I first sailed a small boat with my first boy-friend. He was, of course, the love of my life. At the sight of his tall, slim figure and sun-tanned, immensely handsome face, plus his sky-blue enormous eyes, I was struck into a state of blithering idiocy. At the sound of his deep, cultured, softly modulated, voice, I could hear nothing else. In this state of inadequacy I tried to learn about sailing said boat! At a time of life when girls feel spotty faced and fat - I borrowed my sister's jeans, washed off all make-up, and resigned myself, as crew, to the freezing cold two-foot waves breaking over the bow of said boat!

Eventually evening came and the wind dropped (as, I discovered, the wind usually does in the evening). We sailed gently into the mooring area and, for my finale I nearly fell into the harbour in my anxiety to pick up the mooring buoy. On walking along the pier, he managed to catch his hand in the gate. I further humiliated myself by getting a fit of the giggles.

Thereafter I brought books from the library and learned all the sailing terms, different types of boat builds, kinds of rigging etc. This meant I severely neglected my school studies and had to spend another year at school. In fact I learned so much about boats I could have enrolled in the navy! I did become quite popular as crew and was frequently invited to sail. Most young women, with more sense than I, preferred lounging on the beach to hanging out of the side of a small boat with cold waves breaking over one's back every few seconds.