Page 73 - Masthead - Salcombe Yacht Club 2019 Yearbook

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up our ass. We rounded up off Gourock Yacht Club around midday on the fourth day. We picked up a mooring, stowed the sails and turned in for a few hours.
Not long after that, the owner came out to take us ashore. He was very pleased we had had such a good run up and took us into the Yacht Club for a shower and a big fry up. Boy was that good! I phoned HQ to let Jeff know we had arrived with no problems. He said Lil would be pleased!
We didn’t hitch hike home. It was January and bloody cold in Scotland and so a luxury train ride took us down from Glasgow to Totnes. When I got home I felt I had taken a really big step forward. It had been my first run as skipper and taking that Twister to Scotland was a real milestone. Only five years ago I had signed on the Norian to peel spuds and shovel coal. It demonstrates how well you can do if you are studying the right subject.
Jeff paid me £50 for delivering the Twister to Scotland. That was a good pay off for four days work. I had sailed around the world for less. And so 1968 dawned. It was to be the most tragic year of my short life so far.
Scratch Hitchen
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