REFLECTIONS

We're both now recovered and we're feeling great. The pictures below were taken in Carlisle Bay this evening. Less is more.

We can laugh at our horror show now and hope you can. Yes, it was very distressing, and perhaps the scariest moment of our lives, but the experience has built our awareness of the sea - you can't gain that from a book. Going through something like that together, whilst I don't recommend it, is a very powerful bond. We both learnt about each other and I am in awe of Miranda's bravery.

The video itself caught the essence of the situation, but it missed a lot. From first losing our power and steering we drifted five miles on the tide over three hours. We had to stay below and close to the radio which was truly horrible. The official vessel of the island had a hole in it, so we were rescued by a private crew who showed huge bravery, but they left without a working GPS system and it was down to the keen eye of the Captain's son who spotted us in the waves. Connecting two boats together in a large swell was treacherous, the boats very nearly collided. With the tide and wind pulling in different directions it was tough to predict the movement of the boats, we drifted another half a mile during the connection. A search and rescue plane was sent out and circled overhead once the boat found us. After an hour of tow the rope snapped and we had to reconnect again.

Most of all, as we pondered our survival, we both reflected on the really important things in life - our children, family and friends. Our clan. Thank you for all your comments of support.