Preparations

Physical Fitness:
The first, and most important, preparation I made for the voyage, undoubtedly saved my life. I thought the trip might turn out to be a rough one, so I decided to make myself as fit and strong as possible. Every day I did physical exercises. I soon found I could do twenty press-ups without even changing my normal breathing rhythm. Exercises opposing muscle against muscle in various ways soon built a tough covering of hard-working sinew around my shoulders, arms, back, stomach and chest. When I set sail I was stronger and harder than I have ever been in my life before. Undoubtedly the extra endurance this gave me enabled me to fight my way ashore far enough for my rescuers to reach me at Hvide Sande. It is quite certain I could not have done so otherwise. I am one of the very few men to survive those breakers in gale conditions.

Sea Anchor:
Some months before I sailed, my friend Mike Patterson described a new type of sea-anchor he had thought of. I mulled over his idea, in the light of past experience, and eventually, with a number of modifications, I worked out the sea-anchor I felt would suit the Potter best. Mike's principle was for the sea-anchor to be so rigged that, should a boat be caught off the bow by heavy breaking tops, the arrangement would require the force of the roller to lift the weight of the sea-anchor before it could turn the boat over. Although the Potter was attacked many times by the odd sideswiping breaker in the North Sea, it was soon apparent that the idea worked. Before such a sea could act on the boat its force was expended in partly lifting the weight of the sea-anchor and partly throwing the stern round so that she. came about almost head-to-seas. Time after time this happened. I gained great confidence in the arrangement in heavy breaking seas twenty feet or so high, during the gales 27-30th October.

Riding Mizen:
One of the greatest assets in wild seas is for a little boat to stay head-to-wind. If she cannot be made to do so there is a very strong possibility that she may be smashed in or filled by the heavier breaking tops. Lying a-hull may suit some people. I would be very unhappy ! The riding mizen fitted to the Potter was arranged as illustrated. The advantages of this are as follows:
(1) The stresses as the sail fills are transmitted as compression stresses into the hull.
(2) The arrangement calls for no modifications to the steering gear in order to avoid a central mast.
(3) No standing rigging is required.
(4) The aft part of the boat is clear for action and gear.
(5) It can be carried on board in pieces and rigged at sea. The riding mizen, as fitted to the Potter, was a very important safety factor. It made for considerably more comfort and peace of mind than I could otherwise have enjoyed.

Life-Line:
The life-line was arranged as for the Atlantic voyages in the Nova Espero. A length of stout line with a long eye splice is passed round the mast and through the eye and remains in place throughout the trip. A second short length is attached to a large stainless steel snaphook. This can be fastened around the body without inconvenience. When leaving the cockpit it can be either snapped on to the mast line or to any preferred part of the standing rigging, or to both when forward.

Fore-sail Downhaul:
This was very simple and very effective. A length of courlene hambro-line was fastened to the top cringle of the sail, entered into each hank down the fore-stay, passed through a twisted shackle at the bottom thimble of the fore-stay and led aft to the halyard cleats within reach of the cockpit. It was never necessary to get out of the cockpit to work the boat.

Compasses:
I carried two compasses. The "Sestrel Minor" by Henry Brown & Son which we used for the second Atlantic crossing in the Nova Espero, and an ex-Government light aircraft compass with the rotating verge-ring, for use at night in case my batteries for the "Sestrel" light failed for any reason. These were mounted on a slide-down, portable Shelf in the cabin doorway, unaffected by deviation with the centre-plate in the "down" position.

Charts and Pilots:
One Stanford folding coloured chart of the Channel. All the remainder Admiralty Charts for all coasts along the North Sea and Kattegat and through Lim Fjord. The appropriate North Sea Pilot and Baltic Pilot with supplements, including new buoyage code for Denmark. The Admiralty Consol Chart. All were spoilt or lost at Hvide Sande.

Navigation Equipment:
All lost at Hvide Sande. Most important and most regretted, my "NovaPal" transistorized direction finder, and three band radio. Along the English Channel I only used this little set for checking positions already known, so that I could evaluate it for the North Sea. Marine Radio Beacons and Consol were received and translated into quite accurate positions, which 1 could verify by observation along this part of the route. I gained more confidence in the set the more I used it. It was mounted on a kind of portable pillar which raised it just above the aft end of the cabin-top, and could be quickly stowed out of the way immediately after use. I had numerous spare batteries, so could afford to use it for entertainment as I felt like it across the North Sea.

Buoyancy:
Four Sea-Esta Roll-a-Boats were kept inflated and tied in place throughout the journey. That is, until I felt the need to adjust their positions on approaching the breakers at Hvide Sande. If those breakers had been less heavy (twenty feet high, half mile offshore) and severe, and myself not battered senseless by them, I could probably have rolled the boat right up to the beach, single-handed on the Roll-a-Boats, using the special handy-billy and the anchor I carried. As it was, they played their part well in keeping the boat upright and saving it from very severe damage in those terrible breakers.

Distress Signals:
I carried two daylight distress orange smoke signals, and six night hand flares. The smoke signals were used off Hvide Sande, but none of the flares. I regret to have to say that these were not seen and that Peder Sorensen cracked on all possible speed on seeing my Red Ensign flying upside down!

Spirits:
My friend Mike Patterson was horrified to learn that 1 wished to carry none at all. He wanted me to take some brandy for emergency. I am glad I resisted the temptation. My argument was that one may well think the time is ripe for " rejuvenation " some time before the real crisis arrives. It is well known that, although spirits will " warm the cockles of your heart " for a short time, they leave a man a little less able than he was, when the effects have worn off. This would have been fatal at Hvide Sande.

Motor:
I borrowed a Seagull 100 longshaft from my brother. For most of the journey of course this was stowed under cover in the aft locker. Unfortunately it was flooded at Hvide Sande and lay unattended for several days while I was in hospital. It was then overhauled but did not run well, probably owing to some slight maladjustment, until the final spurt of about twenty miles into Kloster Fjord. This saved us from an ordeal indeed!

Cooking:
Primus. Good old Primus!

Provisions:
Nothing special to report. Except that a friend supplied me with a flagon of strong homemade lemonade. This cleansed the mouth wonderfully in the "small hours " out at sea.

Cockpit Cover:
A very heavy canvas cover, with strong-backs under, laced around the coamings. This was hardly used at all; but it might have been needed if the sea anchor/riding mizen arrangement had not been so effective.

Radar Reflector:
A portable, fold-flat reflector was carried.

Miscellaneous:
Numerous items of equipment were carried, i.e. hand-bell for use during fog. A simple peloras for snap-bearings from the cabin top, self-made. Our special sliding multi-purpose outboard bracket. And others too numerous to list here.

Sails:
The normal standard terylene sails as supplied by our sailmaker. No spares were carried. The sails were in perfect order on arrival in Sweden. They set beautifully and worked very efficiently. The little riding mizen had had to take a terrific hammering and is still as good as new. One could not ask for better than this!