In 1957, Penny Hughes and Sally Hinchcliffe were sailing their converted ship’s boat Crab from Preveza to Levkas with friends Robin and Mags when they were caught in a gale.
The wind was impressive now. It tugged at the small sail, visibly lifting the boat as the gusts came. The helm was hard to control. This was unlike any conditions I had met. In the estuary one could anchor and ride out the gale until the tide dropped and one could wade home.
In a wind like this I had never actually been at the helm. Here there was no alternative but to push on. These waves started somewhere in the northern end of the Adriatic and had rolled their way southwards, gaining momentum. They were as big as elephants
