There is always and event in the life of a single hander that changes your behavior. The following is a synopsis of my near failure at sea.

Emily became the fastest moving hurricane of the previous century, moving at a pace of 69 mph. Records show : 08:00 32.4N, 64.6W wind speed 90 mph pressure 975 mb movement ENE at 41 mph."

And there was the glitch, as there was no outrunning her. I did manage to make into the navigatable simi circle but spent three days under bare poles with wind off the top of my anemometer, in fact she removed all the instruments from the mast. But Prism held her own.

At roughly 04:00 September 26 I heard a massive noise on deck which I later determined was the dinghy being ripped from the coach roof. No sooner than exiting the companionway everything turned a frothy green as a wave broke on deck carrying me over the side. My teather and harness saved me from being carried away but time beyond measure and several periods of unconsiousness passed as I was smashed against the hull on my teather, helpless. Many a time I considered cutting the teather to end the pain but eventually a friendly wave lifted me high against the deck where I was able to get a leg around a stanchion.

I lay on the cabin sole for over a day unable to move. Finally pulling things together and summoning the last of my energy with no part of my body free from bruising managed to make repairs and continue to NYC. Three broken ribs, dislocated finger and long term damage to both shoulders.

This marked the end of my single handed ocean crossings in a small 42', 17 ton boats. I continued back to Canada and placed Prism One for sale. It also began the hunt for an ocean vessel that culminated in the purchase of Centaur Living Aboard 65' Trawler at 65 tons this was a boat much better suited to open ocean work.