Storm damage
Surviving a Storm All Alone
If you’re wondering how Vela sustained her damages, let me take you back to that terrifying night. It was mid-November, and storms had been pounding the coast. Vela was moored facing west, the usual direction of the wind in Denmark. But this time, the wind betrayed us, howling fiercely from the south.
I was asleep in the saloon, the aft cabin too noisy from the storm’s rage. I awoke suddenly in the dead of night; the darkness was suffocating. Something felt wrong—terribly wrong. The boat wasn’t where it should be. Anxiety gripped me as I scrambled to get dressed and rushed on deck.
Outside, the sight sent a chill down my spine. A massive chunk of the dock had broken loose and was adrift. I cursed under my breath, but that was just the beginning. When I turned toward the bow, my heart nearly stopped. The cleat had been ripped from the hull, now dangling dangerously between the pole and the boat, held by a single, straining line. The wind was screaming at 45+ knots, and I was completely alone.
Panic surged through me, but I knew I had to act. Christian was thousands of miles away in Greenland, asleep when I called. The time difference meant I was pulling him out of bed, but he knew immediately something was horribly wrong. His advice: call for help.
A friend from the marina arrived, braving the storm to assist. Together, we fought to save Vela, attaching a halyard to the dock and pulling with all our strength. The bow thruster groaned in protest against the wind’s fury. After what felt like an eternity, we finally secured Vela alongside the dock, now facing the wind.
I didn’t make it to school that day. The storm had left its mark on both Vela and me. Anxiety clung to me for days, my nerves frayed until Christian finally returned. Only then, with his help, could I start to breathe again, knowing Vela was safe.
