeks and the wind was roaring in her ears. Not only was she freezing and shivering, she was aware of her heart thudding in her chest.
The boat jerked to the left, as Greg shouted, ‘I should have reefed the sail earlier on, we’re going to broach again!’ to Ed. Ed looked panic-stricken and gripped the wheel more tightly, his eyes wide.
But just as he did, another gust of wind rolled the boat violently over on its side as Greg shouted, ‘Broaching… hang on!’ Taffie, who’d been standing with paws up on the side, suddenly yelped. Maddie watched, helplessly, as unable to cling on, he fell right into the violent ocean.
‘Taffie! No!’ screamed Maddie as Ed looked over his shoulder, his hair matted to his head.
Greg was right beside her then. ‘Where is he?’ he shouted above the noise of the waves and the sails, which were flapping in the wind, completely out of control now.
Greg quickly told Ed to start the engine and hold the boat into the wind, and then he threw a ring with a line in from the side. Maddie looked on, heart in her mouth, as he jumped overboard himself, ‘Greg!’ Maddie screamed automatically.
Time seemed to stand still as she gazed out to the ocean at the angry waves, white foam breaking all over the surface, the hiss of the sea in her ears. She could see nothing but the bubbling, furious waters below as she clung to the rails of the boat herself, looking behind her at the waves, her knuckles white as her eyes darted right and left looking for any sign of either of them. There was no sign of Taffie – or Greg. Where were they?
‘Ed. Jesus, what do we do? Ed?’ she screamed. He was clutching the wheel, his face white, panic in his eyes. They were both completely out of their depth. She couldn’t move and the boat was rocking so violently now, she couldn’t even stand up. She remained kneeling on the deck, clinging on, raising her head now and then to look out to the water.
She scanned the ocean as much as she could, frantic for some sign of life, desperate for a glimpse of either of them.
Suddenly, Greg’s head popped up and he took a huge gasp of air, then went out of sight again behind a wave. She could see the orange life ring just beside him. It looked like he was holding on to it with one arm hooked into it. With his lifejacket on, his face was just above the water, then – miracle – she could just about make out a ball of wet fur under Greg’s arm.
‘Mum! Hold the wheel!’ Ed was by her side.
‘What? I don’t know what to do!’
‘Just do it!’ he screamed at her. ‘Hold it steady here, at about ten o’clock. Keep the bow of the boat pointing into the wind – look, like this! Come on, Mum!’ He showed her where to hold it as her heart raced and she felt the rain trickle down her neck.
‘I need to get the sails down and circle back with the engine and try to get these two out of the sea,’ bellowed Ed as he released the halyard, and the mainsail crashed down. He then grabbed the furling line, accelerated the engine and circled back round to where Greg and Taffie were.